CEO, COO, CMO, CFO, CIO, CTO, CCO, and CDO refer to a number of senior positions and managerial functions in a company.
Although these are abbreviations of terms in English, in many cases they refer to traditional positions whose descriptions already existed in the Spanish language. However, globalization and the expansion of remote work have made such terms become a standard in the business world.
| Acronym | Job title | Meaning | Essential function |
|---|---|---|---|
| CEO | Chief Executive Officer | Executive Director. | General management. |
| COO | Chief Operating Officer | Director of operations. | Process management. |
| CMO | Chief Marketing Officer | Marketing director . | Management of marketing and advertising activities. |
| CFO | Chief Financial Officer | Financial director. | Management of financial resources. |
| THAT IS | Chief Information Officer | Information Director, IT manager or IT manager. | Process-oriented technological resource management. |
| CTO | Chief Technology Officer | CTO or CTO. | Management of technological resources oriented to data flow. |
| CCO | Chief Communications Officer | Director of Communications. | Management of the company’s image and its internal and external communications. |
| CD0 | Chief Digital Officer o Director Digital, | Digital Director. | Management of digital communications (web and social networks). |
It is the abbreviation of Chief Executive Officer and corresponds to the position of executive director of a company, or to the highest position within an organization.
Generally, it is a position occupied by the owner of the company or, failing that, by someone who represents their interests. In the latter case, the business owner is probably occupying the position of president or chief executive officer ( chairman ).
The functions of a CEO are highly dependent on the size and needs of the organization. In startups and SMEs, the CEO can take on some essential tasks for the operation of the company, such as financial management or relationships with suppliers.
However, the larger the organization, the CEO’s functions tend to be less technical and more strategic. In this case, an executive director is responsible for:
They are the acronym for Chief Operating Officer or director of operations. This is a position that requires full knowledge of how the company works, since it is a direct link between the CEO and the leaders of each department. In addition, the COO can represent the CEO if necessary.
Generally speaking, a director of operations is responsible for:
It is the abbreviation of Chief Marketing Officer or marketing director who is the head of the marketing area of the company. Its main objective is to rely on marketing and advertising strategies to generate higher income for the organization.
The chief marketing officer is responsible for:
They are the acronym for Chief Financial Officer, the head of the company’s finances. In Spanish it would be the finance director.
The CFO is responsible for:
It is the position of Chief Information Officer or information director. In many Latin American organizations it is also known as IT Manager or IT manager and its main function is to ensure the operation of the company’s technological resources.
An IT manager is responsible for:
It is the abbreviation for Chief Technology Officer or chief technology officer and it is a recent position that has emerged in response to the high demand for specialized profiles in the technology area. In fact, in companies that do not have a CTO, their functions are executed by the IT manager or CIO.
The Chief Technology Officer has among his responsibilities:
It is the abbreviation for Chief Communications Officer or communications director, who is responsible for the company’s relations with the media.
Typically, this profile works closely with the Chief Marketing Officer or CMO and the CDO or Digital Communications Officer. However, in small businesses, it is possible for a single person or department to group all three functions.
The person responsible for communications is responsible for:
It refers to the Chief Digital Officer or digital director, a specialized profile that has emerged from the need for organizations to have a presence in the digital world, especially on social networks.
In a small company, the CDO position is filled by the community manager , while in an SME it is probably the role of the social media manager .
The digital director is responsible for: