Top C-Suite Roles and Responsibilities

Building a great team of C-suite executives is at the heart of a CEO’s job. It is a task that demands a delicate balance of executive leadership skills and a keen understanding of all the C-suite roles and responsibilities.

“It’s one of the hardest and most rewarding things you do,” says Vistage member Larry Weiss, president and founder of Weiss Advisors LLC. “There’s so much that comes into play. Chemistry, skill sets, culture — they all have to come together.”

Seasoned and first-time C-suite executives must hire people who can carry their vision into reality. When hiring a new executive team, this becomes less about technical skills and more about soft skills, such as leadership and communication.

Weiss, whose leadership experience includes president, CFO, controller, director of operations, director of business development, as well as board member, said that CEOs must find a team of individuals who can carry out their vision and mission while also maintaining great relationships with their team, the CEO, and other employees.

Vistage asked Weiss and Nora Paller — a former CEO of a family-owned company and a Vistage Master Chair with more than 17,000 hours coaching CEOs of midsize businesses — about the top executive skills necessary for these specific C-suite roles.

This article will delve into the definition of the C-suite and all the integral roles within an organization. It will illuminate how these C-suite roles collaborate and collectively contribute to the overall success of the organization.

• What Is the C-Suite?
• C-Suite Roles: Chief Executive Officer
• C-Suite Roles: Chief Financial Officer
• C-Suite Roles: Chief Operating Officer
• C-Suite Roles: Chief Human Resources Officer
• C-Suite Roles: Chief Information Officer
• C-Suite Roles: Chief Marketing Officer
• C-Suite Roles: Chief Legal Officer
• C-Suite Roles: Chief Sustainability Officer
• What Do C-Suite Executives Need From a CEO?
• Key Takeaways: C-Suite Roles and Responsibilities

What Is the C-Suite?

The C-suite, short for the executive suite, refers to the highest-ranking executives in a company who hold the title of Chief Officer. These individuals collectively form the core leadership team responsible for making strategic decisions and steering the organization toward its goals. 

Though many members of the C-suite hold different capabilities, they all share common traits and characteristics of an entrepreneur. Their executive leadership skills drive the organization, contributing to its success and longevity. The C-suite roles and responsibilities typically include the following:

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO): The CEO is the highest-ranking executive responsible for overall strategic direction and decision-making in the organization. They set the company’s vision, mission, and goals and work closely with other executives to ensure the company’s success.
• Chief Financial Officer (CFO): The CFO oversees the financial aspects of the company, managing budgets and financial planning. They provide fiscal insights to support decision-making and are crucial in maintaining the company’s financial health.
• Chief Operating Officer (COO): The COO focuses on the day-to-day operations of the company, ensuring efficient processes and effective use of resources. They collaborate with other executives to implement strategies and drive organizational growth.
• Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO): The CHRO is responsible for managing the human resources of the organization. They oversee hiring, employee relations, training, and development, working to create a positive and productive workplace culture.
• Chief Information Officer (CIO): The CIO manages the organization’s information technology strategy. They ensure that the company’s technology infrastructure supports its goals and remains secure, efficient, and up-to-date.
• Chief Marketing Officer (CMO): The CMO leads the marketing strategy, branding, and promotion of the company’s products or services. They focus on building and maintaining the company’s image and market presence.
• Chief Legal Officer (CLO): The CLO, often referred to as General Counsel, manages legal matters and ensures the company operates within legal boundaries. They provide legal advice, oversee contracts, and handle any legal issues that may arise.
• Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO): The CSO is responsible for developing and implementing sustainable business practices. They focus on environmental, social, and governance issues, aligning the company’s operations with principles of sustainability and corporate responsibility.

C-Suite Roles: Chief Executive Officer

​​The CEO is a pivotal figure in the C-suite roles and responsibilities, embodying the essence of executive leadership skills. This top executive plays a central role in shaping the company’s direction and success by overseeing various facets of the organization.

A successful CEO possesses a unique combination of C-suite roles, blending strategic planning with effective decision-making, communication, risk assessment, and board governance. The CEO’s ability to navigate the following responsibilities ensures the company’s long-term growth and sustainability.

• Strategic Leadership: As the ultimate decision-maker, the CEO is responsible for setting the company’s strategic direction. They formulate long-term goals, define the mission and vision, and lead the organization in achieving its objectives.
• Decision-making: The CEO is tasked with making critical decisions that impact the entire organization. They must weigh various factors, including market trends, financial considerations, and internal capabilities, to guide the company toward success.
• Communication: Effective communication is a key skill for a CEO. They must articulate the company’s vision, values, and goals to internal and external stakeholders, fostering a shared understanding and commitment to the organizational mission.
• Risk Assessment: CEOs must assess and manage risks associated with business operations. This can include anything from evaluating market dynamics to leading through inflation and understanding other potential challenges. Ultimately, CEOs must develop strategies that mitigate risks and capitalize on opportunities.
• Board Governance: The CEO collaborates with the board of directors to align the company’s actions with shareholder interests. They provide insights, updates, and recommendations to the board, ensuring transparency and creating a culture of accountability in corporate governance.

C-Suite Roles: Chief Financial Officer

The role of the CFO has changed greatly in the past few decades, Weiss said. CFO was once a technical role focused on reporting, numbers, and budgets. Now, CFOs must be more creative, strategic, and communicative.

CFOs must still know the technical details, but it’s important for CEOs to find reliable CFOs who can see new opportunities and become great leaders themselves. It’s crucial for CFOs to extend their influence beyond financial matters and drive value in your business through multiple areas.Consider the following roles and responsibilities of the CFO:

• Financial Planning: The CFO oversees the development of budgets and financial strategies. They collaborate with other C-suite executives to align financial goals with the overall strategic direction of the company.
• Reporting: The CFO is responsible for transparent and accurate financial reporting, both internally and externally. They prepare financial statements and communicate financial performance to stakeholders.
• Compliance: Ensuring adherence to financial regulations and standards is a key responsibility of the CFO. They stay up to date with relevant laws and industry regulations and work to guarantee that the company’s financial practices comply with legal requirements.
• Risk Management: This involves evaluating market fluctuations, economic trends, and potential threats to the company’s financial stability. By implementing effective risk management strategies, the CFO helps safeguard the organization’s financial health and resilience in a dynamic business environment.

C-Suite Roles: Chief Operating Officer

The COO oversees day-to-day administrative and operational functions. COOs must know analytics, Weiss said, and be driven by metrics and KPIs. But they have to be comfortable making decisions and recommendations with incomplete, still-forming pictures of what is happening.

Paller said that a great COO is good at executing and turning strategy into operations. “A great COO makes things happen,” she said. “And they can motivate people to work together as a team.” The following are key executive leadership skills that a COO must possess:

• Operational Efficiency: Through streamlining processes and implementing strategies to enhance productivity and reduce costs, COOs optimize operational efficiency. By focusing on the day-to-day workings of the company, the COO ensures that resources are utilized effectively to support overall business objectives.
• Process Improvement: COOs analyze existing workflows, identify areas for enhancement, and implement changes to improve overall business processes.
• Team Management: This involves fostering a positive work culture, aligning teams with organizational goals, and ensuring that resources, both human and operational, are effectively utilized. Strong team management skills are crucial for improving the employee experience and building a cohesive workforce.
• Execution of Business Strategy: The COO works closely with other C-suite roles to ensure that business strategies are effectively executed at the operational level. By aligning day-to-day activities with broader business goals, the COO contributes to the successful implementation of the company’s overall strategic vision.

C-Suite Roles: Chief Human Resources Officer

Weiss’s biggest hiring mistake came from hiring a bad HR leader. They didn’t listen or relate well to the team, or to potential hires, a problem for someone who interacts with so many people.

From this experience, Weiss said he learned that the right person for the role is someone with deep experience with hiring, recruiting, and training people — and who must be trusted by the entire executive team to represent the company.

According to Harvard Business Review, CEOs name human capital as a top challenge, and yet many CEOs do not rank their HR leader as a top key position. A chief human resources officer can cover vast terrain — training, compliance, hiring, and discipline. Let’s break down some of these key responsibilities:

• Compensation: This includes designing competitive salary structures, benefits packages, and incentive programs to attract and retain top talent.
• Talent Acquisition: The CHRO oversees the talent acquisition process, from workforce planning to recruitment and onboarding. They collaborate with hiring managers to identify staffing needs, implement effective recruitment strategies, and ensure a seamless onboarding experience for new employees.
• Performance Management: The CHRO establishes key performance indicators, conducts performance evaluations, and provides feedback to employees. Through effective performance management, the CHRO contributes to employee growth and engagement.
• Training and Development: The CHRO is responsible for creating and implementing training and development programs that enhance employees’ skills and capabilities. They identify training needs, design learning initiatives, and support career and leadership development opportunities.

C-Suite Roles: Chief Information Officer

The CIO manages and implements new technology. Paller said that CIOs must stay up-to-date with a range of topics, continue learning about new technology, and translate what matters most for the team.

CIOs will often need to outsource aspects of the company’s technology infrastructure, Paller said. Outsourcing can save time and resources, but CIOs must still manage these outsourced teams and be adept at collaborating with remote teams.

In addition, CIOs need to be highly adept at the following skills and responsibilities:

• Cybersecurity: The CIO is tasked with safeguarding the organization’s digital assets through robust cybersecurity measures, maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive information. They develop and implement security protocols, monitor potential threats, and ensure compliance with data protection regulations.
• Technology Strategy: This involves aligning technology initiatives with overall business goals, evaluating emerging technologies, and ensuring that the IT infrastructure supports the company’s current and future needs.
• Innovation and Research: The CIO must stay up to date with technological advancements. They engage in research and development activities, encouraging a culture of innovation that allows the company to adapt to changing market dynamics and capitalize on new opportunities.
• Communication with IT Partners: The CIO serves as a liaison between the organization and its IT partners, including vendors, service providers, and external consultants. They communicate the company’s technological needs, negotiate contracts, and ensure that IT partnerships align with strategic objectives.

C-Suite Roles: Chief Marketing Officer

The CMO is the C-suite position that has changed the most in the past decade. Marketing used to be creative and difficult to quantify, but advancements in technology and analytics have allowed CMOs to show the effects of their work.

A good CMO understands the company’s strategy, knows how to get the company’s work seen, and can show with data and analytics that their work makes an impact. This is still a creative position, but CMOs must now be more technically aware and adept at the following skills:

• Brand Management: The CMO is responsible for shaping and maintaining the organization’s brand identity. They develop strategies to enhance brand recognition, ensure consistency in messaging across various channels, and actively manage the company’s reputation in the market.
• Marketing Strategy: This includes market analysis, target audience identification, and the creation of campaigns that effectively communicate the value proposition of the organization’s products or services.
• Customer Engagement: This includes implementing marketing campaigns, gathering feedback, and leveraging data to understand customer preferences. Through effective engagement strategies, the CMO fosters strong relationships with customers, enhancing brand loyalty.
• Driving Revenue: The CMO identifies and capitalizes on opportunities to generate leads, converts prospects into customers, and maximizes the lifetime value of existing customers. By aligning marketing initiatives with revenue goals, the CMO contributes to the overall financial success of the organization.

C-Suite Roles: Chief Legal Officer

The CLO, often known as the general counsel, is a key executive responsible for overseeing legal matters within a company. They provide strategic legal advice to ensure the organization operates within the boundaries of the law, mitigating legal risks and safeguarding the company’s interests.

The CLO plays a crucial role in guiding decision-making processes and ensuring that business operations align with legal requirements. Some of their key roles and responsibilities include:

• Legal Compliance: The CLO is tasked with ensuring the company’s adherence to applicable laws and regulations. They monitor changes in the legal landscape, assess the impact on the organization, and develop compliance strategies to avoid legal pitfalls.
• Risk Mitigation: CLOs identify potential legal challenges, assess their impact on the business, and develop strategies to minimize risks.
• Contract Negotiation: The CLO oversees contract negotiations, ensuring that agreements are legally sound and align with the company’s interests. They work closely with other departments to draft, review, and negotiate contracts.
• Intellectual Property Protection: Safeguarding intellectual property is a key focus for the CLO. They manage the legal aspects of trademarks, patents, and copyrights, implementing strategies to protect the company’s intellectual assets and prevent infringement.
• Policy Development: The CLO ensures that company policies align with legal requirements, industry standards, and the organization’s values, providing a framework for ethical and legal conduct within the organization.

C-Suite Roles: Chief Sustainability Officer

The CSO is the C-suite role responsible for guiding and implementing sustainable business practices within an organization. This role has gained prominence as companies increasingly recognize the importance of environmental and social responsibility.

The CSO works to integrate sustainability into the core strategy of the company, balancing economic, environmental, and social considerations to ensure long-term success and positive impact. Let’s dive into further executive leadership skills that CSOs must possess:

• Sustainability Strategy Development: The CSO is tasked with developing a comprehensive sustainability strategy aligned with the company’s overall goals. They assess the environmental and social impact of business operations, identify opportunities for improvement, and create initiatives that promote sustainable practices throughout the organization.
• Environmental Stewardship: A key responsibility of the CSO is overseeing environmental initiatives and ensuring the company’s activities minimize their impact on the environment. This includes implementing energy-efficient practices, waste reduction programs, and environmentally responsible supply chain management.
• Social Responsibility: The CSO is dedicated to advancing social responsibility within the organization. They work to enhance the company’s relationships with stakeholders, including employees, communities, and customers, by promoting fair labor practices, diversity, and community engagement.
• Governance and Ethics: The CSO plays a crucial role in fostering a culture of governance and ethics. They develop policies that align with ethical business practices and ensure compliance with relevant regulations. 

What Do C-Suite Executives Need From a CEO?

When Weiss worked as CFO at a previous organization, he had a chief executive of the kind he wanted to become.

Weiss learned a lot about this CEO’s strength as a leader in a moment of conflict when the CEO had an idea that Weiss and the company’s CMO believed to be a bad one. The CEO became frustrated with Weiss and the CMO, who disagreed about most things but agreed about this idea. The chairman of the company told the CEO that it was rare for Weiss and the CMO to agree on anything, so the CEO should listen. The CEO grew angered and left. He came back the next day, ready to listen.

Weiss remembers what the CEO said when he returned: “I’ve calmed down. Explain to me again why you think this is a bad idea. And we can’t leave this room until I understand.”

The CEO was invested in this idea but eventually agreed to let it go.

“For a CEO, respectful conflict is good within the C-suite,” Weiss said. “If everybody agrees all the time, we’ve got a problem. I want people to speak up and to challenge each other, but to do it respectfully and politely.”

For this reason, it’s important for a CEO to have both empathetic leadership skills and emotional intelligence. They should be supportive of employees and willing to hear feedback. Paller said that CEOs should have a vision of where they want to go, be willing to take risks, make choices, and learn from mistakes.

It’s also important for CEOs to ditch their egos. “Some of the best CEOs don’t have big egos,” Paller said. “Every day they go to work, they’re moving towards something. That’s who I’d want to work for.”

Each role of C-suite executives requires its own unique set of hard and soft skills. Every leader will bring something different to the mix. Whether you’re an experienced or first-time CEO it is important to consider how the C-level leader you’re bringing on board complements your own set of skills. This will ensure your company’s executive leadership team is well-rounded and provides the diverse perspectives you’ll need to take the business where you envision it should go.

Key Takeaways: C-Suite Roles and Responsibilities

In the dynamic world of corporate leadership, the C-suite is the powerhouse driving the strategies and success of an organization. From the visionary CEO to the meticulous CFO, each executive plays a pivotal role in steering the company toward its goals.

As the responsibilities of these roles unfold, executives often find themselves in need of a compass to navigate the complexities of their positions. This is where Vistage steps in, offering a dynamic blend of Peer Advisory Groups and executive coaching programs.

Imagine a forum where top-level executives share confidential insights and experiences, offering a unique blend of support and wisdom. With Vistage’s innovative approach to both Peer Advisory Groups and executive coaching programs, leaders enhance their skills and navigate the complexities of their C-suite roles, ultimately contributing to the success of their organizations.