Editing Corporate title (section)

==Variations==
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2012}}
There are considerable variations in the composition and responsibilities of corporate titles.

Within the corporate office or corporate center of a corporation, some corporations have a [[chairman]] and [[chief executive officer]] (CEO) as the top-ranking executive, while the number two is the [[President (corporate title)|president]] and [[chief operating officer]] (COO); other corporations have a president and CEO but no official deputy. Typically, senior managers are "higher" than [[vice president]]s, although many times a senior officer may also hold a vice president title, such as executive vice president and [[chief financial officer]] (CFO). The [[board of directors]] is technically not part of management itself, although its chairman may be considered part of the corporate office if he or she is an executive chairman.

A corporation often consists of different businesses, whose senior executives report directly to the CEO or COO, but that depends on the form of the business. If organized as a [[Division (business)|division]] then the top manager is often known as an [[vice president#Hierarchy of vice presidents|executive vice president (EVP)]]. If that business is a [[subsidiary]] which has considerably more independence, then the title might be chairman and CEO.

In many countries, particularly in Europe and Asia, there is a separate executive board for day-to-day business and [[supervisory board]] (elected by shareholders) for control purposes. In these countries, the CEO presides over the executive board and the chairman presides over the supervisory board, and these two roles will always be held by different people. This ensures a distinction between [[management]] by the executive board and [[governance]] by the supervisory board. This seemingly allows for clear lines of authority. There is a strong parallel here with the structure of government, which tends to separate the political [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]] from the management [[civil service]].

In the United States and other countries that follow a single-board corporate structure, the board of directors (elected by the shareholders) is often equivalent to the European or Asian supervisory board, while the functions of the executive board may be vested either in the board of directors or in a separate committee, which may be called an operating committee ([[J.P. Morgan Chase]]),<ref name=":1">{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/magazine/ina-drew-jamie-dimon-jpmorgan-chase.html?pagewanted=all | work=The New York Times | first=Susan | last=Dominus | title=Ina Drew, Jamie Dimon and JPMorgan Chase's $6 Billion Mistake | date=2012-10-03}}</ref> management committee ([[Goldman Sachs]]), executive committee ([[Lehman Brothers]]), executive council ([[Hewlett-Packard]]), or executive board ([[HeiG]]) composed of the division/subsidiary heads and senior officers that report directly to the CEO.

===United States===

State laws in the United States traditionally required certain positions to be created within every corporation, such as [[President (corporate title)|president]], [[Company secretary|secretary]] and [[treasurer]]. Today, the approach under the ''[[Model Business Corporation Act]]'', which is employed in many states, is to grant corporations discretion in determining which titles to have, with the only mandated organ being the board of directors.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|title=Model Business Corporation Act|url=http://users.wfu.edu/palmitar/ICBCorporations-Companion/Conexus/ModelBusinessCorporationAct.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010220809/http://users.wfu.edu/palmitar/ICBCorporations-Companion/Conexus/ModelBusinessCorporationAct.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 October 2012|access-date=19 August 2013}}</ref>

Some states that do not employ the MBCA continue to require that certain offices be established. Under the law of [[Delaware]], where most large US corporations are established, stock certificates must be signed by two officers with titles specified by law (e.g. a president and secretary or a president and treasurer).<ref>{{cite web|title=Delaware General Corporation Law § 158|url=http://delcode.delaware.gov/title8/c001/sc05/index.shtml|access-date=19 December 2013|quote=Every holder of stock represented by certificates shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by, or in the name of the corporation by the chairperson or vice-chairperson of the board of directors, or the president or vice-president, and by the treasurer or an assistant treasurer, or the secretary or an assistant secretary of such corporation representing the number of shares registered in certificate form.}}</ref> Every corporation incorporated in [[California]] must have a chairman of the board or a president (or both), as well as a secretary and a chief financial officer.<ref>{{cite web|title=California Corporations Code § 312|url=http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=corp&group=00001-01000&file=300-318|access-date=19 December 2013|quote=A corporation shall have a chairman of the board or a president or both, a secretary, a chief financial officer, and such other officers with such titles and duties as shall be stated in the bylaws or determined by the board and as may be necessary to enable it to sign instruments and share certificates.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113085241/http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=corp&group=00001-01000&file=300-318|archive-date=13 November 2012}}</ref>

[[Limited liability company]] (LLC)-structured companies are generally run directly by their members, but the members can agree to appoint officers such as a CEO or to appoint "managers" to operate the company.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lawrence|first=George|title=Does an LLC Have to Have a President or CEO?|url=http://smallbusiness.chron.com/llc-president-ceo-17385.html|newspaper=Houston Chronicle|access-date=20 August 2013}}</ref>

American companies are generally led by a CEO. In some companies, the CEO also has the title of "president". In other companies, a president is a different person, and the primary duties of the two positions are defined in the company's bylaws (or the laws of the governing legal jurisdiction). Many companies also have a CFO, a COO and other senior positions such as [[general counsel|chief legal officer]] (CLO), [[chief strategy officer]] (CSO), [[chief marketing officer]] (CMO), etc. that report to the president and CEO. The next level, which are not executive positions, is middle management and may be called "vice presidents", "[[Director (business)|directors]]" or "managers", depending on the size and required managerial depth of the company.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lowe|first=Keith|title=The Relevance of Employee Titles|url=http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/48776|access-date=20 August 2013}}</ref>

===United Kingdom===

In British English, the title of [[managing director]] is broadly synonymous with that of chief executive officer.<ref>{{cite web |title=managing director Definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/managing-director |website=Cambridge Dictionary |publisher=Cambridge University Press & Assessment |access-date=31 January 2025}}</ref> Managing directors do not have any particular authority under the ''Companies Act'' in the UK, but do have [[implied authority]] based on the general understanding of what their position entails, as well as any authority expressly delegated by the board of directors.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Powers of a Managing Director|url=http://www.jordanslawforbusiness.co.uk/articles/the-powers-of-a-managing-director|publisher=Jordans|access-date=20 August 2013}}</ref>

===Japan and South Korea===

In Japan, corporate titles are roughly standardized across companies and organizations; although there is variation from company to company, corporate titles within a company are always consistent, and the large companies in Japan generally follow the same outline.<ref name=Whitehill1991>{{cite book|title=Japanese management: tradition and transition|author=Arthur Murray Whitehill|publisher=Taylor & Francis|year=1991|isbn=978-0-415-02253-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/japanesemanageme0000whit/page/113 113]|url=https://archive.org/details/japanesemanageme0000whit/page/113}}</ref> These titles are the formal titles that are used on business cards.<ref name=Kopp2000>{{cite book|page=172|title=The rice-paper ceiling: breaking through Japanese corporate culture|author=Rochelle Kopp|publisher=[[Stone Bridge Press]], Inc.|year=2000|isbn= 978-1-880656-51-8}}</ref> Korean corporate titles are similar to those of Japan.

Legally, Japanese and Korean companies are only required to have a board of directors with at least one representative director.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Yamaguchi|first1=Katsuyuki|last2=Dohi|first2=Shinji|title=Corporate governance and directors' duties in Japan: overview|url=https://content.next.westlaw.com/1-502-0177?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)&__lrTS=20171118235410021|website=Thomson Reuters Practical Law|publisher=Thomson Reuters}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=August 2015}} In Japanese, a company director is called a ''torishimariyaku'' (取締役) and a [[Representative Director (Japan)|representative director]] is called a ''daihyō torishimariyaku'' (代表取締役). The equivalent Korean titles are ''isa'' (이사, 理事) and ''daepyo-isa'' (대표이사, 代表理事). These titles are often combined with lower titles, e.g. ''senmu torishimariyaku'' or ''jōmu torishimariyaku'' for Japanese executives who are also board members.<ref name=LazerRynn1990 /><ref name=Condon1984 /> Most Japanese companies also have [[statutory auditor]]s, who operate alongside the board of directors in supervisory roles.

Under the commercial code in Japan, ''Jugyōin'' (従業員) meaning the "employee", is different from ''Kaishain'' (会社員), meaning the "stockholders".

The typical structure of executive titles in large companies includes the following:<ref name=LazerRynn1990>{{cite book|title=International business handbook|volume=1|series=Haworth series in international business|author=William Lazer and Midori Rynn|chapter=Japan|editor=Vishnu H. Kirpalani|publisher=Routledge|year=1990|isbn=978-0-86656-862-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/internationalbus0000unse_q8z9/page/361 361]|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/internationalbus0000unse_q8z9/page/361}}</ref><ref name=Condon1984>{{cite book|title=With respect to the Japanese: a guide for Americans|volume=4|series=Country orientation series|author=John C. Condon|publisher=Intercultural Press|year=1984|isbn=978-0-933662-49-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/withrespecttojap00cond/page/86 86]|url=https://archive.org/details/withrespecttojap00cond/page/86}}</ref><ref name=Vogel1975>{{cite book|title=Modern Japanese organization and decision-making|author=Ezra F. Vogel|publisher=University of California Press|year=1975|isbn=978-0-520-02857-9|pages=[https://archive.org/details/modernjapaneseor0000unse/page/135 135, 137]|url=https://archive.org/details/modernjapaneseor0000unse/page/135}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!English gloss
!''Kanji'' (''hanja'')
!Japanese
!Korean
!Comments
|-
|[[Chairman]]
|会長<br />(會長)
|''Kaichō''
|''Hoejang''<br />(회장)
|Often a semi-retired president or company founder. Denotes a position with considerable power within the company exercised through behind-the-scenes influence via the active president.
|-
|[[Vice chairman]]
|副会長<br />(副會長)
|''Fuku-kaichō''
|''Bu-hoejang''<br />(부회장)
|At Korean family-owned ''[[chaebol]]'' companies such as [[Samsung]], the vice-chairman commonly holds the CEO title (i.e., vice chairman and CEO)
|-
|[[President (corporate title)|President]]
|社長
|''Shachō''
|''Sajang''<br />(사장)
|Often CEO of the corporation. Some companies do not have the "chairman" position, in which case the "president" is the top position that is equally respected and authoritative.
|-
|Deputy president<br />or senior executive vice president
|副社長
|''Fuku-shachō''
|''Bu-sajang''<br />(부사장)
|Reports to the president
|-
|Executive vice president<br />
|専務
|''Senmu''
|''Jŏnmu''<br />(전무)
|
|-
|Senior vice president<br />
|常務
|''Jōmu''
|''Sangmu''<br />(상무)
|
|-
|Vice president<br />or general manager<br />or department head
|部長
|''Buchō''
|''Bujang''<br />(부장)
|Highest non-executive title; denotes a head of a division or department. There is significant variation in the official English translation used by different companies.
|-
|Deputy general manager
|次長
|''Jichō''
|''Chajang''<br />(차장)
|Direct subordinate to ''buchō''/''bujang''
|-
|Manager<br />or section head
|課長
|''Kachō''
|''Gwajang''<br />(과장)
|Denotes a head of a team or section underneath a larger division or department
|-
|Assistant manager<br />or team leader
|係長<br />(代理)
|''Kakarichō''
|''Daeri'''<br />(대리)
|
|-
|Staff
|社員
|''Shain''
|''Sawon''<br />(사원)
|Staff without managerial titles are often referred to without using a title at all
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Personnel
! colspan="2" |Classification
!English gloss
!''Kanji''
!Japanese
|-
| rowspan="6" |管理監督者
商人

使用者
| rowspan="6" |Administrator or merchant
|[[Chairman]]
|会長
|''Kaichō''
|-
|[[Vice chairman]]
|副会長
|''Fuku-kaichō''
|-
|[[President (corporate title)|President]]
|会社長
|''Kaishachō''
|-
|Vice president
|副社長
|''Fuku-shachō''
|-
| rowspan="2" |Senior director and managing director (precedence depends on company and their roles)<ref name=":1" /><ref>These titles have been deleted from the new company act, started to enforced from June 2006.</ref>
|専務
|''Senmu''
|-
|常務
|''Jōmu''
|-
| rowspan="6" |管理職
商業使用人

使用者
| rowspan="6" |Manager or mercantile<ref>merchant's or commercial</ref> servant
|General manager
|本部長
|''Hon-buchō''
|-
|Department manager
|部長
|''Buchō''
|-
|Deputy department manager
|次長
|''Jichō''
|-
|Section manager
|課長
|''Kachō''
|-
|Assistant section manager
|課長補佐
|''Kachō-hosa''
|-
|Team leader or team manager
|係長
|''Kakarichō''
|-
| rowspan="2" |従業員
労働者

被用者

被雇用者
| colspan="2" |Senior staff or chief (staff)
|主任
|''Shunin''
|-
| colspan="4" |Staff<ref name=":2" />
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Executives
! colspan="2" |Classification
!English gloss
!''Kanji''
!Japanese
|-
| rowspan="3" |役員
| rowspan="3" |Executive
|Director<ref name=":0">Including ''daihyō-torishimariyaku'' (代表取締役), meaning "representative director", which is mandatory if the board of directors has been settled</ref>
|取締役<ref name=":0" />
|''Torishimariyaku''
|-
|Statutory auditor
|監査役
|''Kansayaku''
|-
|Accounting advisor
|会計参与
|''Kaikei-Sanyo''
|-
| rowspan="2" |役員等
| rowspan="2" |Executives and ''etcetera''
|Executive director
|執行役
|''Shikkōyaku''
|-
|Accounting auditor
|会計監査人
|''Kaikei-kansanin''
|}
The top management group, comprising ''jomu''/''sangmu'' and above, is often referred to collectively as "cadre" or "senior management" (幹部 or 重役; ''kambu'' or ''juyaku'' in Japanese; ''ganbu'' or ''jungyŏk'' in Korean).

Some Japanese and Korean companies have also adopted American-style titles, but these are not yet widespread and their usage varies. For example, although there is a Korean translation for "[[chief operating officer]]" (''최고운영책임자, choego unyŏng chaegimja''), not companies have yet adopted it with the exception of a few multi-nationals such as [[Samsung]] and [[CJ Corporation|CJ]] (a spin-off from Samsung), while the CFO title is often used alongside other titles such as ''bu-sajang'' (SEVP) or ''Jŏnmu'' (EVP).

Since the late 1990s, many Japanese companies have introduced the title of ''shikkō yakuin'' (執行役員) or 'officer', seeking to emulate the separation of directors and officers found in American companies. In 2002, the statutory title of ''shikkō yaku'' (執行役) was introduced for use in companies that introduced a three-committee structure in their board of directors. The titles are frequently given to ''buchō'' and higher-level personnel. Although the two titles are very similar in intent and usage, there are several legal distinctions: ''shikkō yaku'' make their own decisions in the course of performing work delegated to them by the board of directors, and are considered managers of the company rather than employees, with a legal status similar to that of directors. ''Shikkō yakuin'' are considered employees of the company that follow the decisions of the board of directors, although in some cases directors may have the ''shikkō yakuin'' title as well.<ref>{{cite web|title=執行役／執行役員 Operating Officer|url=http://www.nri.co.jp/opinion/r_report/m_word/archive2/sikkouyakuin.html|publisher=[[Nomura Research Institute]]|access-date=20 August 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722045228/http://www.nri.co.jp/opinion/r_report/m_word/archive2/sikkouyakuin.html|archive-date=22 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Suzuki|first=Kengo|title=執行役と執行役員の異同|url=http://www.kengosuzuki.com/archive/entries/200810/28post-40.html|access-date=20 August 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130820002758/http://www.kengosuzuki.com/archive/entries/200810/28post-40.html|archive-date=20 August 2013}}</ref>