Editing Chief executive officer (section)

==International use==
In some countries, there is a [[dual board]] system with two separate boards, one executive board for the day-to-day business and one [[supervisory board]] for control purposes (selected by the shareholders). In these countries, the CEO presides over the executive board and the [[chairperson]] 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 allows for clear lines of authority. The aim is to prevent a conflict of interest and too much power being concentrated in the hands of one person.

In the United States, the board of directors (elected by the [[shareholder]]s) is often equivalent to the supervisory board, while the executive board may often be known as the [[executive committee]] (the division/subsidiary heads and [[Corporate title|C-level]] officers that report directly to the CEO).

In the United States, and in business, the executive officers are usually the top officers of a corporation, the chief executive officer (CEO) being the best-known type. The definition varies; for instance, the [[California Corporate Disclosure Act]] defines "executive officers" as the five most highly compensated officers not also sitting on the board of directors. In the case of a [[sole proprietorship]], an executive officer is the sole proprietor. In the case of a [[Partner (business rank)|partnership]], an executive officer is a managing partner, senior partner, or administrative partner. In the case of a [[limited liability company]], an executive officer is any member, manager, or officer.