what is a c suite executive

A C-suite executive is a high-ranking authority or officer within a company, responsible for making impactful decisions to grow the business and make lasting changes to how the company functions. The term "C-suite" refers to the executive-level managers within a company, whose titles tend to start with the letter C, for "chief," such as chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO), chief operating officer (COO), and chief information officer (CIO). The C-suite is deemed the most important and influential group of individuals within a company, and reaching this high echelon typically requires a plethora of experience and finely-honed leadership skills. While the CEO, CFO, and COO are the most frequently mentioned C-suite executives, other positions also fall into this executive level, such as Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), Chief Human Resources Manager (CHRM), Chief Security Officer (CSO), Chief Green Officer (CGO), Chief Analytics Officer (CAO), Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), and Chief Data Officer (CDO). The size and finances of a business will determine how many C-suite executives are hired, with larger companies often having more executive positions to distribute the correspondingly large workload. To become a C-level executive, one generally needs to have at least a bachelor’s degree and continue to pursue higher education.