What is the C Suite?: Meaning and Positions Defined (2024)

FAQs

What is the C Suite?: Meaning and Positions Defined? ›

The C-suite refers to a company's top management positions, where the "C" stands for "chief." Various chief officers (e.g., CEO, CIO, CFO, etc.) are the occupants of the C-suite. These individuals, while highly paid and influential managers, are still employees of the firm.

The C-suite are the highest-ranking senior executives in an organisation. So called, because of the “C” representing the word “chief” in many corporate titles.

C-level management: At the top of the business hierarchy. V-level management: Vice Presidents (VPs) and Senior Vice Presidents (SVPs) who report to C-level management. D-level management: Directors in various departments (e.g., Director of Sales) who report to V-level management.

B-level executives are mid-level managers who are below C-suite executives. These professionals are a liaison between executives and the rest of the organisation and pass on information to employees. B-level professionals consist of general managers, branch managers and department heads.

Does a VP count as C-level? While all C-levels are executives, not all executives are C-levels. This is why vice president-level positions are their own group: V-level executives. These executives are the second highest-ranking team members.

C-level executives play a strategic role within an organization; they hold senior positions and impact company-wide decisions. C stands for “Chief”, so a C-level executive (also called a C-suite executive) is in charge of an entire department or business unit, such as Marketing, Finance and IT.

The number of C-suite executives differs from company to company. Smaller companies and businesses may only have two or three C-suite executives. Midsize companies may have seven or eight, while large companies can have 17 or more.

The B Suite: This level is the business owner. This is the group of stakeholders that owns the business outcome for your client company. You might decide not to spend any time outside of the C-suite (or the A-suite).

Is the VP considered a C-level position? C-level positions are reserved for those with chief roles, such as chief operating officer. Vice presidents are known as V-level management, which are below C-level positions.

What are C-suite titles? ›

What is C-suite? "C-suite" is the widely used term that describes an organization's senior executives. The titles of senior executives often start with the letter “C,” such as a chief executive officer or chief financial officer.

The “C” stands for chief, meaning that C-suite executives are high-ranking authorities or officers within their area of expertise. Each C-suite executive will handle different aspects of the business, with some overlaps between the positions. The most common C-level executive positions include the following: CEO.

C-level executives are high-ranking individuals who excel in their respective areas within an organization. The “C” stands for chief, as C-level executives are the top level of management in their specific department. You can use the term C-suite when referring to a group of C-level executives in an organization.

Meaning they are chief officers of their departments. These executives usually have many years of experience in their field or have been in the same company for many years. They also have years of training involved. Becoming a part of the 'C-suite' is usually the highest point of an executive's career.

The CEO oversees senior management and C-level executives like the president (which is typically the CEO's second-in-command), the chief financial officer (CFO), the chief operating officer (COO), and the chief marketing officer (CMO).