Ownership and management

CEO (Chief Executive Officer)

The top manager of a company, responsible for running the business day to day and for its strategy.

Why does it matter?

The CEO's decisions on investments, costs and acquisitions shape the company's results.

How do I read it?

The CEO reports to the board of directors, which can replace them. In Brazil, the role is also called presidente or diretor-presidente.

Example

When Satya Nadella became Microsoft's CEO in 2014, he shifted the company's focus toward cloud computing, which grew into one of its largest businesses.