The President role sits just below or alongside the CEO — and means very different things in different businesses. Hiring one well starts with defining exactly what it is. Here is how.
Define what 'President' means here
No senior title varies more than President. In some businesses the President is effectively the chief operating partner to the CEO, running the business day to day; in others they lead a major division or region; in others the role is a step toward CEO succession. Before hiring, define precisely what this President owns, what authority they hold, and how the role relates to the CEO. Ambiguity here causes more failed appointments than any skills gap.
Get the CEO relationship right
Because President and CEO roles sit so close, the relationship between them is decisive. What does each own? Where do decisions sit? A President hired into an undefined or overlapping relationship with the CEO is set up to struggle, however capable. The strongest appointments settle this explicitly — and both people buy into it — before the hire.
Match the profile to the purpose
A President brought in to complement a visionary CEO with operational rigour is a different hire from one being groomed to succeed. Define the purpose of the role — partner, divisional leader, or successor — and hire the leader whose strengths and ambitions fit it, including whether they expect a path to CEO.
How the search works
A retained search defines the specific shape of the President role and finds leaders whose strengths and expectations match its real purpose.
Hiring a President?
We recruit Presidents and senior operating leaders across consumer, beauty, and PE-backed businesses.
Explore President Search →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a President and a CEO?
It varies by business — a President may be the CEO's operating partner running the business day to day, the head of a major division, or a CEO successor. The CEO is ultimately accountable; the President's exact scope must be defined.
What is the most important thing when hiring a President?
Defining exactly what the role is — its scope, authority, and relationship with the CEO — because the title is ambiguous. An undefined or overlapping CEO-President relationship causes more failures than any skills gap.
Related: President vs CEO · How to Hire a CEO · What Does a Managing Director Do?
