"President" and "CEO" are among the most inconsistently used titles in business — which causes real confusion when hiring. Here is how the two roles usually differ, and how they work together when a business has both.
The CEO
The Chief Executive Officer holds ultimate accountability for the business: setting strategy, leading the executive team, owning the relationship with the board and investors, and representing the company externally. Whatever else the structure looks like, the buck stops with the CEO.
The president
A president is usually the senior operational leader — running the business day to day, or leading a major division, market, or business unit. In some companies the president is effectively the chief operating role; in others, the head of a specific region or division. It is a title defined by what the business needs it to cover.
When a company has both
Plenty of businesses have both a CEO and a president, and it works well when the division of responsibilities is clear: the CEO owns strategy, the board, and ultimate accountability; the president owns operations, a division, or a market. Problems arise only when the boundary is vague and the two roles overlap or compete. As with the CEO–COO relationship, clarity is everything.
What it means for hiring
Because these titles are used so variably, a president or CEO search must start not from the title but from the mandate — what this specific role owns, what success looks like, and how it fits alongside the other leaders. Getting that definition right is the foundation of a good appointment.
Hiring a president or CEO?
We recruit chief executives and presidents across beauty and consumer businesses — scoped to the real mandate.
Explore President Search →Frequently asked questions
Can a company have both a president and a CEO?
Yes — the CEO typically owns strategy and ultimate accountability while the president runs operations, a division, or a market. A clear division of responsibilities is what makes it work.
Is a president more junior than a CEO?
Usually — where both exist, the CEO holds ultimate accountability and the president leads operations or part of the business. But titles vary; scope matters more than the label.
Related: Beauty President Search · CEO Executive Search · What Does a COO Do?
