chief executive

[ cheef ig-zek-yuh-tiv ]

noun

1. the president of the United States:

   the powers of the chief executive, as granted by the Constitution.

2. the governor of a U.S. state:

   the newly elected chief executive of Rhode Island.

3. the head of a government:

   a conference attended by all the European chief executives.

4. Also called chief executive officer. the head of an organization, company, etc.:

   the chief executive of a media corporation.

chief executive

noun

1. the person with overall responsibility for the efficient running of a company, organization, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of chief executive¹

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

Just before the latest conference started, a secret recording showed the chief executive of Azerbaijan's COP29 team, Elnur Soltanov, discussing "investment opportunities" in the state oil and gas company with a man posing as a potential investor.

From BBC

He said the president-elect had learned from his earlier experience in the White House and would hit the ground running in part thanks to the work of Howard Lutnick, the chief executive of Cantor Fitzgerald, on the transition.

From Los Angeles Times

Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, which represents 140 institutions, says universities are already "making tough choices to control costs", adding that the sector "needs to continue evolving".

From BBC

On 29 October, McDonald's chief executive Chris Kempczinski apologised for the outbreak, saying the firm was "sorry for what our customers experienced".

From BBC

Ben Collins, a former NBC News journalist who is chief executive of The Onion’s parent company, said on X: “We're planning on making a very stupid website.”

From BBC