All companies must have at least one officer.  There are many officer positions and each of those positions comes with a standard set of duties and requirements, although duties can be varied.  Below is a list of the most common officer positions and a description of what duties and requirements come with the position.

If you require information about officers also refer to our articles called Officers Titles and Positions and Appointing Officers.

Chairman of the Board

1. appointed by the board from among its members
2. must be a director
3. chairs all meetings of the board and presents all information and resolutions to the board for its review and decision at the meetings

Managing Director

1. appointed by the board from among its members
2. head of the directors and given the powers the directors wish him or her to have

President

1. the top officer of a company
2. if there is no Chairman he or she will Chair all meetings of the board
3. all other officers report to the President
4. reports directly to the board of directors
5. oversees the entire operation
6. does not have to be a director unless the By-laws indicate so
7. if there is only one officer that officer should hold the position of President

Chief Executive Officer

1. frequently the President is also the Chief Executive Officer
2. position on par with the President
3. reports directly to the board of directors
4. there can only be one Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
5. the Executive Vice-Presidents and Vice-Presidents report to the CEO and the President
6. oversees the entire operation

Chief Financial Officer

1. most senior financial officer that manages the financial records of the compan
2. reports to the President and Chief Executive Officer
3. provides the President, Chief Executive Officer and directors with the financial statements for their review and approval
4. reports on the financial position of the company

Executive Vice-President

1. reports to the President
2. the duties are assigned by the President and/or Chief Executive Officer
3. there can be more than one Executive Vice-President

Vice-President

1. duties can be a variety including having a number of Vice-Presidents managing specific departments in a company including

Secretary or Corporate Secretary

1. attends all meetings of directors and shareholders and records the meetings
2. presents minutes of meetings to the directors, and shareholders for approval
3. maintains and keeps up-to-date the minute book records for the company
4. gathers, collates and organizes all documentation being presented to the directors by the other officers of the company for review at directors meetings

Treasurer

1. if there is both a Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer the Treasurer prepares and maintains the accounting records for the company and presents the results to the Chief Financial Officer
2. if there is no CFO, the Treasurer would prepare and present the financial statements to the directors for review and approval each year
3. responsible for the safekeeping of securities and the disbursement of funds of the company