Corporate Executive Structure
Within the corporate office or corporate center of a company, some companies have a chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) as the top-ranking executive, while the number two is the president and chief operating officer (COO); other companies have a president and CEO but no official deputy.
CEO Responsibilities
Most companies will have several executive directors responsible for the day to day running of the business and these director report directly to the CEO. Above all others, the CEO is the top decision maker in the business who will delegate responsibilities to their executive management team.
Founder vs. CEO
The technical difference between a founder and a CEO is quite simple — a founder is someone who starts or launches a business, and a CEO is someone who takes the company to scale. The CEO role is the highest-ranking executive roles in any organisation. This however does not mean that founders cannot be CEOs.
CEO vs. Chairman: Salary
Glassdoor reports 24 people who have reported their salary in the role of an executive chairman, with the average of all reports being $36,000 per year. According to Salary.com, the average CEO salary is much higher, at $758,000 per year, with a top average range close to $1 million.