{"id":13231,"date":"2020-11-16T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-16T13:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/einvestingforbeginners.com\/?p=13231"},"modified":"2022-06-01T15:39:36","modified_gmt":"2022-06-01T19:39:36","slug":"c-level-management-daah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/einvestingforbeginners.com\/c-level-management-daah\/","title":{"rendered":"The Roles, Levels, and Salaries of C Level Management Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
C level management, or the C-suite, includes all the top managers of any company such as Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway, and Tesla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The C level management is responsible for the business’s direction and the decisions that affect the company in its entirety. There are many different roles within the C level, with each role playing its part in the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most investors or laypeople are familiar with a CEO, or chief executive officer. Typically, these people are magnetic, charming, and brilliant. Some more than others are out in front of their companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Elon Musk certainly encompasses all those characteristics and is the face of the company’s brand. In a different way, Warren Buffett is the face of Berkshire Hathaway, likewise Bill Gates for Microsoft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The CEOs’ role has evolved, and in recent times there has been pressure to open up the upper levels of management to become more diverse, for the good of all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recently, Citibank announced the first woman to ascend to the role of CEO for the bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Along with those calls for more diversity, there are more calls for adjustments to upper management compensation, and I thought we should cover those topics in today’s post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The upper management impacts any company’s direction and culture, and as investors, what do we know about these positions and their impacts?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In today’s post, we will learn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Okay, let’s dive in and learn more about C level management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
The C-suite or C-level management is a slang that describes any corporations’ upper management, most importantly senior management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The C level gets its name from the titles associated with the top management, all of which begin with the letter C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The C stands for “chief,” such as the chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO), and chief information officer (CIO).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are other designations for other management levels of management throughout the company, which we will cover in a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The managers or executives who hold the C-level positions are the bosses of each particular department within the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many of their responsibilities include influencing and strategic opportunities for the business:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let’s look next to a little deeper dive into the C level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
C level management is considered the most important and influential group in any company. To reach this high echelon typically requires lots of experience, talent, and leadership skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many C-level managers relied on the know-how and operational skills to climb the rungs of the corporate ladder. But in recent years, the focus on more visionary concepts has risen to the fore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not all C level managers have backgrounds in management or have risen through the ranks, with the rise in technology firms in the stock market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many of these companies are run by the founder, who also happens to be the company’s CEO. Mark Zuckerburg of Facebook comes immediately to mind. As Facebook grew, Zuckerburg became the default CEO, a position he stills holds today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As tech continues to rise in prominence globally, we will find more upper management throughout those companies with no prior management history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As those companies grow, they might experience growing pains as the C level management learns “on the job.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When most people think of C level management, positions such as CEO, CFO, and COO spring to mind, and most understand easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, many other positions fit into this executive level. Other positions in the C level management are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The numbers of C level management at each company will vary. Variables include the company’s size, amount of departments, and the sector the business operates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Larger corporations require positions such as chief human resources officer (CHRM) and a chief operation officer (COO), but smaller companies might only need a COO to oversee both duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bottom line, the C level management is important to the success and continued growth of its company. C-level management provides leadership and vision, which help the companies run smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of the level of responsibility and higher workload levels, the C level management typically carries higher salaries than other employees in the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The C level management makes important decisions that guide the business and carry a huge responsibility to the employees and the shareholders or investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It usually takes years of experience or with the company to rise to the C level, and the compensation is commensurate with that time and experience. We will have more on this subject in a few minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n C level management is usually the top of the mountain in a company’s hierarchy, only reporting to the board of directors and\/or the founders of the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The employees that fall under the C level will depend on the structure of the company but usually include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n These levels work differently in different companies. Typically, the rock rolls down the mountain from the C level to the V level, to the D level, to the B level, to the staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But not all companies use these designations, and many will mix and match the different levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, when I worked at Wells Fargo, we had store managers, who reported to the District Manager, who reported to the Vice-President of the District, who reported to the President of the District, who reported to the Area Manager, who reported to the Vice-President of the Area, who reported to the COO of the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As investors, our main focus is on C level management because they are the most visible and are the company’s leaders and visionaries. But as many of us know, the boots on the ground make the magic happen at our jobs, so they are just as important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But our job as an investor is to investigate the company, culture, and management team. Analyzing the C level management helps us determine the company’s future direction and culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When companies discuss cutting costs or improving efficiencies, they are often discussing removing different layers of management to cut costs and streamline the business. Both help reduces costs and streamlines communication flow and efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s move on and look at what kind of pay the C-level managers receive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pay C level management receives a touchy subject and has been the subject of constant debate in both Congress and the press. There are many reasons for this, such as “golden parachutes” offered to outgoing CEOs that have failed at their jobs but receive huge payouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Much of the focus of pay surrounds the discussion of stock-based compensation, which is the majority of wealth distributed to C level management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The theory behind this reasoning is that the officers should benefit from the growth and prosperity of the company they are running; it gives them some “skin in the game.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the granting of stock-based compensation has also lead to some shady dealings with unscrupulous C level management, most recently at companies such as Caterpillar, McDonald’s, and Boeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All three companies had a management that manipulated earnings, stock buybacks, and other items that allowed them to earn more stock compensation and benefit directly from those actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The CEO would enable the company to meet earnings targets or goals that would grant him more shares of the company at higher prices, turn around and buyback shares lowering the average cost, and enable them to profit from the stock compensation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bad news, and gave many on Wall Street indigestion and bad reputations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, let’s look at some stats on the average salaries for C level management, according to salary.com<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep in mind; the above figures are all base salaries that the C-level management earns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The majority of the large numbers of wealth you hear about on the news are from stock-based compensation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, a company with a market cap of billions will have higher salary considerations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, let’s look at the compensation package for Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft:<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/td><\/tr> Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRM)
Chief Compliance Officer (CCO)
Chief Analytics Officer (CAO)
Chief Security Officer (CSO)
Chief Data Officer (CDO)
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\nRoles of the C-Level Executives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Position Title<\/strong><\/td> Company Role<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> <\/td> <\/td><\/tr> Chief Executive Officer (CEO)<\/span><\/td> The big boss, the highest-ranking position in the company. All C-level management reports to the CEO. Responsibilities include overseeing the entire business, top-level planning, establishing the company’s goals and strategies, and making all the final decisions on any of the above processes.<\/td><\/tr> <\/td> <\/td><\/tr> Chief Operating Officer (COO)<\/span><\/td> They are considered by many as the second in command. CFO responsibilities include the day-to-day ops for the company and ensuring the execution of the CEO’s business plans and strategies.<\/td><\/tr> <\/td> <\/td><\/tr> Chief Financial Officer (CFO<\/span>)<\/td> In charge of financing and accounting departments with responsibilities including forecasting, budgeting, reporting, and compliance. Also, track long-term financial planning, risk analysis. The CFO manages the overall financial status of the business.<\/td><\/tr> <\/td> <\/td><\/tr> Chief Information Officer (CIO)<\/span><\/td> In charge of the information technology department and oversees the company’s computers. Oversee all strategic planning, hardware and software selections, and improving customer service interactions through technology.<\/td><\/tr> <\/td> <\/td><\/tr> Chief Technology Officer (CTO)<\/span><\/td> The CTO oversees information systems and the technology department. If a company has a CIO, the CTO focuses on innovation instead of IT infrastructure. The CTO responsibilities include new technologies adoption, products, and developing features.<\/td><\/tr> <\/td> <\/td><\/tr> Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)<\/span><\/td> The CMO is in charge of the marketing department. Their responsibilities include managing the brand, product positioning, client communications, email campaigns, and creating marketing strategies. The CMO also conducts market research and analyzes the ROI (return on investment) on all marketing activities.<\/td><\/tr> <\/td> <\/td><\/tr> Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)<\/span><\/td> The CHRO oversees all HR matters for the company. Their responsibilities include all matters related to hiring, training, and evaluating employees, employment development, retention strategies, and maintaining HR strategies with a long-term view.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n What Are The Different Levels of Executives?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How Much Do C Level Managers Make?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n