chief operating officer

A chief operating officer (COO), also called chief operations officer, is an executive in charge of the daily operations of an organization, i.e., who manages the personnel, resources, and logistics. COOs are usually second-in-command immediately after the CEO, and reports directly to them and acts on their behalf in their absence. A COO is usually voted in by shareholders or appointed by the board of directors. Responsibilities and similar titles Unlike other C-suite positions, which tend to be defined according to commonly designated responsibilities across most companies, a COO's job tends to be defined in relation to the specific CEO with whom they work, given the close working relationship of these two individuals. The selection of a COO is similar in many ways to the selection of a vice president or chief of staff of the United States: power and responsibility structures vary in government and private regimes depending on the style and needs of the president or CEO. Thus, the COO role meets individual expectations and changes as leadership teams adjust.