Career paths for strategy managers For example, they could start with a position such as CEO, move on to a position such as founder and CEO, and finally end with the title of founder and CEO. The chief strategy officer may be able to gain additional insight, but that won't change the executive's mind, as resistance to change is not due to the validity of the response. From the skills you need to the information about the best MBA to follow, you're now prepared to plan your next step to becoming a chief strategy officer. He joined as chief strategy officer with the intention of helping a rapidly growing conglomerate chart its future.
They were looking for him to fill the position of chief strategy officer in a diversified and rapidly growing European conglomerate. When I spoke with Luis before he made this decision, I expressed deep concern about the enormous limitations of the position of chief strategy officer. The crucial point is that unless the chief strategy officer is part of the board or can influence the CEO, he will not be able to recommend these types of tactics. As he talked about the changes taking place in the company, as well as about the company's priorities and problems, he assumed that the company's priorities would reflect those of the chief strategy officer.
The best thing a strategy director can do is to serve as a sounding board for the strategy discussions that are taking place, facilitate discussions, or analyze discrete areas for the CEO or the board of directors. Chief Strategy Officers (CSOs) face a number of challenges that are different from those faced by other members of senior management, in particular because of the breadth and ambiguity of the role of CSOs. First, a chief strategy officer, assuming he is fortunate enough to dedicate himself to corporate strategy, must be able to influence the operating units and the management committee. The chief strategy officer plays a vital, but poorly understood, role.
I hope we've clarified things a bit. Therefore, a good chief strategy officer will recommend a strategy that generates economic value and, at the same time, takes into account the personalities of the top executives. The question of fairness also explains why external companies, such as BCG, are always in charge of corporate strategy, even with the presence of a chief strategy officer. This article is based on my own experiences when I left as a partner and on those of many colleagues who left as director or partner and took on roles as chief strategy officer or head of corporate strategy and planning.
