Titles: CEO's, Directors etc.

smtdos

Basic question guys but can anyone shed some light on the naming conventions in business.

I'm getting business cards printed for a limited company I've just formed solely.

What is my official title?

Founder, CEO, director?

Thanks in advance for the input.

Chris Hansen

President!


No wait! Junior Vice President!

Zonua

Hi Smtdos. You can more or less choose any title you want.

I'm in a similar position. On my business cards, I simply have my name (and contact details obviously) - but no title.

Trojan

CEO can come across as very "American", which may not be a bad thing, depending on your audience.

If you're director of a limited company, then I'd put "director" on it. A prefix, if any, is up to you - e.g. I am primary director [in my company] but prefer to use "Technical Director" as it's more reflective of my role even though I could use "Managing Director".

On my WebsiteDoctor.com cards my title is "The Doctor" (a Doctor Who reference, not a claim to medical qualifications ). In Germany, afaik, that would not be legal (as I don't have a PhD).

To some degree, it doesn't matter all that much. On the other hand, some people read a lot into titles.

smcgiff

Grand Poobah?

If not, then what smtdos said.

RATM

I got a business card from a pretty senior guy in a Digital Ad Agency last week- he called himself 'Chief Bottle Washer'!

Personally I just use the title 'Founder', it avoids the pretension of CEO to an Irish audience. Director is also apt but I use Founder as I prefer that clients know they are dealing with the head honcho :pac:

Chris Hansen

Yas think yas ran enron the way yas are going on, its disraceful joe!

maxer68

In the USA they say the shorter the tilte on a card, the more important the person is.

If its a small bsuiness and you put a fancy title, people won't take you seriously.

So unless you have a specific function such as financial / HR / marketing, just put your name and nothing else.

Keith186

IMO Founder sounds stupid for a business card.

CEO is more for large companies I think, ones that would have some other directors that are below you.

Director sounds best for your small business and most people I know that have small businesses would consider themselves a director.

RantingRichie

Titles are only useful to distinguish different roles in an organisation, and that external parties have some idea of the scope of responsibilities of the person they are dealing with.

It sounds stupid when you meet a one person company and someone is using the title CEO. It fools no one, and trivialises your capabilties.

Since you are just starting up, and it's just you, my recommendation would be to leave it blank, or use the title Director.

mneylon

It depends on what line of business you are in and how serious you want your cards to be.

One or our programmers has "code poet" on his

IRE60

RATM wrote: »

I got a business card from a pretty senior guy in a Digital Ad Agency last week- he called himself 'Chief Bottle Washer'!

I'd say that was an attempt to the funny/creative/different.

Personally I think he should have used 'w*nker' or self abuser and it would have been funnier and probably more accurate.

Anyway Director is fine. CEO for a one man/two man show is a bit ott. Personally in the right business Founder can be ok (if not a tad lofty)

ezspeeder

Director seems generally accceptable - not too pretentious.

ur mentor

What do you want the card to be used for? Is it marketing? Is it just as an introduction? Is it as a opener to try to get people to call you and give you business.?
If you have set up a limited liability company and you are a director, you should state that. It is a legal title. Directors have legal responsibilites. Directors must be elected by company owners. Managing Director usually means they are the the most senior executive on the Board of Directors.
If the status of business is a sole trader then you are not a director.
The word owner is good too.
CEO to me means that someone is an executive (salaried employee) and has no company ownership. They do not normally sit on the Board of directors with this title.
They might report to the Board but not be a member of the Board.

blue4ever

ur mentor wrote: »

What do you want the card to be used for? Is it marketing? Is it just as an introduction? Is it as a opener to try to get people to call you and give you business.?
If you have set up a limited liability company and you are a director, you should state that. It is a legal title. Directors have legal responsibilites. Directors must be elected by company owners. Managing Director usually means they are the the most senior executive on the Board of Directors. .
If the status of business is a sole trader then you are not a director.
The word owner is good too.
CEO to me means that someone is an executive (salaried employee) and has no company ownership. They do not normally sit on the Board of directors with this title.
They might report to the Board but not be a member of the Board.

eh? Just for clarity:

Director - fine Limited Company

Managing Director usually means they are the the most senior executive on the Board of Directors -

No That will be the Chairperson in most larger companies cases

CEO - Martin Sorrell who is Maj Shareholder of WPP was a CEO, as was T O'Reilly and M Smurfit - fcuk me if they didnt have a slice of the business they ran and not only sat on the Board - they owned it!

smcgiff

blue4ever wrote: »

eh? Just for clarity:

Director - fine Limited Company

Managing Director usually means they are the the most senior executive on the Board of Directors -

No That will be the Chairperson in most larger companies cases

CEO - Martin Sorrell who is Maj Shareholder of WPP was a CEO, as was T O'Reilly and M Smurfit - fcuk me if they didnt have a slice of the business they ran and not only sat on the Board - they owned it!

I think, in the context of this forum, Ur Mentor was referring to start up/early stage companies when, if even the concept of Chairman existed, the position would be held by the MD.

Jobs at Apple is (was) another example - but again a big company. Most of the CEOs that come to mind in an Irish context would be those in semi-state companies and would be salaried (and by definition not shareholders). Even in industry the CEO's I'd be familiar with would be employees brought in by the shareholders. But, of course, I'm sure there are many that own shares through share options etc.