Leadership role
Chief Strategy Officer
Directs an organization's strategic planning and the work of carrying out its strategy.
Reporting and scope
Reports to the Executive Director / CEO. Authority covers planning processes and strategic initiatives across the organization, usually without line authority over programs.
Core responsibilities
- Leads the strategic planning process with staff and board
- Tracks progress on strategic goals and reports to the board
- Assesses partnerships, affiliations and mergers
- Conducts environmental and competitive analysis
- Manages a portfolio of strategic projects
- Aligns budget priorities with the plan
How it differs
The VP of Strategy and Director of Planning / Strategy do the work at a lower level. The Chief Growth / Innovation Officer builds new offerings, while the Chief of Staff manages the CEO's office.
By organization size
Common in health systems and large national nonprofits. Smaller organizations hire consultants for planning.
Filings from the last five years mapped to this role commonly report titles such as: Chief Strategy Officer; CSO; Chief Strategy & Impact Officer; Chief Strategy Offic; SVP & Chief Strategy Officer; EVP, Chief Strategy Officer