Job title - running small company

[purplescarf18]

Hi
I am working for a small, new, charity. I am the manager/CEO/head honcho or whatever. There is a board of directors who I answer to, and we have about 2 employees, but that number will grow as we expand activities.

I keep getting asked for my job title in forms, etc.

I feel like an idiot calling myself a CEO, but haven't come up with an acceptable, professional sounding alternative.

Please help me oh wise mumsnetters.

I am in the ROI, maybe rules are different here.

Yes, they may well be!

If you make strategic decisions that are financial, reputational and directly impact growth then call yourself a CEO.

Operations Manager / Director of Operations is more the physical day to day running (eg staffing meets needs, opening hours meet need, range of services offered meet need etc).

Could you ask the board of trustees what they think would be a suitable title for you? If you explain that you need one as you are often required to state your job title on official forms, I'm sure they can come up with one. Maybe give them a couple of options to choose from.

CEO

It is very peculiar to not have the CEO (or whatever you want to call the most senior person in the organisation) on the board

No, the CEO or equivalent attends board meetings because they account to the board, on behalf of the organisation. They aren't members of it. At least, not in the UK.

I think that in a charity context ceo is the right title and lots of small charities use it even when there aren’t a lot of staff.

Calling yourself a CEO when you host events and meet people is just plain silly. Imagine how odd your cv will look when you have gone straight from admin (i assume given you have said its not just admin) to being a CEO. If i received your cv saying this i would add it to the pile of fantacists, and then laugh when you outlined your responsibility as admin and meeting people.
This isn't a jibe at your role but just think of how it will look to others /longer term

@Treeeeeeee that's a little condescending!

Usually, I'd expect that that level of people at a company with a board or trustees would be split into executive and non-executive management. So you have the Chair and trustees/the non-execs, and then the executive, e.g. the CEO, COO, managing director, heads of dept etc. I think either MD, COO, or CEO would work.

She's not just hosting events and meeting people though. She's managing staff, reporting in to the board of trustees. I would think she is probably responsible overall for the financial management etc along with strategy and growth.

In RoI you could actually go with Executive Director, despite not being on the board. Two organisations I've worked with in the past have this as their chief bottle washer role in a set up that sounds similar to yours (happy to pm you the organisations titles if you want to look at their set ups)

This.

No man would post this. You are in charge. Just because you are also the person greeting people at events, doesn't mean you can't be the CEO.

General Manager or Managing Director would be suitable.

I'm on the board with a small charity - we have a head of service. Over time, they became more comfortable with Director.

Of course you need to use CEO. When you host events, speak to funders etc a title matters a lot (I have over 15 years sector experience). Don’t make yourself smaller or have people doubt that you are leading the org.

Your reluctance to use the title is twofold. First, you think they will think the charity isn't well founded because look, why is the CEO handing out name badges? That's really fine. They have no idea what you do all day. You might have just come off a call with a funder discussing a 9 million pound grant. The people at the event might be one of 8 teams rather than your same 5 people. People won't know or care or even be thinking that much.

The second reason is the real one though. You think people will think you are showing off, given that day to day you do some admin tasks. You're embarrassed in case you arent a 'real' CEO. This is ego. Humble your ego.

Sometimes you have to step into a leadership position and hold it, for the sake of others. Leadership is really service. Your charity needs a CEO. It's you.

To me, CEO sounds too grandiose for a small operation. I would say General Manager or just Head of Charity X.

Absolutely nobody uses Head of Charity name as an official title.

the Head of Oxfam is the CEO!

@purplescarf18 you are the CEO so call yourself that, don't be afraid to own how important your role is.

I agree - CEO of a small company sounds like an overinflated ego. MD gives you credibility without sounding like a joke.

CEO of a small company? No. To most normal people it sounds like someone has an unwarranted sense of grandeur. To be honest, it's the kind of thing that would put me off donating to a charity. A manager who cares more about their status than their contribution to the cause. Like the people who set up charities in their own or a relatives name rather than channel fundraising to an established charity for the same cause.