ABSTRACT
The main member of the executive team, and the person with the most responsibility for, and control over, the company’s organizational design and operational tactics, is the chief executive officer, or “CEO”. While the CEO “reports” to the board of directors, and the board of directors is vested with more legal authority than any officer of the company including the CEO, it is the CEO to whom the directors turn for leadership in setting strategy and putting the assets and other resources of the company to work in order to achieve the stated goals and objectives of the company. The general public, as well as affected stakeholders, strongly believes that the CEO must play an active role in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of his or her company and act as a spokesperson for those activities. This chapter discusses the specific duties and responsibilities of the CEO with respect to CSR and sustainability, the crucial role of the CEO in sustainability and CSR activities, the professional skills and personal values that are needed in order for a CEO to be successful in leading a purpose-driven business and the steps that a startup CEO should take in order to embed sustainability and CSR into the new firm’s strategies, operational procedures and organizational culture.
