Julia Dumanian is the President & Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Hearing Society. In this blog she discusses her experience with the Role of the CEO as Chief Relationship Officer.

Julia’s complete series of blogs on the role of the CEO provide a wealth of insight for CEO’s and Boards of Directors seeking more insight on the role of the CEO.  Her blogs on the Role of the CEO can be found by scrolling to the blog section of Julia Dumanian’s personal profile page.

The CEO is the ultimate face of the organization, the ultimate champion of the brand.  Your mission, the vision, the value and the priorities of the organization must be clearly displayed every time the CEO is with a potential customer, investor, client, board member or colleague. The end goal is strengthening all relationships.

Therefore, ask your CEO these questions:

How is your relationship with your Board?  Do you have the right leadership team? Who is responsible for the ongoing future growth of your organization?  Who is talking to new potential investors?  Who is talking to existing customers?  It should be you.

Are you too busy with daily operations of your organization to be building external relationships for the future of your business?  Who is looking for R&D opportunities?  It should be you.

Who is spending time with your Board Directors?  It better be you.

As CEO, you should see yourself as the Chief Relationship Officer. Don’t be afraid to empower your CFO and your GM.  Create a Virtual COO if you aren’t large enough to hire one yet.  Looking for new Customers/Investors/Relationships are always a part of the CEO’s role.  We don’t want you to be the Sales Manager – but we DO want you to be the ultimate Champion of your company.

It’s not a popularity thing, but it’s the accountability to your Stakeholders, Partners, Investors, Directors and Staff that is imperative. Create supporters of achievers in everyone that you come in contact with.  That is what the CEO is trying to do, always selling the concepts.  Interpreting ideas, methodologies and the ideals of the organization. The CEO should be your Chief Relationship Officer.

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