Who is higher in position CEO or COO?

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the highest rank in a top management position. Often the owner of the business takes up that position. The term "President" and "CEO" are used in a single entity based businesses, where as the term "Mnaging Director" is normally used in a business with multiple entities.

Chief Operating Officer or Chief Operations Officer or Chief of Operations (COO) is the second ranking top management position. The position is created to assist the CEO in strategic and day to day operations of the company. In a multiple entity organization, this position is equivalent to a Vice President position dealing with Operations. In the governmental format it is equivalent to an Executive Director position.

Developing strategic plans and fine tuning the existing operating processes for quality and efficiency is the primary objective of the COO while representing the company at all respect as a "face" for the company. A COO takes up a lot of work load to meet the company's vision and mission; and a frequent traveler to attend meetings and conferences worldwide.

The role of a COO may vary depending on the nature of a business and the size of it. Normally this position is created when a business faces a growth potential and the workload of the CEO gets beyond capacity.