How do you become a chief executive?

I was just wondering how you become the chief executive of a big multinational company (BP, vodaphone etc) ?

Reply 1

work youre way up through the ranks until you reach exectutive status. you can be made cheif exutive over areas by appointment and nomination by other exectutives and CEO. you are generally made CEO by election from shareholders.
i think anyway :smile:

Reply 2

unknownFluency

Usually takes 9 - 12 years before you have a reputable status.. also depends on performance, what you bring to the company, and striving to go beyond the usual call of duty. It takes a lot of work, and a long time. You have to dedicate your working life to the company.

Reply 3

Clubber Lang

I remember looking at an annual report from Tesco and almost all of the big boys had been there for 15-20 years. here is the wikipedia entry for the ehad of Tesco, Terry Leahy:

" He had worked briefly stacking shelves in the Wandsworth Tesco in school holidays. After graduating from UMIST, Leahy returned to Tesco in 1979 as a marketing executive. He was appointed to the board in 1992 and became chief executive in 1997. Tesco has stretched its lead as the UK's largest retailer since then, and also has grown significantly internationally. He was chosen as Britain's "Business Leader of the Year" in 2003 and the Fortune European Businessman of the Year for 2003. In 2005 he was selected as Britain's most admired business leader by Management Today. "

It doesn't mention it there but (i am fairly sure) he was the man behind the Clubcard which helped Tesco a lot - so if you can show god ideas and get recognised then that is a definite advantage.

Also:
"Leahy joined Tesco in 1979 as a marketing executive and rose through the ranks, slowly at first, but with increasing speed since the early Nineties when he developed Tesco's Clubcard into one of Britain's biggest marketing success stories. Clubcard has 10 million users in the UK, providing a database from which Leahy extracts information about their buying habits. He was also behind the Tesco Value lines, which helped the group to beat Sainsbury to the top slot in food retailing in 1996. No wonder it was Leahy who was chosen as chief executive in 1997 by his mentor, former chairman Lord MacLaurin."

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,6903,1681282,00.html

Reply 4