Senior management officers are responsible for making decisions and running the company. A primary officer, sometimes called a chief executive officer (CEO), is usually a director who is delegated by the other directors (board of directors) to make decisions unilaterally and enter into contracts on behalf of the company in accordance with stipulated policies and plans.

The CEO and any other persons having significant decision making authority (senior management) report peridocially to the board of directors which provides an oversight role on the operations of the company. In a small company, the owner is frequently the CEO and only director.