Who Was The World’s First CEO?

While the role of a CEO has existed since several centuries, the exact ‘CEO’ title is a relatively recent origin

CEO (Chief Executive Officer) is the buzzword in today’s fast evolving business landscape. While there can be thousands of employees, it’s the CEO that takes full responsibility for a company’s success or failure. The role of a CEO may vary from company to company. However, they are usually responsible for giving overall direction to the company and managing its workforce, resources and operations. CEOs are also actively involved in defining the company’s strategy, vision and mission.

CEOs are often in the news, which sometimes makes us wonder as to who was the world’s first CEO. To answer that, here are some important things to understand.

Business heads

Before the term ‘CEO’ came into existence, there used to be business heads responsible for the operations. These individuals used various titles such as President, Chairman, Director, Proprietor, Managing Director, General Manager, etc. In earlier times, the founders themselves used to manage the operations of the company. They did not have a clear title like ‘CEO’.

Even today, many founders are CEOs such as Elon Musk. However, in many other companies, the founders have moved away from managing the day-to-day affairs of the company. That task has been given to CEOs. New generation founders tend to focus more on new ideas, new ventures, planning the company’s future, etc.

Who coined the term ‘CEO’

The term ‘CEO’ has its origins in the 18th century in the United States. However, it is difficult to ascertain who first used the term CEO. There are no specific records that can indicate the use of the term CEO for the first time. Surprisingly, the earliest documented usage of the term CEO is for government officials and not business leaders. It was used in the United States in the late 18th century. The term CEO in the business world was first documented in Australia in 1914. It appears that the term CEO originated in government agencies in the United States and later made its way to the business world.

Who was the world’s first CEO?

As the term CEO has gained wide acceptability over a period of several decades, it is difficult to determine who was the world’s first CEO. It is possible that several CEOs could have been named in the same year or at shorter intervals. But we can certainly make some calculated guesses. In that sense, one of the examples of the world’s first CEO is Henry L. Gantt. He was given the role of a CEO in 1915, while working for DuPont Company. However, the term CEO came into prominence only in the 1970s in the United States. Thereafter, it has spread across the globe and is widely used in most countries.

With tech innovations, the role of a CEO is constantly evolving. Present day CEOs are also focusing on newer challenges such as sustainability and social responsibility. But the core functions of vision, strategy, effective leadership and the ability to inspire are timeless.