What does a President do?
Presidents are usually the head of an executive board or leadership team in a corporate environment. They can work for companies of any size, with varying duties depending on the size and scope of the company’s corporate structure. The role of a President is to facilitate and guide company operations to ensure company goals are met. This can involve building business relationships, managing financial details, communicating with shareholders and determining what metrics to use to measure success. Presidents represent the company to business partners and explore different avenues for funding, determining the potential risks and rewards of each business opportunity.
President skills and qualifications
A job description for a President may contain the following skills and qualifications:
- Communication skills to persuasively and clearly discuss issues and negotiating with direct subordinates while explaining their decisions and policies to those both outside and within the organization
- Decision-making skills when managing an organization and establishing policies while assessing various options and selecting the best course of action
- Leadership skills for leading an organization and coordinating resources, policies and employees
- Management skills to direct and shape an organization’s operations including managing budgets, business plans and employees
- Problem-solving skills for identifying and resolving organizational issues, recognizing shortcomings and carrying out solutions
- Time-management skills for completing multiple tasks at the same time and usually under their own direction to make sure that they get their work done and meet goals
President salary expectations
A President makes an average of $70,321 per year. Salary may depend on level of experience, education and the geographical location.
President education and training requirements
Most individuals in the role of President have a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in business administration or another related area specific to their work, including public administration, liberal arts or law. Presidents of large corporations typically have a master’s degree in business administration. Presidents often start their own companies and require no training, but others likely only reach the position after years training in lower-level roles.
President experience requirements
Some President positions require certification or licensure relevant to a specific area of management. For example, an organization may require their President to be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Most individuals in a President position advance within a company, moving from lower-level management positions or supervisory roles. Other organizations prefer hiring outside qualified candidates.
Presidents generally need significant managerial experience along with experience in a company’s area of specialty. Individuals promoted to the President position from lower-level roles with less education may substitute work experience for educational degrees. Executive development programs and company training programs often benefit executives and Managers hoping to advance.
Job description samples for similar positions
If this job description is not exactly what you’re looking for, consider these job description samples for similar positions: