Chief Executive or Managing Director

The Chief Executive or Managing Director sets organisational strategy, oversees day-to-day operations, and reports to the Board of Directors or ownership. They are accountable for financial performance, stakeholder relationships, regulatory compliance, and delivery of corporate objectives across all business units.

Develop and communicate strategic plans aligned with Board direction and market conditions. Set key performance indicators and financial targets for the organisation. Review quarterly and annual financial statements and management accounts with the Finance Director. Report to the Board on organisational performance, risks, and strategic progress. Approve capital expenditure and major contracts above delegated authority limits. Oversee compliance with ASX Listing Rules, Corporations Act 2001, and relevant industry regulations. Establish and maintain relationships with major customers, investors, and government bodies. Lead organisational restructures, mergers, acquisitions, or divestments.

The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll need deep experience in your industry first: boards rarely hire external career changers into this role. The path typically takes 15 to 20 years of senior management roles, not a quick pivot. You're also constantly accountable for things beyond your control: market crashes, staff departures, regulatory changes. The stress is real, the hours are long, and one bad quarterly result can end your contract.

Some regional opportunities exist in mining, agriculture, and manufacturing hubs. Large charities and government agencies also hire for equivalent roles. Remote work is unusual: you need to be visible to the Board and staff.

• Abide by business ethical code of conductscore
• Budgetary principlescore
• Conflict Resolutioncore
• Develop business planscore
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligencecore
• Goal Setting and Planningcore
• Good governancecore
• Manage budgetscore
• Manage staffcore
• Negotiationcore
• Policy Interpretationcore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Process Improvement Identificationcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Reporting and Analyticscore
• Research and Analysiscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Advise on legislative acts
• Conduct public presentations
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Create solutions to problems
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
• Develop professional network
• Escalation Management
• Feedback Collection and Actioning
• Maintain relationships with government agencies
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiency
• Power BI Reporting and Dashboards
• Report Writing

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Chief Executive or Managing Director workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026