最高経営責任者
saikō keiei sekininsha
The English phrase "ceo" is translated into Japanese as 最高経営責任者 (saikō keiei sekininsha).
最高経営責任者 is used to refer to the person with the highest management responsibility. You might also use 社長 as a general term for a company president or CEO or トップ to refer to the person at the top of an organization.
Meaning: chief executive officer (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term 最高経営責任者 is composed of 最高 (highest), 経営 (management) and 責任者 (person in charge or responsible person).
Which one should you use?
While 最高経営責任者 is a literal translation of "CEO," the more common legal title used in Japanese companies to denote the person with the actual authority to represent the corporation is 代表取締役.
How do you pronounce it?
saikō keiei sekininsha
Did you know?
- The character 最高 (saikō) in 最高経営責任者 is also used as a common slang term meaning 'the best' or 'awesome' in casual conversation.
- In many Japanese companies, the person with the actual power might be titled 会長 (kaichō), which translates to 'Chairman'. While this title often denotes a retired leader, they may still hold more influence than the official 社長 (shachō).
- Historically, the concept of a 'CEO' as a single powerful individual is a relatively recent Western import to Japan, where collective decision-making via 'ringi' was more common.
Examples in context
- 社長の山田さんは、会社を大成功に導いています。Mr. Yamada, the CEO, is leading the company to great success.
- この会社のトップ、田中さんは非常に尊敬されています。The CEO of this company, Mr. Tanaka, is highly respected.
- 彼は新しい会社の最高経営責任者です。Kare wa atarashii kaisha no saikō keiei sekininsha desu.He is the CEO of the new company.
- 最高経営責任者は誰ですか？Saikō keiei sekininsha wa dare desu ka?Who is the CEO?
- 彼女は最高経営責任者に選ばれました。Kanojo wa saikō keiei sekininsha ni erabaremashita.She was chosen as the CEO.
Example conversation
A business news discussion in a cafe.
- 美咲 Misakiあの人のニュースを見た？Ano hito no nyūsu o mita?Did you see the news about that person?
- 陽太 Yotaはい、最高経営責任者になったんですよね。Hai, saikō keiei sekininsha ni natta n desu yo ne.Yes, he became the CEO, right?
- 美咲 Misakiとても優秀な男性だと思っています。Totemo yūshū na dansei da to omotte imasu.I think he is a very talented man.
- 陽太 Yota本当に、素晴らしいリーダーですね。Hontō ni, subarashii rīdā desu ne.He truly is a wonderful leader.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 最高経営責任者, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
