director ejecutivo
/diɾeɡtoɾ exekutibo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "chief officer" is translated into Spanish as director ejecutivo.
This phrase refers to the highest-ranking executive in a company who is responsible for making major corporate decisions.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While director ejecutivo is a standard translation, you may encounter the formal expression Oficial Principal. In many professional Spanish-speaking environments, the English acronym CEO is also used colloquially instead of the full Spanish translation.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to a female chief officer, change the nouns to the feminine forms directora ejecutiva. The plural form of the phrase is directores ejecutivos.
Did you know?
- While director ejecutivo is the standard title, casual conversation often uses el jefe. In many Spanish-speaking cultures, el jefe carries a connotation of absolute authority that is stronger than the English word 'boss'.
- The word director is a cognate of 'direct' and stems from the Latin 'dirēctus', which means 'straight'. This suggests the chief officer's job is to keep the company moving in a straight line toward its goals.
- Depending on the country, a director might hold a much lower management rank than an English 'director'. This can lead to misunderstandings regarding a person's actual level of authority during international business dealings.
Examples in context
- El oficial principal de la compañía es responsable de tomar decisiones importantes.The chief officer of the company is responsible for making important decisions.
- No puedo creer que el mandamás haya aprobado nuestras vacaciones.I can't believe the big shot approved our vacation.
- Él es el director ejecutivo de la empresa.He is the chief executive officer of the company.
- Buscamos un nuevo director ejecutivo para la firma.We are looking for a new chief executive officer for the firm.
- El director ejecutivo tomó la decisión final.The chief executive officer made the final decision.
Example conversation
María and Alejandro are discussing a meeting at the office.
- María¿Cuándo llega el director ejecutivo?When does the chief officer arrive?
- AlejandroLlega en diez minutos para la reunión.He arrives in ten minutes for the meeting.
- MaríaEspero que el director ejecutivo apruebe el plan.I hope the chief officer approves the plan.
- AlejandroSeguro que le gustará la propuesta, María.I am sure he will like the proposal, María.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries director, CC BY-SA 4.0.
