My Account

You control your data

We and our partners use cookies to provide you with our services and, depending on your settings, gather analytics and marketing data. Find more information on our Cookie Policy. Tap "Settings” to set preferences. To accept all cookies, click “Accept”.

Settings Accept

Cookie settings

Click on the types of cookies below to learn more about them and customize your experience on our Site. You may freely give, refuse or withdraw your consent. Keep in mind that disabling cookies may affect your experience on the Site. For more information, please visit our Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

Choose type of cookies to accept

Analytics

These cookies allow us to analyze our performance to offer you a better experience of creating resumes and cover letters. Analytics related cookies used on our Site are not used by Us for the purpose of identifying who you are or to send you targeted advertising. For example, we may use cookies/tracking technologies for analytics related purposes to determine the number of visitors to our Site, identify how visitors move around the Site and, in particular, which pages they visit. This allows us to improve our Site and our services.

Performance and Personalization

These cookies give you access to a customized experience of our products. Personalization cookies are also used to deliver content, including ads, relevant to your interests on our Site and third-party sites based on how you interact with our advertisements or content as well as track the content you access (including video viewing). We may also collect password information from you when you log in, as well as computer and/or connection information. During some visits, we may use software tools to measure and collect session information, including page response times, download errors, time spent on certain pages and page interaction information.

Advertising

These cookies are placed by third-party companies to deliver targeted content based on relevant topics that are of interest to you. And allow you to better interact with social media platforms such as Facebook.

Necessary

These cookies are essential for the Site's performance and for you to be able to use its features. For example, essential cookies include: cookies dropped to provide the service, maintain your account, provide builder access, payment pages, create IDs for your documents and store your consents.

To see a detailed list of cookies, click here.

Save preferences

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Resume Template & Examples

Create Your Resume Now

Our customers have been hired by:

You’ve got what it takes to be a CEO: experience, charisma, exceptional leadership skills, and 20/20 strategic vision. You could be in charge of anything: a tech startup, a manufacturing giant, even a 17th-century ship (if you only knew what all those sails and ropes were called).

But how do you package your awesomeness on a single page and create a CEO resume that makes any board of directors want to hire you? Well, here’s how.

This guide will show you: 

  • A CEO resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
  • How to write a CEO resume that will land you more interviews.
  • Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a CEO resume.
  • How to describe your experience on a resume for a CEO to get any job you want.

Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.

Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume samples here.

Check out these other executive and management-related resume guides:

Chief Executive Officer Resume Example

Clara Rossi

Chief Executive Officer

clara.rossi@gmail.com

(718) 555-1234

linkedin.com/in/clararossi

Professional Profile

Results-driven chief executive officer with over 4 years experience leading and increasing growth in small and medium businesses. NYIT MBA recipient, NYCDC “40 Under 40” award winner, and unparalleled increase in company revenue (250% over 3 years). Seeking to lead and grow alongside Jasper Genomics as the next CEO and president.

Work Experience

CEO & President

April 2016–May 2019

The FHZ Group, New York, NY

Key Qualifications & Responsibilities

  • Effectively managed team of over 270 employees in 12 locations in 3 countries.
  • Oversaw executive leadership, company training, and public relations with media.
  • Developed intensive, ambitious business strategies, short-term goals, and long-term objectives.
  • Spearheaded overhaul of various underperforming departments to reduce stagnation and increase growth and productivity.
  • Fostered change in company culture to be more open, transparent, and accountable.

Key Achievements

  • Increased revenue by over 250% in a 3-year timespan.

Head Manager

January 2015–January 2016

Queens Retail Operations, Long Island City, NY

Key Qualifications & Responsibilities

  • Led team of 50 employees in a busy retail research and analysis firm.
  • Oversaw the day-to-day operations, including meeting with team leaders and auditing activity.
  • Implemented the push towards Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to aid in exponentially larger analysis tasks able to be completed.
  • Ensured company was meeting all legal requirements and local regulations.
  • Pushed for constant growth among management team and general staff, alike.

Key Achievements

  • Increased client database by 20% in 1 year, which grew net profits by 35%.

Education

MBA / Master of Business Administration (International Management)

The New York Institute of Technology School of Management, New York, NY

Completion: 2016

Relevant Coursework: Leading and Managing, Financial Accounting, Foundations of Teamwork and Leadership, Microeconomics, Managerial Economics, Operations, Information, and Decisions, Corporate Finance.

Bachelor of Science in International Business

Manhattan College O'Malley School of Business, New York, NY

Graduation: 2014

Relevant Coursework: Business Strategy, Strategic Economics, Marketing Analysis and Development, Microeconomic Foundation, Management Communication, Legal Studies & Business Ethics.

Key Skills & Core Competencies

  • Management & Leadership
  • Business Operations & Strategy
  • Effective Communication & Delegation
  • Adaptability & Determination
  • Forward Thinking & Calculated Risk Management

Certifications

  • 2017 Certified CEO Designation, The CEO Institute
  • 2016 Certified Manager, The Institute of Certified Professional Managers (ICPM)

Awards

  • 2018 New York City Development Council “40 Under 40” Award
  • 2017 Finance Monthly CEO Awards, April 2017

Memberships

  • Business Networking International (BNI)
  • Young Presidents Organization (YPO)
  • American Management Association (AMA)

Languages

  • Italian: Native Proficiency

Now, this is how to write a CEO resume:

1. Choose the Best CEO Resume Format

Whether you’re a top executive at a multinational corporation or the president of a small business, you keep things clear and orderly so your company succeeds.

It works the same on a CEO resume—

For the owner or board of executives to get the most out of your resume, it has to be easy-to-read, neat, and in order.

In other words, format it right with the perfect CEO resume template.

Here is how to format your CEO resume:

Pro Tip: Send them a PDF resume unless the job ad specifically asks for one in Microsoft Word. The PDF format ensures it’s able to render correctly no matter where they decide to view it.

2. Write a Professional CEO Resume Summary or Objective

Also called a profile statement for resume, the resume objective or summary gives the board of directors a quick introduction into who you are.

In a few sentences, use this intro to talk up your executive experience, management skills, leadership background, and impressive achievements. Here's how to write a CEO profile:

Choose the resume professional summary if you have over 2 years as the top exec. The summary statement concisely details your leadership experience while including a proud numbered achievement or two to show the top brass that you’re top-notch.

Choose the resume objective if you have less experience at the highest levels. The objective statement gives them your career goals, but also provides a key accomplishment to show off your past wins.

Pro Tip: This CEO profile statement goes at the top of your resume, but don’t write it until the very end. This makes it easier for you to sort what you’ll write there, since you will already have thought of your top skills and achievements by then.

3. Create the Perfect CEO Job Description for a Resume


It doesn’t matter if you’re a local restaurant chain CEO or the chief executive officer of an international company.

Nothing tells them more about how well you’ll fit than the resume work experience section.

So—

Here’s how to write the best CEO job description for a resume:

  • Start with your current or most recent job, then follow it with the one before, and so forth.
  • Place your business titles on top of each entry, followed by dates worked, then the company name, and 5 or 6 bullet points outlining your executive and managerial responsibilities. Reduce them to 3 or 4 bullet points as it gets farther back in your work history.
  • Use power verbs (e.g., achieved, established, etc.) to begin each bullet point entry.
  • Give a quantifiable professional achievement or two for each job listing.
  • Instead of a generic resume, tailor this resume to the specific job.

Pro Tip: Adding the right achievements will be critical to your success, both here and at the interview. Pick your most impressive wins, make sure they’re related to company management, and use numbers to verify just how awesome those accomplishments were.

Creating a resume with our builder is incredibly simple. Follow our step-by-step guide and use content from Certified Professional Resume Writers to have a resume ready in minutes.

When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and our ATS resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.

4. Make Your CEO Resume Education Section Shine

The education resume section on a CEO resume is where you get to brag about all your business school lessons and MBA program achievements.

But—

It still needs to follow the proper resume layout.

Here’s how to ace the test in your resume education area:

  • Add your highest degree first, including your major, minor (if applicable), college name and location, relevant coursework, Latin honors, etc..
  • If you have a second advanced degree, add that next.
  • Don’t include high school on CEO resumes, unless you haven’t finished any college yet.

Pro Tip: Relevant coursework for a CEO doesn’t just mean business management and leadership classes. If you have, add coursework related to the industry to which you are applying.

5. Highlight Your CEO Skills on Your Resume

According to the BLS, by 2026, there will be an increase of 8% in top executive positions in the US, which include CEOs, COOs, CFOs, and all those other acronyms.

That’s almost 200,000 other execs to stand out amongst.

So—

Show them your leadership, management, and professionalism go above and beyond with the best CEO skills resume section they get:

CEO Skills for a Resume

However—

You won’t display visionary leadership by taking this list and just adding it to your executive CEO resume.

Here’s how to add CEO skills to a resume correctly:

  • Jot down the work skills you have, both management related and those which relate to the specific industry. Include soft skills and hard skills.
  • Get the CEO job description out, and keep it open for the duration.
  • Highlight manager skills and leadership abilities from their job requirements. Those are the best resume keywords to use, because that’s what they’re looking for.
  • If a highlighted entry matches something on your skills list, add it to your CEO resume!
  • Hard skills will be trade- or industry-related, while soft skills will revolve more around people management and effective leadership.

Insights from 11 million resumes crafted with our builder show that:

  • On average, the typical resume for a CEO includes 18.2 skills.
  • Skills such as mergers and acquisitions, operational excellence, project management, and strategic planning are top choices for CEOs.
  • The average resume length for CEOs is 3 pages.

6. Add Other Sections to Your CEO Resume

You’ve now written a solid resume for CEOs.

However—

You can make it even better.

Every other executive candidate will include those same core resume areas (CEO profile, education, job history, and education).

To make the best CEO resume possible, stand out by adding extra sections.

Here are several executive extras to put on a resume for CEO jobs:

Sample First Time CEO Resume Extra Sections

7. Attach a CEO Cover Letter to Your Resume


If you went over to your HR department, most of them would tell you that a resume without a cover letter is insufficient.

And, that’s especially true when applying to executive jobs.

So—

Don't neglect the cover letter.

Here are a few tips to writing a cover letter for CEO jobs:

Finally, have a look at our great cover letter tips, as well as our articles on how long should a cover letter be and what to include in a cover letter, to really ace yours.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to follow up after sending your resume. And, as you wait, go ahead and prepare for that interview!

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Got any questions on how to write a resume for CEOs? Need more CEO CV examples? Not sure how to talk about leadership skills, management certifications, or executive achievements? Get at us in the comments below, and thanks for reading!

About Zety’s Editorial Process

This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

Sources

Rate my article: ceo resume example
Article Helpfulness: 4.53 (19 votes)
Thank you for voting
Christian Eilers, CPRW
Christian is a career expert and Certified Professional Resume Writer. His guides cover every aspect of the career spectrum, from job hunting and acing interviews to settling in on the first days of a new career. With Christian's guidance, job seekers can navigate the job market with confidence and make the most of their career opportunities.
X.com Linkedin

Similar articles

50+ Resume Dos and Don'ts You Need to Know in 2024

50+ Resume Dos and Don'ts You Need to Know in 2024

Learn the dos and don'ts of resume writing, along with what not to put on a resume and how to build a good resume without making critical resume mistakes. Over 50 resume dos and don'ts with examples and tips.