Katana VentraIP

The title is widely used in North American and European not-for-profit organizations, though in the United States many have adopted the title 'president' or CEO. It generally has the same meaning as CEO or managing director.


The title may also be used by a member of a board of directors for a corporation, such as a company, cooperative or nongovernmental organization, who usually holds a managerial position with the corporation. In this context the role is usually contrasted with a non-executive director who usually holds no executive, managerial role with the corporation.


There is much national and cultural variation in the exact definition of an executive director.

United Nations[edit]

The title is used for the chief executive officer of several UN agencies, such as UN Women.

United Kingdom (UK)[edit]

In the UK, an executive director is a member of a board who is also an employee with a senior role. It is common for boards to have several executive directors, e.g. for different departments. There is no legal difference between an executive and a non-executive director (NXD or NED), but there are considerable differences in the expectations associated with the role.[4]