Leadership Comparison
CAO vs COO: How the roles differ
The CAO and COO are both execution leaders, but they manage different scopes and decision rights. This guide clarifies the difference so organizations can structure the partnership effectively.
Comparison
Core differences between CAO and COO
The two roles overlap in execution, but differ in the systems they manage and the outcomes they own.
CAO focus
Leads administrative infrastructure and internal service delivery.
- People services and shared services
- Governance and service reliability
- Administrative operating model
COO focus
Owns business operations, customer delivery, and revenue execution.
- Customer-facing operations
- Revenue and growth execution
- Operational scale and performance
Shared territory
Both roles drive execution, but they use different levers.
- Cross-functional alignment
- Operational metrics and dashboards
- Transformation delivery
Alignment
How CAOs and COOs collaborate
Strong partnerships avoid overlapping mandates and ensure a single execution rhythm.
Division of responsibility
- COO owns customer delivery and business operations.
- CAO owns administrative services and internal systems.
- Shared KPIs define execution cadence.
Governance alignment
- Weekly execution review led by COO.
- Administrative service cadence led by CAO.
- Quarterly cross-functional planning sessions.
Define the right executive structure
Use the CAO resources and frameworks to design a clear operating model.
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