I recently became a CVO:

It's been a long journey but also a satisfying one. The most surprising thing is just how few people know what it means.

It has an interesting history:

“The first CVO was Tim Roberts, the young entrepreneurial founder of Broadband Investment Group. Roberts said he invented the title as a rank, superior to CEO, that served to recognize the visionary attributes needed to integrate a complex business with many diverse aspects. Roberts chose the title solely to define his role in the organization. He didn't intend the designation to proliferate across the corporate world in the way that it has.” https://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/CVO

Born out of a need to redefine their place in a company, Tim created a niche that is beginning to grow across C-suites, worldwide. For me, it’s an excellent way to transcend the day to day running of where I work to look ahead and drive the vision of the organization. And, where I work, no one else can do just that.

A chief visionary officer formalizes a high-level advisory position. The CVO is expected to have a broad and comprehensive knowledge of all matters related to the business of the organization, as well as the vision required to steer its course into the future. The person who holds the position must have the core-competencies of every executive, and the visionary ideas to move the company forward, defining corporate strategies and working plans.

My role has expanded to include formalizing the strategic-planning processes, forging new working relationships and synergies outside of the organization, and establishing greater transparency and accountability for all associated with the organization.

As the global future looms, and the relatively small not-for-profit organization I lead adjusts to the changes to the overall landscape, I am wrestling with some complex organizational structures, the need to globalize operations; rework ourselves to suit new regulations and constant need to innovate.

I am still figuring out what’s what but as I do, I am ever aware that I need to keep learning and growing as a leader to better suit the title I hold.

And that, for me, is what a CVO does,