Chief strategy officer

A chief strategy officer (CSO), or chief strategist, is an executive responsible with developing corporate strategy and sustaining the strategy through management of the strategic planning process on behalf of the chief executive officer (CEO) . Some companies give the title Chief Business Officer or Chief Development Officer to its senior executives who are holding the top strategy role.
While strategy traditionally sat with the CEO, a rapidly changing market landscape, non-organic growth ambitions, and/or a competitive environment have led to the creation of a CSO. This position most often reports to the CEO and provides the long term perspective to the executive leadership team that serves as a very useful counterbalance to the quarter to quarter operational and financial lens provided by the COO and CFO. As a result the position can be seen in academic, nonprofit and corporate organizations. In recent years, the CSO position increased in popularity, which is reflected by the high number of US companies (nearly 50% of S&P 500 firms) who created CSO positions in their top management teams. A Deloitte and Kellogg School Study reports that the CSO remains the top strategic executive at companies with developed strategy functions, with 75% of the survey respondents reporting directly to the CEO.
Responsibilities.
The CSO is an advisory and deal making role; part leader and part doer, with the responsibility for formulating corporate strategy as well as ensuring that execution of the strategy supports the strategy elements. The CSO at times functions as a sort of “mini CEO,” someone who must see the issues confronting the company from as broad a perspective as the chief executive does. This unique remit requires an executive with a strong strategy experience coupled with operating experiences. They then make build, buy, or partner decisions to best fill those gaps. The M&A remit also frequently includes developing and overseeing the company’s M&A agenda and developing and negotiating strategic partnerships. M&A responsibilities often entail both identifying and executing deals and managing the post-merger integration. The corporate development remit can also encompass strategic partnerships, licensing deals and venture capital investments that support the strategic agenda. CSOs are often executives who have worn many hats at a variety of companies or agencies before taking on the responsibilities and tasks that come with the job title.
Typical CSO responsibilities include:
In terms of the CSO’s role, which varies significantly from organization to organization and evolves over time, the two basic roles "strategy developer" and "strategy implementer" are observable. These roles can be further divided into four CSO archetypes.
While CSOs have traditionally gravitated to areas such as long-term strategic planning, market intelligence, and M&A, organization are increasingly looking for CSOs to play a more central roles in areas such as cost reduction, digital transformation, and assessment and development of new businesses.
Chief Global Strategist.
A Chief Global Strategist (CGS) is one of the highest-ranking corporate officers, administrators, corporate administrators, executives, or executive officers, in charge of the global strategy and the domestic and international expansion of a corporation, company, organization, or agency.
The position is relatively new in the private sector, and a reflection of the influence of globalization upon companies and other organizations that seek to expand their influence, whether as a matter of necessity to survive, or the exploration of an opportunity.
A prominent example of a CGS is Howard Schultz of Starbucks Corporation who was Chairman and CEO; however, in 2000 he left the position of CEO to become the Chief Global Strategist. Schultz returned to his previous role as CEO on January 18, 2008. 
In rapidly changing environments or for companies looking to establish a leadership in their industry, the CSO becomes an important executive. The recent economic landscape demonstrate this. 60% of the CSOs surveyed reported that they have made the strategic planning cycle more dynamic since the onset of COVID-19. According to the report, another 50% of CSO respondents are starting to use scenario planning to prepare for the unknown. As a result, strategic executives are driving their large-scale revenue and profitability growth in the face of business instability and economic uncertainty, the report said. 