ROLE OF A CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER

Chief Business Officer (CBO)

A Chief Business Officer (CBO) is a strategic executive role responsible for driving business growth, strategic partnerships, and revenue-generating activities. The CBO often acts as the commercial engine of the organization, working across departments to align business strategies with overall company goals.

Core Responsibilities of a Chief Business Officer:

Business Development & Growth

• Identifies and evaluates new business opportunities, markets, and partnerships
• Develops and executes growth strategies to expand the company’s commercial footprint
• Leads merger and acquisition (M&A) activities and due diligence processes
• Creates and manages strategic partnerships and alliances

Revenue Optimization

• Works across departments to maximize revenue from existing business lines
• Develops monetization strategies for products and services
• Identifies untapped revenue sources within the organization
• Optimizes pricing models and revenue structures

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Acts as a bridge between different business units to create cohesive strategies
• Collaborates closely with Sales, Marketing, Product, and Finance teams
• Aligns company resources toward highest-value business opportunities
• Translates customer and market insights into actionable business decisions

Strategic Planning

• Develops long-term business plans in alignment with company vision
• Creates roadmaps for entering new markets or launching new offerings
• Forecasts business trends and positions the company to capitalize on them
• Establishes measurable business objectives and key performance indicators

Relationship Management

• Serves as a key relationship builder with major clients and partners
• Represents the company in high-level negotiations and deal-making
• Cultivates industry connections to create business advantages
• Serve as a key liaison between internal teams and external partners

A CBO owns the “business engine” of the company — ensuring it runs, grows, and evolves in line with strategic goals.

Where CBOs Are Common:

• Startups & Scale-ups

• Technology companies with complex partnerships or licensing models

• Biotech & Pharma

• EdTech / Universities

A CBO Is Not:

• Just a sales lead — they go beyond sales to own strategy and partnerships with various departments

• A CEO — though in smaller companies, they may share overlapping duties.