\ ˈchēf krē-ˈā-tiv ˈȯ-fə-sər \

1. a senior executive responsible for defining and directing an organization’s creative vision; the principal authority over brand identity, creative direction, and the quality of all expressive output across media, platforms, and channels. Most common in brand, marketing, design, media, and agency environments.

2. an officer charged with stewardship of design, copy, content, storytelling, campaign concepts, execution quality, and creative standards, ensuring coherence, originality, and strategic alignment across all outward-facing communications.

3. a leadership role operating in alignment with organizational strategy, executing creative direction under the guidance of the chief strategy officer to ensure that creative expression supports long-term business objectives and positioning.

Often described as the guardian of the brand’s soul.

Conceptual function interpreting the chief strategy officer’s strategy into how the brand looks, sounds, and feels, and determining which creative expressions are authorized or eliminated within a defined strategic framework.

Etymology

chief < Old French chef, from Latin caput (“head, leader”)

creative < Latin creare (“to make, bring forth, produce”)

officer < Old French oficier, from Latin officiarius (“one who performs a duty”)