The chief executive officer is responsible for the companys day to-day operations.the chairman of the board presides over the board meetings and is considered thehighest-ranking officer in the company. in smaller companies, the president is oftenalso the ceo. in larger corporations the chairman of the board may actually be theceo, in which case the president would rank lower. in larger companies, the presidentmay be known as the coo or chief operating officer. so it really depends on thecircumstances. often times there is no difference between the ceo and president. theceo could be president as well as chairman of the board. or all three positions couldbe separate individuals. it all depends on how the corporation at its inception definesthe roles, or how the roles are redefined as the corporation evolves.