- link Copy URL - [ Share on X ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=CSOs – CROs – On the Rise in Corporate America...Which Way is Forward in These Key Titles? https://www.3blmedia.com/markdownify/node/72027?absolute=1&via=3blnews "Share on X") - [ Share on linkedin ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.3blmedia.com/markdownify/node/72027?absolute=1 "Share on Linkedin") - [ Share on facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.3blmedia.com/markdownify/node/72027?absolute=1 "Share on Facebook") - [ email Share via email ](mailto:?subject=CSOs – CROs – On the Rise in Corporate America...Which Way is Forward in These Key Titles?&body=News from Governance & Accountability Institute https://www.3blmedia.com/markdownify/node/72027?absolute=1 "Share via email") [Events](/categories/events) # CSOs – CROs – On the Rise in Corporate America...Which Way is Forward in These Key Titles? ##### SustainabilityHQ Highlights (06.23.2016) Jun 27, 2016 1:45 PM ET Campaign: [SustainabilityHQ.com Weekly Highlights](/news/campaign/sustainabilityhqcom-weekly-highlights) [CSOs – CROs – On the Rise in Corporate America...Which Way is Forward in These …](http://www.sustainabilityhq.com/single-view-public/weekly-highlights-single-view/article/csos-cros-on-the-rise-in-corporate-americawhich-way-is-forward-in-these-key-titles/) Sometimes the “chief” whatever is enduring (as in Chief Financial Officer/CFO) and sometimes the chief position is fleeting (Chief Strategy Officer was the rage in the 1980s). We are heartened by the relatively rapid rise of the new chieftains in Corporate America – the “CSO” (Chief Sustainability Officer). The duties and organizing principles for this office are still being worked out. Does the CSO report up to the C-Suite (to CEO)? Do they have access to board room? Are they somewhere “down below,” like the fellows in the steamship boiler room who keep the big boat moving but are not on the bridge with the officers in white suits. Are they in the middle – reporting up to the CEO but through another “chief.” (Direct report to CFO is often the line up for some CSOs.) We’ve seen cases where the sustainability team is headed by the CEO in some structure, and the CSO is the critical influence in the team setting, alongside the CEO. European models are different from the U.S. corporate structure. The CEO is less king and more first among slightly-lesser-equals (at least in influence). There is a trend in place (and has been for about a decade) with large public companies and some mid-caps and small-caps appointing the CSO. The position is a connection point for a growing range of collaborators (internal and external). Subject matter experts (SMEs) and content owners inside don’t report to the CSO but do feed data, narrative, background information on an informal and formal basis (this is especially important for the company’s sustainability reporting). Where are we in this evolving business trend (appointing CSOs)? Our top story this week is from *CR* (Corporate Responsibility) *Magazine* – “The Growing Influence of the CSO,” by author Susan Hunt Stevens (CEO of WeSpire, an employee engagement platform for companies). It’s a nice perspective on the origination and growth of the CSO function. One aspect of all of this that we at G&A Institute monitor is the parallel development, the appointment of Chief Corporate Responsibility Officers (CROs). What are the duties of the CSO and CRO… differences… similarities… paths forward (and upwards on the corporate ladder)? Why do some companies title efforts “sustainability” and others, “responsibility” and even “citizenship” (like GE and American Airlines)? Will these come closer together and merge? Will there be separate job descriptions and expectations (of the “chiefs” by the top echelon “chiefs”)? Stay Tuned! [**This is just a sample of some of the articles from this weeks SustainabilityHQ Highlights. You can view the full Highlights by using the following links. Sustainability | ESG, Highlights for the Week of June 23, 2016**](http://www.sustainabilityhq.com/single-view-public/weekly-highlights-single-view/article/csos-cros-on-the-rise-in-corporate-americawhich-way-is-forward-in-these-key-titles/) [![Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc.](/sites/default/files/Clients/GA-Logo-2020_Blue-Final-Vertical.png)](/profiles/governance-accountability-institute-inc) ### More from Governance & Accountability Institute ###### [G&A Institute Partners With D4H To Help Companies Turn Climate Risk Assessments Into Crisis Readiness](/news/ga-institute-partners-d4h-help-companies-turn-climate-risk-assessments-crisis-readiness) Oct 15, 2026 10:00 AM ET ###### [G&A Institute Issues a Practical Guide to the World of ESG Investor Data and Ratings Providers](/news/ga-institute-issues-practical-guide-world-esg-investor-data-and-ratings-providers) Oct 13, 2026 10:30 AM ET ###### [In Court and on the Record](/news/court-and-record) Oct 12, 2026 10:00 AM ET ###### [G&A Institute Shares Key Updates From the SBTi's Corporate Net-Zero Standard 2.0 Release](/news/ga-institute-shares-key-updates-sbtis-corporate-net-zero-standard-20-release) Oct 5, 2026 2:45 PM ET ###### [Proving Corporate Sustainability Pays](/news/proving-corporate-sustainability-pays) Sep 29, 2026 10:00 AM ET ###### [G&A Releases 15th Edition of Sustainability Reporting Trends](/news/ga-releases-15th-edition-sustainability-reporting-trends) Sep 16, 2026 10:00 AM ET ###### [Going After the Gatekeepers](/news/going-after-gatekeepers) Sep 10, 2026 10:00 AM ET ###### [G&A Institute To Host “Resilient Leadership” Webinar in Collaboration With S&P Global, Marking 25 Years of Insights on Sustainability Disclosure](/news/ga-institute-host-resilient-leadership-webinar-collaboration-sp-global-marking-25-years) Sep 8, 2026 12:55 PM ET