CV sample · Senior leaders, directors and C-suite
Executive CV: structure and example
An executive CV is read by a different audience with a different question. Not "can they do the job" but "what happens to the business when they run it". The structure has to answer that.
Chanuka Jeewantha
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An executive CV should run contact details, an executive profile, a key achievements block, leadership experience framed by scope and then results, board and governance roles, and brief education. It reads as a business case for boards, investors and search consultants, so revenue, team size, remit and transformation results must appear early enough to size you in seconds.
Overview
At senior level the CV stops being a list of responsibilities and becomes a business case. Scope, P&L, transformation and results lead, and the reader is often a board member, investor or search consultant rather than a hiring manager. The structure foregrounds impact and gives the reader the numbers that size the candidate quickly.
Structure
How a executive cv is put together.
Each section in order, with what it is doing. Use it as the frame; the content has to be your own.
- 01
Contact details
Name, location, phone, email, LinkedIn.
- 02
Executive profile
A tight statement of the leadership you provide and the scale you operate at. Function, sector and level, immediately.
- 03
Key achievements
A short highlights block of the three or four business results that define you: growth, turnaround, exit, transformation.
- 04
Leadership experience
Each role framed by scope first (revenue, team, remit), then the results delivered against it.
- 05
Board and governance
Non-executive roles, advisory positions and governance experience, where relevant.
- 06
Education and credentials
Brief. At this level it is context, not the headline.
Why it works
What makes this version land.
- Reads as a business case, led by scope and results
- A key-achievements block that sizes the candidate in seconds
- Scope stated before responsibilities in every role
- Written for boards and search consultants, not hiring managers
Watch for
What weakens this kind of CV.
- A longer list of responsibilities where impact should be
- No numbers to size the remit: revenue, team, budget, market
- The same operational detail that suited a mid-career CV
- Underplaying transformation and results to avoid sounding immodest
FAQ
Questions about this CV type
Where do non-executive and advisory roles go on an executive CV?
Put them in a separate board and governance section after your main leadership experience, unless a board role is what you are targeting. List the organisation, role, dates and one line on your contribution, such as chairing a committee or shaping a strategic decision. Unpaid trustee roles count when they show real governance experience.
How do I show P&L responsibility on an executive CV?
State it at the top of each role, before any bullets: the P&L size, headcount, geography and functions reporting to you. Then show what changed under you, such as margin, growth, cost base or market share, with the starting point, so the reader can judge the size of the change. A P&L figure with no outcome attached only proves you held the job.
Should an executive CV have a photo?
Not in the UK, US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, where executive CVs are normally photo-free. In the Gulf and some Asian markets, a professional headshot is common at every level. Your LinkedIn photo matters at executive level either way, because search consultants check your profile alongside the CV.
How do search consultants use an executive CV?
They use it to build a shortlist and present you to their client, so it must be easy to summarise. A consultant often rewrites your profile into their own candidate report, which is why clear scope, results and context make their job easier. Expect them to ask for what the CV leaves out, such as compensation and notice terms.
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