What Kind of Chief Purpose Officer Does Your Company Need?

The chief purpose officer (CPO) role is a relatively new addition to the C-suite but growing in popularity. A recent study of CPOs finds that they tend to fit one of four archetypes — architect, visionary, PR strategist, or activist — depending on where the company is on its purpose journey and what the purpose initiative is meant to accomplish. Learn which approach is the best fit for your organization.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
MIT Sloan Management Review
Published
2026-09-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.63383/sowu2009
Primary Topic
Leadership and Management in Organizations
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

What Kind of Chief Purpose Officer Does Your Company Need?

Nicole Steller, Albena Björck
MIT Sloan Management Review
Leadership and Management in Organizations
article

What Kind of Chief Purpose Officer Does Your Company Need?

Nicole Steller, Albena Björck
article en

Abstract

The chief purpose officer (CPO) role is a relatively new addition to the C-suite but growing in popularity. A recent study of CPOs finds that they tend to fit one of four archetypes — architect, visionary, PR strategist, or activist — depending on where the company is on its purpose journey and what the purpose initiative is meant to accomplish. Learn which approach is the best fit for your organization.

MIT Sloan Management Review
Openalex Percentile: Top 7%
Leadership and Management in Organizations
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.