RecordMove

Business analyst to chief executive officer

A business analyst already meets 21% of what the chief executive officer role asks for. The move turns on 21 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional

From business analyst

Distant match

To chief executive officer

10 You already bring

21 Still to learn

66 Skills in the target role2

Learning distance A rebuild

82.8/ 100

adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change

1 How much of what a chief executive officer is expected to do is already part of a business analyst’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the chief executive officer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A chief executive officer role treats 8 of its required skills as things a business analyst already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

analyse business plans
analyse financial performance of a company
business process modelling
define organisational standards
financial statements
interpret financial statements

What stands in the way is 21 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 10 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A chief executive officer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a business analyst background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held shape organisational teams based on competencies management skills
already held define organisational standards management skills
already held keep updated on the political landscape information skills
already held business law business, administration and law
already held business process modelling business, administration and law
already held make strategic business decisions management skills

All 10 carried skills, including the 8 the chief executive officer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 56 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.

Skill to pick up Tier

01 management skills 12 required, 6 supplementary

still to learn develop business plans required
still to learn develop revenue generation strategies required
still to learn assume responsibility for the management of a business required
still to learn develop company strategies required
still to learn develop organisational policies required
still to learn imprint visionary aspirations into the business management required
still to learn integrate shareholders' interests in business plans required
still to learn integrate strategic foundation in daily performance required
still to learn lead managers of company departments required
still to learn plan medium to long term objectives required
still to learn shape corporate culture required
still to learn strive for company growth required

optional, not held manage publicly traded companies optional
optional, not held define the corporate structure optional
optional, not held evaluate budgets optional
optional, not held evaluate performance of organisational collaborators optional
optional, not held manage budgets optional
optional, not held motivate employees optional

02 communication, collaboration and creativity 5 required, 16 supplementary

still to learn build trust required
still to learn conclude business agreements required
still to learn establish collaborative relations required
still to learn liaise with shareholders required
still to learn negotiate with stakeholders required

optional, not held apply import strategies optional
optional, not held implement airport emergency plans optional
optional, not held implement improvements in airport operations optional
optional, not held implement operational business plans optional
optional, not held provide assistance to airport users optional
optional, not held apply export strategies optional
optional, not held build international relations optional
optional, not held collaborate in company's daily operations optional
optional, not held develop professional network optional
optional, not held disseminate general corporate information optional
optional, not held impart business plans to collaborators optional
optional, not held implement strategic planning optional
optional, not held interact with the board of directors optional
optional, not held manage relationships with stakeholders optional
optional, not held show intercultural awareness optional
optional, not held speak different languages optional

03 business, administration and law 3 required, 5 supplementary

still to learn company policies required
still to learn financial management required
still to learn marketing management required

optional, not held airport operating environment optional
optional, not held international trade optional
optional, not held joint ventures optional
optional, not held mergers and acquisitions optional
optional, not held subsidiary operations optional

04 information skills 1 required, 2 supplementary

still to learn track key performance indicators required

optional, not held describe the financial situation of a region optional
optional, not held identify airport safety hazards optional

05 assisting and caring 4 supplementary

optional, not held abide by business ethical code of conducts optional
optional, not held apply airport standards and regulations optional
optional, not held ensure lawful business operations optional
optional, not held follow the statutory obligations optional

06 engineering, manufacturing and construction 2 supplementary

optional, not held airport environmental regulations optional
optional, not held airport planning optional

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a chief executive officer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 10 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held analyse business plans skill
already held analyse financial performance of a company skill
already held business process modelling knowledge
already held define organisational standards skill
already held financial statements knowledge
already held interpret financial statements skill
already held make strategic business decisions skill
already held shape organisational teams based on competencies skill
already held business law knowledge
already held keep updated on the political landscape skill

35 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to pick up Tier

optional, not held manage publicly traded companies optional
optional, not held abide by business ethical code of conducts optional
optional, not held airport environmental regulations optional
optional, not held airport operating environment optional
optional, not held airport planning optional
optional, not held apply airport standards and regulations optional
optional, not held apply import strategies optional
optional, not held implement airport emergency plans optional
optional, not held implement improvements in airport operations optional
optional, not held implement operational business plans optional
optional, not held provide assistance to airport users optional
optional, not held apply export strategies optional
optional, not held build international relations optional
optional, not held collaborate in company's daily operations optional
optional, not held define the corporate structure optional
optional, not held describe the financial situation of a region optional
optional, not held develop professional network optional
optional, not held disseminate general corporate information optional
optional, not held ensure lawful business operations optional
optional, not held evaluate budgets optional
optional, not held evaluate performance of organisational collaborators optional
optional, not held follow the statutory obligations optional
optional, not held identify airport safety hazards optional
optional, not held impart business plans to collaborators optional
optional, not held implement strategic planning optional
optional, not held interact with the board of directors optional
optional, not held international trade optional
optional, not held joint ventures optional
optional, not held manage budgets optional
optional, not held manage relationships with stakeholders optional
optional, not held mergers and acquisitions optional
optional, not held motivate employees optional
optional, not held show intercultural awareness optional
optional, not held speak different languages optional
optional, not held subsidiary operations optional

43 held skills the chief executive officer role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role advise client on technical possibilities skill
not needed by the target role advise on communication strategies skill
not needed by the target role advise on efficiency improvements skill
not needed by the target role advise on financial matters skill
not needed by the target role advise on organisational culture skill
not needed by the target role advise on personnel management skill
not needed by the target role advise on risk management skill
not needed by the target role align efforts towards business development skill
not needed by the target role analyse external factors of companies skill
not needed by the target role analyse internal factors of companies skill
not needed by the target role apply change management skill
not needed by the target role build business relationships skill
not needed by the target role business analysis knowledge
not needed by the target role business analytics knowledge
not needed by the target role business communication knowledge
not needed by the target role business intelligence knowledge
not needed by the target role business strategy concepts knowledge
not needed by the target role conduct qualitative research skill
not needed by the target role conduct quantitative research skill
not needed by the target role corporate law knowledge
not needed by the target role data visualisation software knowledge
not needed by the target role digital data processing skill
not needed by the target role identify undetected organisational needs skill
not needed by the target role interview people skill
not needed by the target role investment banking knowledge
not needed by the target role liaise with managers skill
not needed by the target role management consulting knowledge
not needed by the target role management systems standards knowledge
not needed by the target role market entry strategies knowledge
not needed by the target role market research knowledge
not needed by the target role marketing analytics knowledge
not needed by the target role organisational learning knowledge
not needed by the target role organisational policies knowledge
not needed by the target role perform business analysis skill
not needed by the target role propose ICT solutions to business problems skill
not needed by the target role quality standards knowledge
not needed by the target role report analysis results skill
not needed by the target role risk management knowledge
not needed by the target role scientific research methodology knowledge
not needed by the target role seek innovation in current practices skill

3 further entries not listed here

10 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to pick up Tier

still to learn company policies required
still to learn financial management required
still to learn marketing management required
optional, not held airport environmental regulations optional
optional, not held airport operating environment optional
optional, not held airport planning optional
optional, not held international trade optional
optional, not held joint ventures optional
optional, not held mergers and acquisitions optional
optional, not held subsidiary operations optional

Index

Other moves recorded from business analyst

Full index of moves from business analyst

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a business analyst become a chief executive officer?

Yes, and it is a career change move. A business analyst already covers 21% of what a chief executive officer is expected to do: 10 skills carry over, 8 of which the chief executive officer role treats as required.

What skills does a business analyst need to become a chief executive officer?

21 required skills are missing, plus 35 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by management skills. The single most important is company policies.

How hard is the move from business analyst to chief executive officer?

Its learning distance is 82.8 out of 100, which is the career change band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.