C-level
Business & Finance abbreviation · Management & Strategy
| Stands for | Chief level (executive rank) |
|---|---|
| Categories | Business & Finance |
C-level stands for Chief level (executive rank), a management & strategy abbreviation.
Adjective describing executives at the top tier of a company, those holding chief officer titles, or the decisions and conversations involving them. Sales and marketing teams use it to describe target buyers, as in "C-level contacts" or "C-level sponsorship."
Example: The vendor wants a C-level sponsor on our side before it commits engineers to the pilot.
Usage notes
Used interchangeably with C-suite as a modifier, though C-suite usually names the group and C-level describes the rank. Positions just below the C-level are often described as VP-level or senior leadership. Recruiters also speak of "C-level searches" for executive hires, usually handled by retained search firms.
Related abbreviations
More management & strategy abbreviations
- BPM – Business process management
- BPO – Business process outsourcing
- BPR – Business process reengineering
- BRD – Business requirements document
- BSC – Balanced scorecard
- BU – Business unit
- C-suite – Chief executive suite (senior executives with chief titles)
- CAPA – Corrective and preventive action
- CI – Continuous improvement
- COB – Close of business
- CoE – Center of excellence
- CSF – Critical success factor