Listing a Company's Key Principals

Terry White reports:

"Executives are the public faces of a company. When you think of Microsoft, Bill Gates naturally comes to mind. Unlike Microsoft, a small business won’t have hundreds of leaders in the executive suite. But the list of a company’s key principals, even if only two or three, is just as important to the success of a small business. It is a marketing vehicle to sell your company’s vision...A list of key company principals is ordinarily presented in descending order according to title, starting with the Chief Executive Officer. Depending on company size and practice, you’ll want to list presidents and vice presidents, including the Chief Operating Officer and the leaders of Finance, Legal, Communications, Marketing and Human Resources. All titles won’t be available in all companies, especially those that are true small businesses. But you can bet someone at the company is handling those jobs. Make sure your list includes them...A list of key principals should be accompanied by short biographies of each executive. It should be personal and reflect the choices, culture and style of the company and its leadership. The executive will most likely want certain facts included and others excluded, but a few things like education and professional accomplishments are standard. If you’re writing a list of key company principals, spend some time with each one. Talk to their colleagues...Paint the principals as 'ordinary' people. This can help counter the remoteness of ivory tower stereotypes...Use the culture of your small business to set the tone of your list. An accounting firm's list of key principals would read much differently than one for a family-owned furniture manufacturer. Use sophisticated, yet casual language that generates good vibes with your target audiences -- your customers and investors. Avoid hyperbole and worn out expressions such as best, groundbreaking, cutting-edge and world class. Investors see those words every day and they’ve become generic filler. Formal corporate bios should be polished, but never boring. A trendsetting company should present its leaders as hip. Less formal lists can include kids, hobbies and special interests to humanize the subject...Your list can range anywhere from a hundred to several hundred words, but shorter is always better. Otherwise, fluff gets in the way and could turn readers off. Worse, the person could come across as pretentious. Remember your goals: [P]ut a human face on the company and sell the product. It should be a glimpse of the principals and the company, not a thesis. Ask yourself what's unique and exciting about the company. Don’t regurgitate an executive’s resume. The important thing is to keep in mind the points that matter to the people who are interested in your list of key principals."