董事长

• Pinyin: dǒng shì zhǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 董 = 艹 + 重 (to supervise); 事 = matters/affairs; 长 = 长 (head/chief — one who leads)

Meaning

Chairman of the board of directors. The highest-ranking officer of a corporation's board, who presides over board meetings and often represents the company externally.

In Chinese corporate structure, the 董事长 (chairman) is constitutionally distinct from the 总裁/总经理 (CEO/president), though both roles may be held by the same person. The chairman presides over the board and oversees strategic governance, while the CEO manages daily operations.

Examples

1. 该集团董事长在年度股东大会上发表了创新驱动增长的主旨演讲。 The group’s chairman delivered a keynote speech on innovation-driven growth at the annual shareholders’ meeting.
2. 经董事会选举，她正式出任公司新一届董事长，任期五年。 After being elected by the board, she officially became the company’s new chair, with a five-year term.
3. 董事长与总经理的权责分离，是现代企业治理的重要原则。 Separating the responsibilities and authority of the chair and the general manager is an important principle of modern corporate governance.

Usage Guide

Context: corporate governance, business, media, finance

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 作为集团董事长，他定期主持董事会会议，对公司战略方向作出关键决策。(As group chairman, he regularly chairs board meetings and makes key decisions on the company's strategic direction.)
• 董事长的一举一动受到资本市场的高度关注，其表态往往直接影响股价走势。(Every move made by the chairman is closely watched by capital markets, and his statements often directly affect stock price movements.)

Don't Say

• 董事长就是CEO — while roles may overlap in small firms, 董事长 chairs the board while 总裁/CEO runs operations; they are constitutionally distinct positions with separate responsibilities

Origin & History

董事 (board member/director) + 长 (head/chief)

Cultural Context

Generation: Professional adults

Social background: Universal