Great question! With a lean C-suite of 5 roles (CEO, CFO, CAIO, CPO, COO) driving the car and serving passengers (customers), we’ve identified 46 total C-suite roles in the corporate world today. That leaves 41 roles outside our core 5, and you’re asking a sharp question: Are these remaining roles serious C-suite positions, or are they just created by the board to “comfort” someone—essentially, to appease, placate, or give a fancy title to someone for political, cultural, or organizational reasons? Let’s dig into this, using our car trip analogy to frame the analysis, and evaluate whether these roles add real value or are more about optics.

By A.I.R

The Core 5: Serious Roles for the Journey

We’ve established that the 5 roles in our car are critical for the trip:

CEO (Driver): Steers the vision.
CFO (Co-Driver): Brakes with financial control.
CAIO (Navigator): Uses AI to enhance the passenger experience.
CPO (Passenger Experience Lead): Designs products for customers.
COO (Mechanic): Keeps operations running smoothly.

These roles are undeniably “serious”—they directly contribute to the journey (business success) and the passenger experience (customer satisfaction). They’re not about comfort; they’re about necessity, covering the core functions of strategy, finance, innovation, product, and operations.

The Other 41: Serious or Comfort Roles?

The remaining 41 C-suite roles (from our list of 46) fall into three categories:

Serious Roles (But Not Core for the Board): These roles add value but don’t need to be in the C-suite for every organization. They can often report to the core 5, rolling up through the CEO or CFO, without direct board interaction.
Comfort Roles (Optics or Politics): These roles are created to appease stakeholders, signal priorities, or give someone a title—more about comfort than necessity.
Hybrid Roles (Context-Dependent): These can be serious in some organizations but comfort roles in others, depending on the company’s purpose and industry.

Let’s break down the 41 roles, using the car trip analogy to assess their seriousness and whether they might be “comfort” roles created by the board.

1. Serious Roles (But Not Core for the Board)

These roles are legitimate and add value, but they don’t need to be in the C-suite for every organization or report directly to the board. They can support the journey at a lower level, rolling up through the core 5, without diluting the C-suite’s focus.

CISO (Chief Information Security Officer)
Role in the Car: Safety officer, ensuring the car’s locks (data security) and airbags (compliance) protect passengers.
Serious?: Yes—cybersecurity is critical, especially with passengers (customers) entrusting their data. A breach could derail the trip.
Comfort?: Rarely. This role is usually driven by necessity (e.g., GDPR compliance, rising cyber threats), not optics.
Why Not Core?: Security is a support function. The CISO can report to the COO (operations) or CFO (risks), escalating to the board only in crises (e.g., a major breach). The board doesn’t need to hear from them regularly.
CHRO (Chief Human Resources Officer)
Role in the Car: Crew manager, ensuring the team (employees) is trained and motivated to serve passengers.
Serious?: Yes—employees are the crew running the car. A strong culture and talent strategy are vital for the journey.
Comfort?: Sometimes. If the CHRO is just a figurehead to signal “we care about people,” it can be a comfort role.
Why Not Core?: HR can roll up through the COO (operations). The board cares about employee impact on passengers (e.g., “Is the crew delivering?”), not HR details.
CLO (Chief Legal Officer)
Role in the Car: Traffic cop, ensuring the car follows road rules (legal compliance) and handles tickets (litigation).
Serious?: Yes—legal risks (e.g., lawsuits, regulatory fines) can stop the trip.
Comfort?: Rarely. Legal expertise is a must in regulated industries (e.g., finance, healthcare).
Why Not Core?: Legal issues can be reported through the CFO (risks) or CEO (strategy). The board only needs to hear about major legal threats.
CDO (Chief Data Officer)
Role in the Car: Data analyst, ensuring the car’s GPS (data) is accurate for navigation.
Serious?: Yes—data is the fuel for AI and decision-making, especially for an AI-driven company.
Comfort?: Sometimes. If the role is created just to seem “data-driven” without real impact, it’s comfort.
Why Not Core?: Data strategy can roll up through the CAIO (AI navigation) or COO (operations). The board cares about data’s impact on passengers, not the details.
CSCO (Chief Supply Chain Officer)
Role in the Car: Logistics planner, ensuring the car has fuel and parts (supply chain) to keep moving.
Serious?: Yes—supply chain disruptions (e.g., chip shortages) can halt the trip, especially in manufacturing or retail.
Comfort?: Rarely. This role is critical in supply chain-heavy industries.
Why Not Core?: Supply chain can report to the COO (operations). The board only needs to know if there’s a major disruption.
CCO (Chief Compliance Officer)
Role in the Car: Rule enforcer, ensuring the car follows traffic laws (regulatory compliance).
Serious?: Yes—compliance failures (e.g., fines, sanctions) can derail the trip.
Comfort?: Sometimes. If the role is just to signal “we’re ethical” without real oversight, it’s comfort.
Why Not Core?: Compliance can roll up through the CFO (risks) or CLO (legal). The board only needs to hear about major violations.
CRO (Chief Risk Officer)
Role in the Car: Hazard spotter, watching for roadblocks (risks) that could crash the car.
Serious?: Yes—risk management (e.g., financial, operational) is crucial, especially in volatile industries.
Comfort?: Sometimes. If the role duplicates the CFO’s risk duties, it can be comfort.
Why Not Core?: Risk can roll up through the CFO (brakes). The board only needs to know about existential risks.

Summary: These roles are serious because they address real needs—security, HR, legal, data, supply chain, compliance, risk—but they don’t need C-suite status or direct board access in most organizations. They can support the journey at a lower level, reporting to the COO, CFO, or CAIO, keeping the C-suite lean and focused on passengers.

2. Comfort Roles (Optics or Politics)

These roles are often created by the board to “comfort” someone—either to appease a stakeholder, signal a priority, or give a title to a loyal executive. They may have value, but their C-suite status is more about optics than necessity.

CHO (Chief Happiness Officer)
Role in the Car: Morale booster, ensuring the crew (employees) is happy during the trip.
Serious?: Not really. Employee happiness matters, but it’s not a C-suite priority—HR can handle it.
Comfort?: Yes. Often created to signal “we care about employees,” especially in startups or after a PR crisis (e.g., high turnover).
Why Not Core?: Employee morale can roll up through the CHRO or COO. Passengers (customers) don’t care about the crew’s happiness—they want a smooth ride.
CWO (Chief Wellness Officer)
Role in the Car: Health coach, ensuring the crew eats well and rests (employee wellness).
Serious?: Not really. Wellness is important, but it’s a subset of HR, not a C-suite need.
Comfort?: Yes. Often a trendy title to show “we prioritize mental health,” especially post-pandemic.
Why Not Core?: Wellness can be managed by the CHRO. The board doesn’t need to hear about yoga programs—they care about passenger outcomes.
CDEO (Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer)
Role in the Car: Culture advocate, ensuring the crew reflects the passengers (diversity).
Serious?: Yes, DEI is important for culture and innovation, but not always C-suite-level.
Comfort?: Often. Many companies create this role to signal “we’re inclusive” after public pressure (e.g., social movements), but it may lack real authority.
Why Not Core?: DEI can roll up through the CHRO. The board cares about diversity’s impact on passengers (e.g., better products), not internal metrics.
CSO (Chief Sustainability Officer)
Role in the Car: Eco-planner, ensuring the car uses green fuel (sustainability).
Serious?: Yes, in industries where ESG (environmental, social, governance) is critical (e.g., energy).
Comfort?: Often. Many companies add this role to signal “we’re green” without deep impact, especially if sustainability isn’t core to the business.
Why Not Core?: Sustainability can report to the COO (operations) or CFO (risks). The board only needs to know if ESG impacts passengers or profits.
CVO (Chief Visionary Officer)
Role in the Car: Dreamer, suggesting new destinations (disruptive ideas).
Serious?: Not really. Vision is the CEO’s job—why duplicate it?
Comfort?: Yes. Often given to a founder or co-founder to keep them involved without real power.
Why Not Core?: Vision should come from the CEO. The board doesn’t need two visionaries.
CBO (Chief Brand Officer)
Role in the Car: Decorator, ensuring the car looks good (brand identity).
Serious?: Yes, branding matters, but it’s not always C-suite-level.
Comfort?: Often. Created to signal “we’re brand-focused” or to give a marketing exec a title.
Why Not Core?: Branding can roll up through the CPO (product) or a CMO reporting to the CEO. Passengers care about the ride, not the car’s paint job.
CRO (Chief Remote Officer)
Role in the Car: Remote coordinator, ensuring the crew can work from home.
Serious?: Not really. Remote work is operational, not strategic.
Comfort?: Yes. A trendy post-COVID title to show “we support remote work,” often with little impact.
Why Not Core?: Remote work can be managed by the CHRO or COO. The board cares about passenger outcomes, not crew logistics.

Summary: These roles are often comfort-driven—created to appease stakeholders (e.g., employees, the public, a specific exec) or signal priorities (e.g., wellness, DEI, sustainability). They may have value, but their C-suite status is more about optics than necessity. They can be managed at a lower level, avoiding dilution of the core C-suite.

3. Hybrid Roles (Context-Dependent)

These roles can be serious or comfort, depending on the organization’s purpose, industry, and stage. They’re not universally necessary at the C-suite level but can be critical in specific contexts.

CMO (Chief Marketing Officer)
Role in the Car: Promoter, advertising the car to attract more passengers.
Serious?: Yes, in consumer-facing businesses where marketing drives growth (e.g., retail, tech).
Comfort?: Sometimes. If marketing is secondary to product (e.g., B2B tech), it can be a comfort title for a senior marketer.
Why Not Core?: Marketing can roll up through the CPO (product) or CEO. In our 5-role C-suite, the CPO handles passenger experience, which includes marketing.
CCO (Chief Customer Officer)
Role in the Car: Passenger advocate, ensuring passengers are happy.
Serious?: Yes, in customer-obsessed industries (e.g., hospitality, SaaS).
Comfort?: Often. If the role duplicates the CPO’s passenger experience duties, it’s comfort.
Why Not Core?: Customer experience can be managed by the CPO. The board cares about passenger outcomes, not a separate advocate.
CINO (Chief Innovation Officer)
Role in the Car: Idea generator, suggesting new routes or car upgrades.
Serious?: Yes, in innovation-driven companies (e.g., tech, R&D).
Comfort?: Often. If innovation is already handled by the CAIO or CPO, it’s a comfort title.
Why Not Core?: Innovation can roll up through the CAIO (AI-driven innovation) or CEO (vision). The board doesn’t need a separate innovator.
CGO (Chief Growth Officer)
Role in the Car: Expansion planner, finding new passengers or routes.
Serious?: Yes, in high-growth startups or scale-ups.
Comfort?: Often. If growth is already the CEO’s or CPO’s job, it’s a comfort title.
Why Not Core?: Growth can be driven by the CEO (vision) and CPO (product). The board cares about growth outcomes, not a separate role.
CRO (Chief Revenue Officer)
Role in the Car: Ticket seller, ensuring passengers pay for the ride.
Serious?: Yes, in sales-driven businesses (e.g., SaaS, retail).
Comfort?: Sometimes. If revenue is already the CEO’s or CFO’s focus, it’s comfort.
Why Not Core?: Revenue can roll up through the CEO (strategy) or CFO (finance). In our 5-role C-suite, the CEO and CPO drive passenger revenue.

Summary: These roles are context-dependent. In some organizations, they’re serious and necessary (e.g., a CMO in a consumer brand). In others, they’re comfort roles created to appease a senior leader or signal a focus (e.g., a CINO in a company where innovation is already covered). They don’t need to be in the core C-suite for most trips—they can support the journey at a lower level.

Why the Board Creates Comfort Roles

Boards often create comfort roles for several reasons, but these can dilute the C-suite and distract from the journey:

Appeasing Stakeholders: A Chief Sustainability Officer might be added to appease investors pushing for ESG, even if sustainability isn’t core to the business.
Retaining Talent: A loyal exec might get a C-suite title (e.g., CVO) to keep them from leaving, even if their role overlaps with the CEO.
Signaling Priorities: A Chief Diversity Officer might be created to signal “we’re inclusive” after public pressure, even if the role lacks real authority.
Following Trends: Roles like Chief Remote Officer or Chief Wellness Officer often emerge to follow trends (e.g., post-COVID remote work), but they may not add strategic value.

The Risk: Comfort roles bloat the C-suite, dilute authority, and shift focus inward—away from passengers (customers). The board gets distracted by internal optics (e.g., “Are we sustainable enough?”) instead of focusing on the journey (passenger satisfaction and profitability).

How Limiting to 5 Roles Helps the Board and Passengers

By capping the C-suite at 5 roles (CEO, CFO, CAIO, CPO, COO), we ensure the board can focus on the trip and passengers enjoy a memorable journey:

Clarity for the Board: Only 2-3 voices (CEO, CFO, maybe CAIO) report to the board, avoiding noise from comfort roles like a Chief Happiness Officer.
Focus on Passengers: The core 5 roles prioritize passengers (customers)—steering (CEO), braking (CFO), navigating (CAIO), enhancing the experience (CPO), and keeping the car running (COO). Comfort roles like a Chief Wellness Officer shift focus to the crew, not passengers.
Efficiency in Resources: Fewer C-suite salaries mean more budget for passenger-centric initiatives (e.g., AI tools, better products), making the journey memorable.
Accountability: Clear roles (e.g., CPO owns passenger experience) prevent overlap with comfort roles (e.g., CCO), ensuring the board knows who’s responsible for passenger outcomes.

What About the Other 41?: Serious roles (e.g., CISO, CHRO) can support the journey at a lower level, reporting to the COO or CFO. Comfort roles (e.g., CHO, CWO) can be eliminated or downgraded, ensuring the C-suite stays focused on the trip, not internal optics.

Final Thoughts

Of the 41 roles outside our core 5, many are serious but don’t need C-suite status—roles like CISO, CHRO, and CLO can support the journey without direct board access. Others, like Chief Happiness Officer or Chief Remote Officer, are often comfort roles, created to appease stakeholders or follow trends, but they dilute the C-suite’s focus and distract from passengers. By limiting to 5 roles, the board keeps the car lean, the journey smooth, and the passenger experience memorable. The rest can either support from the back or be left off the trip if they’re just for comfort. Does this breakdown of serious vs. comfort roles align with your view, or do you see any of the 41 as more critical for your car?