Strategy :CEOs generally are responsible for determining the strategic direction of the company and ensuring that strategy is implemented through functional steps. In addition, CEOs take the helm in creating the organization's culture. For example, a hospital that boasts its greatest strengths are staff who provide compassionate, high-quality care may have a CEO whose primary concern is building a human resources department that has the resources and expertise to recruit and hire exceptionally qualified nurses.Operations : Many CEOs are responsible for every aspect of entering into agreements with employees, group health care insurers and outsourced services providers, such as payroll processing companies. Without a dedicated human resources department, many CEOs are chief negotiators in contracts, such as collective bargaining agreements or labor union contracts. Marketing :Marketing -- or, business development as it's often called at the executive level -- involves cultivating relationships with potential clients or customers. CEOs often are rainmakers, which means they leverage their position and influential role to develop business and, thus, increase profitability. For small businesses and start-up companies, Mentoring :the CEO might be a mentor to a company leader with the most seniority or the manager who's aptitude is likely to be factor in deciding who will be the successor to the CEO. Given competing priorities, CEOs can't mentor the entire management team; however, they do provide general guidance and supervision. If the company has a performance management system,Finance :Accounting duties, responsibility for profit and loss statements, monthly journal entries and developing the company's annual budget are among the CEO's finance responsibilities. For CEOs whose jobs entail human resources duties, preparing the company's budget also includes determining appropriate salaries and benefits for staff.