General manager

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For the term general manager used in professional wrestling, see List of authority figures in professional wrestling.
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The term general manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.

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[edit] Generic usage

Most commonly, the term general manager refers to any executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement. This is often referred to as Profit & Loss (P&L) responsibility. This means that a general manager usually oversees most or all of the firm's marketing and sales functions as well as the day-to-day operations of the business. Frequently, the general manager is also responsible for leading or coordinating the strategic planning functions of the company.

In many cases, the general manager of a business is given a different formal title or titles. Most corporate managers holding the titles of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or President, for example, are the general managers of their respective businesses. More rarely, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), or Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) will act as the general manager of the business. Depending on the company, individuals with the title Managing Director, Regional Vice President, Country Manager, Product Manager, Branch Manager or Segment Manager may also have general management responsibilities.

In consumer products companies, general managers are often given the title Brand Manager or Category Manager. In professional services firms, the general manager may hold titles such as Managing Partner, Senior Partner, or Managing Director.

In non-profit enterprises, the general manager is often given the title Executive Director.

[edit] Industry-specific usages

[edit] Hotels

In hotels, the General Manager is the executive manager responsible for overall hotel operation. The General Manager of a hotel usually reports directly to a corporate office or hotel owner. Common duties of a General Manager include hiring and management of a management team, overall management of hotel staff, creation and presentation of an operational budget, determining and setting business objectives and goals, handling legal action, responding to and managing hotel-wide emergencies and major issues involving guests, employees, or the facility, maintaining relations with surrounding businesses, handling political relations with local government officials, and many additional duties.

[edit] See also