- What should your senior executive resume include?
- How can you create a professional summary?
- How should you describe your work experience as a senior executive?
- Include a fitting senior executive resume education and certifications section
- Which key skills are relevant for a senior executive resume?
- How to select the most impactful senior executive resume template
- Copyable senior executive resume example
- Key takeaways for writing a senior executive resume
In your career, you may have had to make difficult hiring decisions at times. Writing your own resume for a senior executive position, however, may feel even more challenging. Get some help with a how-to guide and example that shows you how to write a senior executive resume.
Senior executives have essential roles within organizations, so when an employer has a C-suite position to fill, they don’t make a hiring decision lightly. To give yourself an edge on the competition, create a resume that highlights your extensive industry experience and leadership skills. With a resume focused on your business achievements, you can show an employer why you’re the right executive to hire.
This resume guide and the corresponding example will show you how to build a senior executive resume. We’ll discuss:
What to include on your resume
How to outline your experience and show your impact
The best skills to include on your resume
Advice for choosing a professional template
What should your senior executive resume include?
Consider your resume to be a marketing tool for highlighting your industry knowledge, skills, and experience. It should show an employer your proven record of driving revenue, enhancing operational efficiencies, and leading teams to accomplish strategic business goals.
Your resume should include these elements at a minimum:
A resume header with your contact information
A resume summary
A work experience section
An education section
A skills section
How can you create a professional summary?
As an executive, you’ve likely had many roles and accomplishments throughout your career. How do you distill this information into a 3- to 4-sentence professional summary? Rather than providing a broad overview of your career, focus on specific, noteworthy achievements you’ve had in past leadership positions.
In your summary, provide enticing details about how you’ve added value to organizations. Additionally, keep your summary focused on the industry and position you’re seeking. Our example resume emphasizes the executive’s record of increasing revenue and identifying growth opportunities for global manufacturing companies.
Expert Tip
Highlight your areas of expertise
Hiring managers want to know immediately whether you have the necessary requirements for a senior executive position. Consider including a bulleted list of your areas of expertise, as we’ve shown in the example. Tailor this section to the role to show an employer you have the skills and expertise they’re seeking.
Visionary and industry-vetted executive with progressive and solid strategic leadership experience across multimillion-dollar and global manufacturing operations. Results-oriented and decisive leader, establishing lasting presence in new markets, identifying growth opportunities, and initiating strong business alliances. History of increasing sales and triple bottom-line growth while spearheading operational improvements to drive productivity and reduce costs. Able to lead and inspire diverse teams. Proven success in financial management, program oversight, and project management.
How should you describe your work experience as a senior executive?
Your work experience section should outline your employment history, but it should primarily focus on your business accomplishments in other roles. In this section, show an employer you have the ability to develop strategic initiatives and make impactful contributions to a company.
List your work experience in reverse-chronological order, providing your job title and employment dates. Use strong verbs to describe your role within each organization and emphasize the results of your work. For each job, you can also create a bulleted list of key achievements, as we’ve done in the example resume. In these bullet points, use measurable data to prove your value.
Here’s an example of a bullet point that includes quantifiable metrics:
Executed cross-functional marketing strategies across digital platforms, resulting in a 12% year-over-year revenue increase while generating over $1 million in new sales
Executive Managing Director at BUSINESS STRATEGIST, Detroit, MI 2019 - Present
Create newly developed business consulting firm’s branding and manage financial growth, tactical planning, risk, and government relationships.
Recruit consultants and collaborate closely with four-member consulting team. Ensure compliance to company's Code of Conduct.
Establish internal controls, supervise administrative staff, and ensure results-producing strategy implementation.
Consult with clients on as-needed basis. Assess problems with attention to client needs, capabilities, and limitations, report processes, and make recommendations.
Penetrated market with 2% attrition rate by effectively managing client engagements.
Identified and presented customized solutions to increase profitability and sustainability factors.
Provided critical business insights and training to client teams as change agent and thought leader.
Chief Financial Officer at WS GLOBAL SERVICES, Flint, MI 2017 - 2019
Led operations and strategic direction with full responsibility for controlling all financials and managing bottom-line factors, including long-range planning, strategic management, and change management.
Delivered cross-functional management to three plant managers and six shared services staff.
Supervised and developed purchasing, AP, AR, and payroll staff and plant controllers.
Increased sales from $20M to $42.7M within three years by developing more responsive and market-driven organization.
Cut operational costs by 23% while substantially improving productivity.
Created sales channels and established strategic alliances in Germany and Great Lakes Region.
Developed and introduced successful new product offerings for domestic market.
Restructured financial operations to return company to profitability following lagging revenue.
Corporate Controller at COASTAL AUTOMOTIVE , Auburn, MI 2017 - 2017
Led financial team in collaborative and proactive environment; instilled an unwavering focus on future annual operating plans.
Supervised all weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting and managed risks through timely and accurate reporting.
Oversaw all cash and treasury management functions, including bank reconciliation, credit card processing, and fund allocation.
Delivered leadership to international project teams to generate proven results across multiple lines of business, geographic borders, time zones, and cultures.
Supported executive leadership processes for defining strategy, planning, and management control to align all decision makers with shared goals.
Played key role in converting to ERP system, from QuickBooks to Plex.
Include a fitting senior executive resume education and certifications section
While your resume should emphasize your managerial experience and leadership skills, it should also include a section about your education. In this section, you can include the continuing education you’ve completed to advance in your career.
Here are some tips for writing your education section:
Limit unnecessary details. Provide the name of your degree(s) and the institution. Unless you’ve recently graduated with an advanced degree, don’t include your graduation date.
Use reverse-chronological order. If you have both a Master of Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree, for example, list your MBA first.
Highlight certifications. Earning certifications can show an employer you’re continually expanding your knowledge, which can be a valuable trait in a leader. Mention industry certifications you’ve earned.
PhD in Business Anthropology at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
Master of Business Administration in Management at University of Michigan, Flint, MI
Master of Business Administration in Finance at Walsh College, Troy, MI
Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting Information Systems at Davenport University, Warren, MI
Which key skills are relevant for a senior executive resume?
The skills you include on your resume may depend on your industry and experience. For example, if you’re a chief financial officer, you should include skills related to budget management, forecasting models, and financial planning.
Additionally, make sure you’re tailoring your skills to the specific role. In a job description, an employer usually outlines the skills they want a senior executive to have. Include those same skills to show why you’re a good candidate for the role. These skills can also help your resume pass an applicant tracking system (ATS). (For more information, check out our article on resume ATS optimization.)
Some senior executive skills you may have on your resume include:
Business acumen
Leadership
Customer relationship management
Strategic planning
Policy development
Risk management
Data analysis
How to select the most impactful senior executive resume template
You can find many senior executive resume templates online. Choose one that looks clean and well-organized to highlight your professionalism. Use bullet points to draw a hiring manager’s eye to your core skills and career accomplishments.
While you may have many years of experience, limit your resume to two pages. Your resume should provide enough information for a hiring manager to contact you for an interview, where you can discuss your qualifications in more detail.
If you haven’t updated your resume in a while, check out the templates we have available in our resume builder. You can also get additional ideas and inspiration by reviewing over 100 resume examples we offer.
Copyable senior executive resume example
Summary example
Visionary and industry-vetted executive with progressive and solid strategic leadership experience across multimillion-dollar and global manufacturing operations. Results-oriented and decisive leader, establishing lasting presence in new markets, identifying growth opportunities, and initiating strong business alliances. History of increasing sales and triple bottom-line growth while spearheading operational improvements to drive productivity and reduce costs. Able to lead and inspire diverse teams. Proven success in financial management, program oversight, and project management.
Employment history example
Executive Managing Director at BUSINESS STRATEGIST, Detroit, MI 2019 - Present
Create newly developed business consulting firm’s branding and manage financial growth, tactical planning, risk, and government relationships.
Recruit consultants and collaborate closely with four-member consulting team. Ensure compliance to company's Code of Conduct.
Establish internal controls, supervise administrative staff, and ensure results-producing strategy implementation.
Consult with clients on as-needed basis. Assess problems with attention to client needs, capabilities, and limitations, report processes, and make recommendations.
Penetrated market with 2% attrition rate by effectively managing client engagements.
Identified and presented customized solutions to increase profitability and sustainability factors.
Provided critical business insights and training to client teams as change agent and thought leader.
Chief Financial Officer at WS GLOBAL SERVICES, Flint, MI 2017 - 2019
Led operations and strategic direction with full responsibility for controlling all financials and managing bottom-line factors, including long-range planning, strategic management, and change management.
Delivered cross-functional management to three plant managers and six shared services staff.
Supervised and developed purchasing, AP, AR, and payroll staff and plant controllers.
Increased sales from $20M to $42.7M within three years by developing more responsive and market-driven organization.
Cut operational costs by 23% while substantially improving productivity.
Created sales channels and established strategic alliances in Germany and Great Lakes Region.
Developed and introduced successful new product offerings for domestic market.
Restructured financial operations to return company to profitability following lagging revenue.
Corporate Controller at COASTAL AUTOMOTIVE , Auburn, MI 2017 - 2017
Led financial team in collaborative and proactive environment; instilled an unwavering focus on future annual operating plans.
Supervised all weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting and managed risks through timely and accurate reporting.
Oversaw all cash and treasury management functions, including bank reconciliation, credit card processing, and fund allocation.
Delivered leadership to international project teams to generate proven results across multiple lines of business, geographic borders, time zones, and cultures.
Supported executive leadership processes for defining strategy, planning, and management control to align all decision makers with shared goals.
Played key role in converting to ERP system, from QuickBooks to Plex.
Education example
PhD in Business Anthropology at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
Master of Business Administration in Management at University of Michigan, Flint, MI
Master of Business Administration in Finance at Walsh College, Troy, MI
Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting Information Systems at Davenport University, Warren, MI
Skills example
Operations Management
Strategic Planning
Financial Management
Vendor Relationships
Budget Management
Risk Management
Financial / Business Acumen
P&L Ownership
Product Development
Key takeaways for writing a senior executive resume
On your senior executive resume, emphasize your ability to drive business growth and lead teams toward strategic goals.
Highlight the quantifiable achievements you’ve had in other roles, such as increasing revenue or streamlining operations.
Review the job description and include similar skills on your resume to show an employer you have the right qualifications.
Choose a structured, professional resume template to keep the focus on your extensive leadership experience and industry knowledge.
