Chair (officer)

"Chairman of the Board" redirects here. For other uses, see Chairman of the Board (disambiguation).
Agustín Vásquez Gómez, ambassador of the Republic of El Salvador, chairing the OPCW's Fourth Review Conference, November 2018

The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the group or organisation, presides over meetings of the group, and is required to conduct the group's business in an orderly fashion.[1]

In some organizations, the chair is also known as president (or other title).[2][3] In others, where a board appoints a president (or other title), the two terms are used for distinct positions. The term chairman may be used in a neutral manner, not directly implying the gender of the holder. In meetings or conferences, to "chair" something (chairing) means to lead the event.[4]

  1. ^ Robert, Henry M.; et al. (2011). Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo Press. p. 22. ISBN 978-0-306-82020-5.
  2. ^ Robert 2011, p. 448
  3. ^ Sturgis, Alice (2001). The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure (Fourth ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 163. ISBN 978-0-07-136513-0.
  4. ^ "Chairing". Cambridge Dictionary (Online ed.). Retrieved 22 January 2024.