A Chief Product Officer or CPO is usually a graduate of a major business or engineering school. He or she holds a five-year degree in marketing or management. To be a Chief Product Officer, you need business knowledge and at least 5 years of significant experience in product management as a Product Manager. 

A CPO is the highest product representative in a company. Thus, after a few years and with convincing results, he can evolve to a position of higher responsibilities such as General Manager.

The Chief Product Officer or CPO is a key position for the economic growth of a company. He is the first person in charge of the Product Department. He is therefore responsible for the definition and organization of the entire product strategy, from the product vision through its design, development, marketing and even distribution, manufacturing and evolution. Thus, a CPO must ensure that the Product meets the needs of the customers. However, all its actions must refer to the business strategy of the company.

A Chief Product Officer also has the role of managing and consolidating the product team, in particular to increase its competence.

A good Chief Product Officer has a strong knowledge of his sector. He keeps abreast of all the latest innovations and developments in his field through competitive intelligence. He also has a good knowledge of the business challenges of a product and his company.

A Chief Product Officer has a great capacity for conviction and a keen sense of relationships. He is endowed with an analytical, managerial and pedagogical mind, with knowledge of agile methods.

A CPO must be autonomous, rigorous and organized. Delegating part of his work to focus on the details is child's play for him. He is able to anticipate, to show perseverance and reactivity. Passionate about his product, he knows how to meet the requirements of his customers.

The Chief Product Officer is first and foremost a member of the Management Committee of the company where he works. He contributes to the challenges and the business strategy.

His first mission is to represent the company's Product and the strategy that goes with it, and to contribute to its innovation. In addition, he ensures the increase of customer satisfaction by defining their expectations and setting strategic objectives with a minimum horizon of three years, for example.

In addition, a Chief Product Officer maintains relations with the company's other subsidiaries and external partners. He or she is in charge of managing partnerships, acquisitions or negotiations with third parties.