Over a year ago, GitLab put a job post out for a Senior Executive Content Communications Manager (CEO), which involved ownership of the current CEO content program (including elements of publicity, guest posts, speaking topics and decks, social media, category creation, etc.) and developing and executing a content plan for the next three years. 

Similarly, Flagship Pioneering put out a post for Executive Writer, Office of the CEO, which involves shaping and leading the implementation of a CEO positioning strategy (internal and external communications, project management, alignment with overall corporate priorities and strategies, editorial planning, researching on behalf of the CEO, etc.). 

More recently, Patreon put a job post out for Content Strategist, Office of the CEO, which also seems to involve managing a CEO content program (including ghostwriting or co-writing internal and external communications, planning and coordinating events, assisting during meetings, etc.).

These posts, and the trend of CEOs hiring Twitter ghostwriters, are all early signals of what’s to come. Business leaders care about writing and editing, not just to produce marketing results, but to inform and communicate critical business planning and decisions. 

A mature version of this practice looks like John Stackhouse’s role, who works in an advisory role as the SVP in the Office of the CEO at RBC.