Re:So who was the more pragmatic CSO?... (Score 1)

CxO is a designation and a functional description. Many organizations choose not to designate a person as such, but still has some person or persons who perform the functions. In some states and countries, as well as for certain designations, the designee assumes certain legal responsibilities and can be held accountable as an [Official] representative of the organization, irrespective of any title the designee may hold. For example, in many orgs, the [senior] vp of finance is also the CFO, but in some the treasurer is. In one org I know of, the title of the COO was 'general manager'; in another it was 'head of plant'. In another, the Facilities Security Officer was the Director (not board level) of Special Projects. The FSO had responsibilities vis a vis DoD, DISCO, DoE and other government agencies, orthogonally to his internal chain of command.