Chairman (also, chair and chairperson) is a term used to describe the highest office in an assembly such as a committee, commission, or board. The term is also used to describe the holder of the office.
The duties of a chairman are to preside over the assembly and to conduct its business in an appropriate fashion. When the assembly is not in session, the chairman often acts informally as its head, its representative to the outside world, or its spokesperson.
Most FTSE 100 companies in the UK have a chairman, as do the boards of most Fortune 500 companies in the USA.
