DESCRIBING A COMPANY
Giving the history of your company
We were founded / set up / established in 1981.
We merged with X company in 1990.
We set up a subsidiary in the UK.
We floated on the stock exchange last year, and we are now listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Talking about your products and services
We make / produce / manufacture packaging material / car engines.
We supply paper products.
We provide / specialize in internet services.
We launched a new washing powder last month. It has revolutionised the washing process. We
have pioneered new ways of reducing energy costs in domestic appliances.
We are researching new products for the home entertainment industry.
We are developing new software for the internet.
Our R&D department is working closely with our international partners.
Company performance
We are the market leaders in three countries.
We have expanded our operations.
Our company has grown by one-third.
We make / have annual profits of $1 million.
Our turnover is in excess of $2 million.
Company structure
At the head is the President, or CEO.
Below the President is the Managing Director, who has overall responsibility for the day-to-day
running of the company.
The company is divided into different departments, each with its own director. The Marketing and
Sales department consists of the sales team, and customer services. The Administration department
also includes Human Resources.
We employ more than 2000 people worldwide.
Responsibilities
I report to the Marketing Manager.
I deal with customer enquiries.
We work closely with the sales team, who are in charge of customer accounts.
We co-operate with our offices worldwide.
We have more than one branch in some countries.
We are responsible for our own markets.
Company types and structures
Types of company Departments
Here is a simplified list of the different types of The list of departments below is typical for many
legal structures for a business. business – each one corresponds to a business
● Sole trader (BrE)/Sole proprietor (AmE). This function.
is a one person business. The person may Companies also have other departments related to
describe themselves as ‘self-employed’ (eg the their own particular business activity.
owner of a small shop), or as a ‘freelancer’ if they ● Production might also include Purchasing and
are a professional who works for different clients Quality Assurance (QA).
(eg a photographer). ● Operations refers to all the internal processes of a
● Partnership. A group of people who work company and might include, for example, Logistics.
together as equals (eg a firm of lawyers or ● Sales might also include Business Development.
architects). They share the risks and the profits. ● Customer Services might include Technical
● Private company. The shares of the company Support.
are privately owned, usually by a small number of ● Marketing might include Market Research.
people. These shareholders typically include the ● Communications refers to all promotional
founder of the company, possibly some close activities
family members, and perhaps a few business including a strong focus on Public Relations (PR).
associates who provided money for the company. ● Finance has many subdivisions, such as
● Public company (BrE)/Corporation (AmE). Financial Control, Treasury, Accounts and Payroll
These are the large companies that are listed on (= managing salary payments).
stock exchanges. They are called public because ● Human Resources (HR).
anyone can buy their shares. Note: do not confuse ● Information Technology (IT).
a state-owned enterprise with a public company. ● Research and Development (R&D).
● Legal
As well as departments, an international company
may also have divisions organized according to
geographical area or major product lines.
Individuals within the structure
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) runs the company. The level below CEO is Chief … Officer, for
example Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
The CFO is part of the senior management team. The CFO reports to the CEO (= has the CEO as their
boss). The CFO is in charge of (= responsible for) all the financial side of the business.
The next level down might be country level for a large international organization, or departmental level.
A job title here might be Sales Director or Head of Sales or VP (= Vice President) Sales.
The Sales Director for Sweden liaises closely with (= talks to in order to work better with) the Chief
Marketing Officer at Head Office in the States.
Below this are people with job titles like Manager, Officer, Coordinator, etc. The words Assistant or
Deputy may also occur at any level.
I’m the Business Development Officer for Sweden.
My line manager (= person directly above me/person who I report to) is the Sales Director.
The Sales Director delegates (= gives) a lot of the work to me.
We say …
senior people at a higher level
junior people at a lower level
