Drawing heavily on first-person accounts from top brass in major corporations, Riding Shotgun provides readers with a thorough introduction to the little understood, yet critical role of the Chief Operating Officer. Updated with even more interviews and shifts over the last decade in view, this book is an invaluable resource for boards, top management teams, and aspiring COOs.

The role of Chief Operating Officer is clearly important. In fact, it's arguable that the number two position is the toughest job in a company. COOs play a critical part in executing the strategies developed by top management. And, in many cases, they are being groomed—or test-driven—as the firm's CEO-elect.

Riding Shotgun provides unique insight into this little-understood role. The authors develop a framework that illustrates who the COO is, why a company should create this position, and what the challenges associated with this job entail. Drawing heavily on first-person accounts from top executives, the authors offer a set of strategies to inform individuals who aspire to serve as COO. With a new preface and conclusion, and even more interviews from some of the most established and important companies in today's economy, this book is a one-of-a-kind resource for the C-suite and the boardroom.