In Praise of the Generalist (CEO)

Yes, you can become a CEO if you come out of a specialized field such as marketing or finance, but you probably won't earn as much money as a generalist CEO whose specialty is being a manager. The annual pay premium for generalist CEOs (those who have held a number of positions in a range of companies in varied industries) is 19% relative to chief executives who have had relatively few jobs in a limited range of companies and sectors, according to a team led by Cláudia Custódio of Arizona State University. That amounts to nearly $1 million in extra compensation per year, the researchers say.