Subsidiary Management

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As a Creator founder, growing your company means stepping out of thinking of just a manager of your own content into the role of entrepreneur. Your name becomes a hub for multiple businesses: a merchandise line, a production studio, maybe even a tech startup. These aren’t just side projects; they’re subsidiaries—independent companies that need to run smoothly without you micromanaging every detail. To scale effectively, you need strong executive teams running these ventures.

But building an executive team as a creator is different from doing so as a traditional founder. Your subsidiaries aren’t ordinary startups; they’re deeply tied to your brand and audience. The people you hire must understand that dynamic, or they’ll end up working against the very thing that makes these businesses valuable.

The challenge is finding executives who bring the necessary expertise while staying aligned with your vision. It’s a delicate balance, but one that creators who aim to scale must master.

Types of executive teams

Holding Company Executive Team

The holding company’s executives focus on the broader strategy, portfolio oversight, and resource allocation across all subsidiaries. They are not involved in the day-to-day operations of individual businesses but instead set the vision and manage high-level priorities.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

• CEO: Establishes the overarching mission and vision for the holding company, allocates resources, and ensures alignment across subsidiaries.
• CFO: Manages financial health at the portfolio level, including capital allocation, budgeting, and reporting for all subsidiaries.
• COO: Oversees operational standards and ensures that subsidiaries meet the holding company’s strategic objectives.
• CMO/Brand Officer: Shapes the overarching brand identity, ensuring consistency while allowing subsidiaries to maintain unique brands.
• General Counsel: Manages legal risks and ensures compliance across all subsidiaries.

Subsidiary Executive Team:

The subsidiary's executives are laser-focused on running the day-to-day operations of their individual business. They translate the broader holding company strategy into actionable plans and execute them at the subsidiary level.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

• CEO/General Manager: Drives the subsidiary’s specific vision, sets operational goals, and ensures general growth or profitability.
• CFO: Handles the subsidiary’s financial operations, including P&L management, budgeting, and financial reporting to the holding company.
• COO: Manages operations, supply chains, and internal processes to ensure efficiency and scalability.
• CMO: Focuses on marketing and audience growth, tailoring strategies to the subsidiary’s unique target market.
• Product or Sales Lead: Directly responsible for driving revenue and managing the subsidiary’s core offerings.

Why executive teams matter

Most creators hit a point where they realize they can’t do everything. Negotiating brand deals, managing logistics, and brainstorming creative ideas simultaneously is unsustainable. Without help, growth stalls.

Hiring an executive team lets you delegate without losing control. These aren’t assistants or outsourced agencies—they’re leaders who can drive the business forward while you focus on your strengths. Done right, they allow you to expand your empire without compromising your brand. The point, or mission, comes first.

Hiring like a startup

Before hiring anyone, you need to articulate the mission and vision of your subsidiary. This isn’t just corporate jargon—it’s the foundation for every decision your team will make.

Start by asking yourself:

• What’s the purpose of this business?
• How does it serve your audience and strengthen your overall brand?
• What principles do you want the team to follow?

The clearer you are about the mission, the easier it will be to find executives who align with it. Without this clarity, you risk hiring people who prioritize their own vision over yours.

Here’s the most important thing to remember:

In your first year of creating content, you probably do not need a “C__” anything. Hire a “Head of…” anything. Most C-Level hires imply equity and it’s important to be very sure of who you’re hiring and for what function you’re hiring for before you give out that level of equity, or even power within the company you’ve spent time building.

Types of Exec Hires

Every business needs leadership, but not all leadership looks the same. Start by identifying the core roles your subsidiary needs. Here are a few common ones:

1. CEO: If you’re not running the day-to-day operations yourself, this person will. They should be capable of translating your vision into a strategy and executing it.
2. COO: For businesses with a lot of moving parts, like merchandise lines or production companies, you’ll need someone to manage operations efficiently.
3. CMO: If the business relies heavily on audience engagement or branding, this role is critical. They’ll handle marketing, audience insights, and growing the venture’s visibility.
4. CFO: As the business scales, someone needs to manage finances, budgets, and long-term sustainability.
5. CTO: If the subsidiary has a technical component (like an app or platform), you’ll need someone to lead that effort.

Hiring like a Creator

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On this page

• Subsidiary Management
• Types of executive teams
• Holding Company Executive Team
• Subsidiary Executive Team:
• Why executive teams matter
• Hiring like a startup
• Types of Exec Hires
• Hiring like a Creator