Yes you can run a company without an executive director or CEO. Many small companies do not have these two designations.The model for CEOs serving on the board started in the corporate world. Executive leadership is a highly networked world and many board members earn their positions through existing connections. In a surprise shift, fewer firms are picking CEOs as outside directors. Is it a trend that makes sense? Their job is to manage the daily activities of the corporation. A managing director is below the CEO in a corporate hierarchy. General Electric, Wells Fargo, and Boeing all chose the wrong CEOs for the job, says Bill George, creating big problems for the companies. Even if current proposals for board reform are adopted, the shareholder will still be left in the dark—an untenable position for an owner.