One of the biggest misconceptions I see in hiring is that a Vice President role is simply the next step after Director. I’m here to tell you, it’s not.

The VP role should be viewed as a transitional seat. It’s where you move from running a function to understanding how to run a business. It’s the bridge between Director and COO, and if you don’t approach it that way, you won’t position yourself correctly for the C-suite position that could be yours in a few years’ time.

Let me explain further.

The VP role is a proving ground, not a promotion

First, let’s be clear: 

Directors are responsible for performance within a defined scope.

COOs are responsible for the performance of the entire business.

The VP? They sit in between.

At this level, you’ll need to prove you can think like a COO before you are one. That means shifting from focusing on your department and becoming more aware of the full ecosystem of the company and the hospitality industry as a whole. It’s time to understand how the entire business operates and where it is exposed.

As a VP, you’ll no longer be accountable for results alone. You’ll also be held responsible for how your decisions impact business, and for how they build or break components of the company’s top and bottom line. 

Moving from execution to perspective

To get to VP from Director, you’ll also need to move beyond proving that you can improve labor costs or oversee multiple units. You also need to show that you’re capable of thinking big and connecting dots from one business unit to another. 

In short, execution gets you to Director… and perspective gets you to VP.

To move to VP, you’ll need to use your unique perspective to take risks or make strong recommendations. From there, be ready to share: 

• What did you see that others didn’t?

• Where did you influence the direction of the business?

• How did your decisions change the trajectory?

VPs are expected to quickly diagnose where money is being lost, where systems will fail at scale, and where leadership gaps exist. If you’re not speaking to that, you’re still being positioned as an executor.

Step out of your function and into the business

Hospitality creates strong functional leaders, which works at the Director level. An accounting director can run the tightest ship and be enormously valuable within their role, and still not make sense for a VP promotion.

Why? At the VP level and above, your role is no longer to be the best department-level manager. Your job is to balance the business — to work with other leaders to find creative, cross-functional solutions to the company’s most pressing and costly problems.

That means understanding how decisions across operations, finance, marketing, and people impact one another. If your experience is still framed within a single lane, you’re not yet showing up as a business leader.

Readiness is observed, not given

One last thing to note: No one appoints someone as a Vice President with the hope that they can grow into it. They promote the person already operating at that level.

That doesn’t come from title or scope alone. It comes from how you show up:

• Bringing solutions, not just problems

• Thinking beyond your immediate function

• Acting as a partner to ownership or the COO

If you’re not getting that exposure, you need to create it or move to a place that will. Ask to take on more responsibility, ask to be included in the meetings where the big picture is being discussed and the consequential decisions are being made. 

The real shift

Moving from Director to VP is one shift and moving from VP to COO is another. But in reality, they start at the same time. 

If you’re ready to start making your move, speak with us today about what steps you can take to land your first executive-level role. We can help you identify the gaps in your resume and experience, and the mindset shifts you’ll need to be considered for a Vice President position. 

Reach out today to talk with our recruiters.