Name Game

President. Chief Executive Officer. Chief Financial Officer. Boring.

The same old job titles have run their course. Sure, they may describe what you do, but what about executives like Pat Meade at Cleveland marketing and advertising firm Creative Works Inc.? Her job title is “imagineer.”

Or Joel Libava of Beachwood’s Franchise Selection Specialists, his title is “life-changer.” James Cossler is not just the director of the Youngstown Business Incubator, he’s the “chief evangelist.” Westlake’s Hyland Software calls its company’s event planner the “minister of culture.”

The business card of Rocky Crossland, CEO of Independence-based cell phone company Revol, says he is the “Big Kahuna.” Sebastian DeSantis of Cleveland marketing firm, Razor Ltd. LLC, isn’t only the company’s creative director, he’s the “offensive coordinator.”

“It’s a great way to communicate to the employees and to the potential individual who was given this title as to the key focus of their job and how it supports the company’s goals,” says Tom Tomasula Jr., senior consultant and trainer at the Employers Resource Council, a Mayfield Village, human resources services firm. “It’s also a great way for a company to communicate that we’re a different kind of company and we’re not going to be the status quo.”

A favorite title of the editors at Inside Business comes from the city of Cleveland’s Michael DeAloia, who was proclaimed to be the city’s “tech czar” after a Mayoral election discussion in 2000 with a newspaper reporter.

“I totally dig it,” DeAloia says. “It’s a cool title that everybody appreciates and can understand what it means. It’s not regal or noble in any way, but I think everyone likes it.”

So, what will your new title be?