Responsibilities of the head of the entity

In simple terms, the head of an entity is the organisation’s main decision-maker. This is generally the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), but they may be known by another term.

The Act defines the head of an entity as:

• for public sector organisations: the Chief Executive
• for Queensland police: the Police Commissioner
• if the head of your organisation is set by regulation: the person or role named in that regulation
• for religious groups or places of worship: the principal leader
• for all other organisations:
  • the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (or equivalent position), or
  • if there is no CEO, the principal officer.

If none of these roles exist for your organisation, you need to nominate a suitable person when you lodge an initial report.

Organisations are responsible for determining who their head of the entity is and this is provided to us as part of the initial report when reportable conduct matters are notified to us.

Some organisations have more complex structures – for example, boards, religious groups, multiple companies, and volunteer-based organisations. In these cases, it may not be obvious who the head of the entity is.

If this happens, the organisation needs to nominate a suitable person to fill this role.

In choosing someone to act as head of the entity, organisations should:

1. Look at their governance structure and leadership roles to identify the most senior position
2. Get internal advice if needed (for example, legal or governance advice)
3. Nominate a suitable person that is responsible for making decisions about the organisations
4. In reports to us, explain why that person is suitable.