From Board to Balance Sheet: CEO Characteristics Driving Working Capital Success–Evidence from Manufacturing Companies Listed in NSE India

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the association between CEO Characteristics and Working Capital Management of manufacturing companies listed in NSE-India. Furthermore, it also tries to determine which attributes of CEO most substantially affect the Working Capital Management measured by Cash Conversion Cycle Design/Methodology/Approach: The research is primarily based on secondary data gathered from annual reports as well as financial databases of 120 NSE-listed manufacturing companies during a nine-year period (2015–2023). A panel data regression model with descriptive statistics, correlation, as well as multicollinearity diagnostics was used to investigate the influence of CEO attributes such as age, gender, tenure, education, and financial competence. Findings: More aggressive and effective WCM policies are linked to younger, financially educated, along with longer-tenured CEOs. While prior financial experience favorably affected WCM and CEO gender had no significant impact. Originality/Value: The study offers a novel contribution by exploring the impact of CEO characteristics on Working Capital Management of manufacturing companies in India. The results offer practical recommendations for board, investors, regulators and policy makers