Roles, responsibility & decision rights · Core
Sponsor
Also called: executive sponsor
ELI5
A senior person who authorises, advocates for and protects an initiative.
Used in conversation
“Can we test the claim about sponsor against employee data and lived experience?”
Pitch context
You will see “Sponsor” in organisation plans, workforce reviews, change programmes and people reports when the discussion reaches roles, responsibility & decision rights.
Why it matters: In roles, responsibility & decision rights, the definition can change who is affected, accountable, protected or entitled to act.
Caution
Employment law and workplace practice vary by jurisdiction and agreement.
Connected terms
- Executive sponsorThe search label “Executive sponsor” can route to both entries.
Sources & evidence · 10
Direct term-level sources and supporting source families.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — BLS GlossaryDirect source · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- OECD — G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance 2023Direct source · institutional · checked 2026-08-16
- U.S. Small Business Administration — Write your business planSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- Y Combinator — YC Startup Library — fundraising and pitching resourcesSupporting source family · practitioner · checked 2026-08-16
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission — Small Business Capital Formation GlossarySupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- Strategyzer — Business Model Canvas resourcesSupporting source family · practitioner · checked 2026-08-16
- Strategyzer — Value Proposition Canvas resourcesSupporting source family · practitioner · checked 2026-08-16
- LEANSTACK — Lean CanvasSupporting source family · practitioner · checked 2026-08-16
- U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division — Herfindahl-Hirschman IndexSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- U.S. Census Bureau — Business and economy dataSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16