secretary-general
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secretary-general
The female person who holds the highest administrative position in a large organization such as a political party, a trade union, or an international institution. She heads the general secretariat and is responsible for ongoing business.
Die Generalsekretärin der Partei gab eine Pressekonferenz zu den Wahlergebnissen.
The party's secretary-general gave a press conference on the election results.
The word is composed of three parts: 'General', 'Sekretär' (secretary), and the feminine ending '-in'. The prefix 'General-' here means 'chief' or 'highest' and refers to the highest position of this kind.
Sie wurde zur neuen Generalsekretärin der Vereinten Nationen ernannt.
She was appointed the new secretary-general of the United Nations.
The title is almost always connected to the relevant organization in the genitive or with 'von' + dative. This makes it clear which organization the person leads.
Die Generalsekretärin der CDU äußerte sich zur aktuellen Debatte.
The secretary-general of the CDU commented on the current debate.
This term belongs to formal language and is mainly used in the context of politics, large associations, and international organizations.
In ihrer Antrittsrede skizzierte die Generalsekretärin ihre Ziele für die nächsten Jahre.
In her inaugural speech, the secretary-general outlined her goals for the next few years.
managing director
Both Geschäftsführerin and Generalsekretärin can refer to a woman who runs an organization’s ongoing operations. Geschäftsführerin is the appropriate term for the operational management of a company or organization, while Generalsekretärin is an official title for the highest administrative position in certain large organizations.
Die Generalsekretärin leitet das Generalsekretariat der internationalen Organisation.
The secretary-general heads the international organization’s general secretariat.
Die Geschäftsführerin leitet das operative Geschäft des Unternehmens.
The managing director runs the company’s day-to-day operations.
