diff --git a/src/main/services/org-governance-service.ts b/src/main/services/org-governance-service.ts
index d065d614..a572ec43 100644
--- a/src/main/services/org-governance-service.ts
+++ b/src/main/services/org-governance-service.ts
@@ -62,6 +62,20 @@ export class OrgGovernanceService {
     return { reviewRequired: input.budgetCents > policy.require_approval_above_cents, departmentName };
   }
 
+  /** c_suite is the CEO's rank and carries company-wide powers: one per company, and no edit grants or removes it. */
+  assertRank(orgId: string, agentId: string | null, nextLevel: string): void {
+    const current = agentId
+      ? (this.db.prepare("select role_level from agents where id = ? and org_id = ?").get(agentId, orgId) as { role_level: string } | undefined)?.role_level ?? null
+      : null;
+    if (current === "c_suite" && nextLevel !== "c_suite") {
+      throw new Error("The CEO's rank carries company-wide powers (hiring officers, granting connectors and skills, closing goals) and cannot be changed by an edit.");
+    }
+    if (nextLevel !== "c_suite" || current === "c_suite") return;
+    if (agentId) throw new Error("The CEO's rank carries company-wide powers and cannot be given by an edit; officers are directors with a title.");
+    const ceo = this.db.prepare("select 1 from agents where org_id = ? and role_level = 'c_suite' and lifecycle in ('active', 'pending_hire')").get(orgId);
+    if (ceo) throw new Error("The company already has its CEO; officers are directors with a title.");
+  }
+
   /** An existing agent moving department or changing budget meets the same limits a hire does. */
   enforceStaffingChange(input: { orgId: string; agentId: string; departmentName: string; budgetCents: number }): void {
     const policy = this.db.prepare("select max_headcount, monthly_budget_limit_cents from hiring_policies where org_id = ? and department_name = ?")
diff --git a/src/main/services/organization-service.ts b/src/main/services/organization-service.ts
index 93d8b461..8bb41525 100644
--- a/src/main/services/organization-service.ts
+++ b/src/main/services/organization-service.ts
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ export class OrganizationService {
   createAgent(input: CreateAgentInput): string {
     assertUsableMentionName(input.name);
     this.assertAgentNameAvailable(input.orgId, input.name, null);
+    this.governance.assertRank(input.orgId, null, input.roleLevel ?? "staff");
     const hiringPolicy = this.governance.enforceHiringPolicy(input);
     const id = createId("agt");
     const now = new Date().toISOString();
@@ -184,6 +185,7 @@ export class OrganizationService {
         .get(input.modelProviderId, input.orgId) as { id: string } | undefined;
       if (!provider) throw new Error("Agent provider was not found.");
     }
+    this.governance.assertRank(input.orgId, input.agentId, input.roleLevel.trim() || "staff");
     const department = this.governance.requireCanonicalDepartment(input.orgId, input.department);
     const budgetCents = Math.max(0, Math.round(input.budgetCents));
     this.governance.enforceStaffingChange({ orgId: input.orgId, agentId: input.agentId, departmentName: department, budgetCents });
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/i18n/zh.ts b/src/renderer/src/i18n/zh.ts
index c1e21bfb..36e8b4a4 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/i18n/zh.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/i18n/zh.ts
@@ -391,6 +391,7 @@ export const zh: Record<string, string> = {
   "Changed since approval": "批准后已改动",
   "Removed since approval": "批准后已删除",
   "Goal audit": "目标审查",
+  "CEO: hires officers, grants connectors and skills, and closes goals. This rank cannot be changed.": "CEO：招聘高管、授予连接器和技能、关闭目标。此职级不可更改。",
   "An independent model checks every goal before it closes. Pick one your agents do not use, ideally from another provider.": "每个目标关闭前都由一个独立模型检查。请选择 Agent 不使用的模型，最好来自另一家服务商。",
   "No auditor is set, so goals cannot be closed yet.": "尚未设置审查模型，目标暂时无法关闭。",
   "Choose a provider": "选择服务商",
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/pages/TeamPage.tsx b/src/renderer/src/pages/TeamPage.tsx
index 382ef095..8515ea81 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/pages/TeamPage.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/pages/TeamPage.tsx
@@ -162,7 +162,6 @@ export function TeamPage({ snapshot, actions }: PageProps) {
             <option value="staff">{t("Staff")}</option>
             <option value="lead">{t("Lead")}</option>
             <option value="director">{t("Director")}</option>
-            <option value="c_suite">{t("Executive")}</option>
           </select>
         </Field>
       </Dialog>
@@ -185,12 +184,19 @@ export function TeamPage({ snapshot, actions }: PageProps) {
             <input className="input" name="modelId" defaultValue={editingAgent.modelId ?? ""} list="agent-model-suggestions" />
           </Field>
           <Field label={t("Seniority")}>
-            <select className="input" name="roleLevel" defaultValue={editingAgent.roleLevel}>
-              <option value="staff">{t("Staff")}</option>
-              <option value="lead">{t("Lead")}</option>
-              <option value="director">{t("Director")}</option>
-              <option value="c_suite">{t("Executive")}</option>
-            </select>
+            {/* The CEO's rank carries company-wide powers, so it is shown, never picked. */}
+            {editingAgent.roleLevel === "c_suite" ? (
+              <>
+                <input type="hidden" name="roleLevel" value="c_suite" />
+                <div style={{ fontSize: 13, color: "var(--text-2)" }}>{t("CEO: hires officers, grants connectors and skills, and closes goals. This rank cannot be changed.")}</div>
+              </>
+            ) : (
+              <select className="input" name="roleLevel" defaultValue={editingAgent.roleLevel}>
+                <option value="staff">{t("Staff")}</option>
+                <option value="lead">{t("Lead")}</option>
+                <option value="director">{t("Director")}</option>
+              </select>
+            )}
           </Field>
         </Dialog>
       )}
diff --git a/tests/unit/staffing-limits.test.ts b/tests/unit/staffing-limits.test.ts
index daea6ab6..977a3c17 100644
--- a/tests/unit/staffing-limits.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/staffing-limits.test.ts
@@ -37,4 +37,30 @@ describe("staffing limits on edits", () => {
     expect(() => edit("Design", 1000)).toThrow("Design is at its headcount limit (1).");
     connection.close();
   });
+
+  test("the CEO's rank is one per company and no edit grants or removes it", () => {
+    const connection = new DatabaseConnection(join(tmpdir(), `ac-rank-${randomUUID()}.db`));
+    const organization = new OrganizationService(connection.db);
+    let orgId = "";
+    connection.transaction(() => {
+      orgId = organization.createOrganization({ organizationName: "Acme", employeeName: "Dana", mission: "m", goal: "g" });
+    });
+    const hire = (name: string, roleLevel: string) => organization.createAgent({
+      orgId, name, role: name, department: "Executive", modelProviderId: null, modelId: null, budgetCents: 1000, managerAgentId: null, roleLevel,
+    });
+    const ceo = hire("Chief", "c_suite");
+    expect(() => hire("Rival", "c_suite")).toThrow("The company already has its CEO; officers are directors with a title.");
+    const cto = hire("Cora", "director");
+    const edit = (agentId: string, roleLevel: string) => organization.updateAgent({
+      orgId, agentId, role: "Exec", title: "Exec", roleLevel, department: "Executive", budgetCents: 1000, modelProviderId: null, modelId: null,
+    });
+    expect(() => edit(cto, "c_suite")).toThrow("The CEO's rank carries company-wide powers and cannot be given by an edit; officers are directors with a title.");
+    expect(() => edit(ceo, "director")).toThrow("The CEO's rank carries company-wide powers (hiring officers, granting connectors and skills, closing goals) and cannot be changed by an edit.");
+    edit(ceo, "c_suite");
+    edit(cto, "lead");
+    expect(connection.db.prepare("select name, role_level from agents where org_id = ? order by name").all(orgId)).toEqual([
+      { name: "Chief", role_level: "c_suite" }, { name: "Cora", role_level: "lead" },
+    ]);
+    connection.close();
+  });
 });