An executive isn't the same as a manager, but decide what the business shall do (and then do it/execute it; usually this means hiring people though). They are a

An executive isn't the same as a manager, but decide what the business shall do (and then do it/execute it; usually this means hiring people though). They are accountable only to the owners of the business and legislation (and maybe only the latter if they are also the owner). An executive doesn't have to be a manager, for example the programming CTO who has no employees and writes all the code themselves. A manager can also be an executive, for example the CEO who manages their direct reports. A manager might not be an executive, for example, if their boss is another manager