CEO Portraits and the Authenticity Paradox*

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Abstract
Top executive and CEO portraits represent significant sites for the visual construction of corporate identity and image, but they also highlight what we call the authenticity paradox. At first glance such photographs may appear to convey an impression of the kind of authentic presence many consider crucial for establishing a strong corporate image. But a closer look at the constructed nature of both CEO identity and portrait photography lays bare the elusive nature of authenticity itself, as well as the way that CEO portraits can function also to expose the corporation's chronic lack of authenticity. We explore the authenticity paradox and its implications by means of an analysis of executive portraits taken by one prominent Danish photographer, Per Morten Abrahamsen. We also map out an agenda for the further exploration of CEO portraits and images as an important element in the social and symbolic construction of business leadership.