Legal Definitions - designee

A designee is an individual who has been formally chosen or appointed by another person or entity to fulfill a particular responsibility, perform a specific task, or act on their behalf. This appointment grants the designee the authority to carry out the assigned duty or role.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of a designee:

• Imagine a person creating an advance directive for healthcare. They might name their sibling as their healthcare designee. This means if they become unable to make medical decisions for themselves, their sibling is the designated person legally authorized to make those choices on their behalf, following their wishes as outlined in the directive.

• In a corporate setting, a CEO might be invited to speak at an important industry conference but has a scheduling conflict. The CEO could then designate the Vice President of Marketing to attend the conference and deliver the presentation in their place. The Vice President, as the designee, now has the authority to represent the company and the CEO at that specific event.

• When opening a retirement account or purchasing a life insurance policy, the account holder or policyholder must name a beneficiary designee. This is the person or people who will receive the funds or benefits from the account or policy upon the original holder's death. The designation ensures that the chosen individual legally inherits the assets as intended.