The Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region is the head of government of Macau, a special administrative region of China. The position replaced the office of Governor of Macau, the former head of Macau as an overseas province of Portugal. Under the Basic Law of Macau, the chief executive's role is to:...be the head of the Macau Special Administrative Region and shall represent the Region. The Chief Executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region shall be accountable to the Central People's Government and the Macau Special Administrative Region in accordance with the provisions of this Law.

The governor of Macau was a Portuguese colonial official who headed the colony of Macau, before 1623 called captain-major. The post was replaced on 20 December 1999 upon the transfer of sovereignty over Macau to China by the office of the chief executive of Macau.