In the world of feature film crew job titles, “executive producer” is a catch-all term that represents authority and respect without necessarily denoting any specific film crew jobs or tasks. They often fulfill highly specific film set roles, but the exact nature of their responsibilities can vary dramatically from one executive producer to another.
Some executive producers may have had a direct hand in financing a film, while others may have been awarded the title as additional incentive for some other contribution, like scripting or advising.
In fact, the title is so malleable that some executive producers aren’t involved with production crew duties at all. The simple contribution of their name to a project might be enough to warrant an executive producer credit.