The chief technology officer (CTO) is the executive responsible for managing technology within an organisation; that can include everything from creating a technology strategy though to cybersecurity and onto product development. They need to understand broad technology trends and be able to align innovation with business goals.
What skills do CTOs have?
Salary research specialist PayScale says popular skills for CTOs include expertise in software architecture, leadership, IT management, product development, and project management. However, CTOs are increasingly prized for their knowledge of pioneering areas of technology, such as digital products, technical vision and research and development (R&D).
What does a CTO do?
Gartner says the CTO has overall responsibility for managing the physical and personnel technology infrastructure, including deployment, integration, systems management, and the development of technical operations personnel. CTOs also manage vendor relations to ensure that service expectations are delivered.
In a sign of the increased expectations of top-class CTOs, the analyst says the role is moving beyond infrastructure management and towards driving technology innovation and leading digital product development. The analyst says CTOs should be looking to evolve their responsibilities in response to the business' demands for digital transformation.
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