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Home / Glossary / CTO
Glossary · Management

CTO

Chief Technology Officer

In plain language

The senior executive who decides which technology a company builds on and how it is used.

The metaphor

Like the head engineer on a shop floor who chooses the machines and how they are laid out.

Going deeper

How it works

  • Chooses the main systems, tools and vendors.
  • Sets technical direction and long-term plans.
  • In a software company, leads the product's engineering.
  • Small businesses often share the role between an owner and an outside advisor.

How WILDCARD handles it

vCIO gives a small business fractional technology leadership without a full-time salary.

In practice
  • A startup's CTO picks the cloud platform for its product.
  • An owner asks an advisor to review whether to move to a new phone system.
  • A company reviews its technology plans once a year with an outside lead.

A question owners ask

What is the difference between a CTO and a CIO?

A CTO usually focuses on the technology a company sells or builds. A CIO focuses on the systems the company runs internally.

Where WILDCARD handles this
✨
vCIO
  • Fractional CIO on retainer
  • Moonlight, Sunlight, Starlight tiers
  • Credits for single outputs
Start with vCIO
Related terms
AIArtificial IntelligenceALEAnnualized Loss ExpectancyAROAnnualized Rate of OccurrenceAUPAcceptable Use PolicyBCPBusiness Continuity PlanningBIABusiness Impact AnalysisCARCorrective Action ReportCIOChief Information Officer

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