CTO
CTO (noun) means Chief technology officer: the senior executive responsible for a company's technology — its engineering teams, technical strategy and the products they build. Example: “She left a bank to become CTO of a payments start-up.”
How to Use CTO
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe person in charge of technology at a company.
Business standard. Pronounced letter by letter and takes 'a' rather than 'an'.
Job titles like this are capitalised before a name (CTO Maria Lopez) and often written out in full on first mention.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
She left a bank to become _____ of a payments start-up.
Etymology
An initialism of chief technology officer.
Synonyms
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a CTO and a CIO?
A CTO usually owns the technology the company sells — the product, the architecture and the engineering roadmap. A CIO owns the technology the company uses internally, such as networks, corporate systems and IT support. In smaller firms one person often covers both.
What is the difference between a CTO and a VP of Engineering?
The CTO sets technical direction and looks outward to architecture, partnerships and long-term strategy. The VP of Engineering runs the organisation day to day — hiring, delivery, process and team health. They are peers, not ranks, in most companies.
Does a CTO still write code?
At an early-stage start-up, usually yes; the CTO may be the most productive engineer on the team. As the company grows the role shifts almost entirely to strategy, architecture review and leadership.