Chief technical officer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A chief technical officer or chief technology officer (abbreviated as CTO) is a business executive position whose holder is focused on technical issues in a company. It emerged in the United States in the 1980s as a business-focused extension of the position of Director of R&D.
During the dot-com and computer boom of the 1990s, many companies used the CTO title for their main technical person. The MIS and IT community often use the title CTO as either synonymous with Chief Information Officer, or as a subordinate to the CIO who is more versed in the technical intricacies. The role of the CTO varies between companies and industries, but usually relates to technology. The roles include:
- Short term technology direction (tactical)
- Business-focused oversight of R&D
- Software used in the corporation
[edit] References
- Roger D. Smith, "The Chief Technology Officer: Strategic Responsibilities and Relationships", Research Technology Management, July-August, 2003.
- Roger D. Smith, "Maximizing the CTO's Contribution to Innovation and Growth", CTOnet.org.
