If a CEO is the head of the company, then chief technology officers (CTOs) are the spine, as they’re the technical backbone that connects and supports all of an organization’s parts.
As we navigate new paradigms of generative AI and businesses operations are rapidly evolving according to technological shifts, CTOs with a mind for innovation are becoming increasingly crucial.
For example, according to entrepreneur Justin Grossbard even today “AI algorithms can predict potential market risks by analyzing investment portfolios and identifying potential vulnerabilities”.
In this day and age, where over 90% of companies are undergoing some form of digital transformation, having the right expertise at the helm to oversee technology strategies and operations is non-negotiable.
Let’s take a look at the top 15 CTOs to keep a pulse on this year.
Allan Oloo
As Co-Founder and CTO at Ribbon, a company on a mission to help ease the already painful grieving process by transforming customers’ experiences with wealth transfers, for the better.
Allan is a leading force in developing the first inheritance platform for credit unions and empowering financial institutions to retain customers who are navigating the complexities of the great wealth transfer.
As a testament to Allan and his team’s hard work in the industry, Ribbon was recently named 2024 Finktank’s champion and winner of the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates 2024 VISION Conference.
Aamir Shaikh
Aamir is applying his expertise in machine learning to ensure that hostAI makes its mark in hospitality by connecting customers directly with property owners.
Online travel agencies (OTA), like AirBnB and Booking.com, have dominated the travel industry for over a decade, taking up to 30% in commissions and resulting in bloated fees.
Aamir and his team at hostAI are changing that by cutting OTAs from the equation with their cutting-edge AI-powered subscription platform that independent hospitality brands can access to go to market directly. Through this approach, they’re also helping travelers save up to 15% in bookings while achieving a 71% surge in direct bookings for their clients.
Farnaz Azmoodeh
Farnaz is the CTO of Linktree, one of social media’s most innovative companies whose recent milestone of 50 million users highlights its prowess. She’s leading the company’s endeavors to pioneer features alongside social media’s rapid evolution.
Prior to that, Farnaz was the VP of Engineering at Snapchat and an engineering manager at Google, where she was part of the team that built the very first machine learning stack that monetized all websites running Google Ads.
With over 15 years of experience in AdTech, infrastructure and platform engineering, and product engineering, Farnaz is a trailblazer who’s propelling scalability and growth for leading companies.
Nejat Aksoy
Nejat Aksoy is the Co-Founder and CTO of Tripnly, an ‘all-in-one’ travel platform that empowers travelers to leverage any kind of digital solution before, during, and after to make every trip carbon-neutral by 2030.
In addition to successfully founding three software development companies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Turkey, Nejat built and led software development teams of thousands of individuals in multinational companies.
Nejat’s 35 years of extensive experience spanning system architecture, web, and mobile-based development, and AI systems means he’s playing a crucial role in shaping Tripnly’s vision to make every trip more accessible, sustainable, and seamless for travelers and Tripnly’s B2B partners worldwide.
Kishore R.
With over two decades of experience in software engineering, Kishore is the CTO and Co-Founder of ProHance, a productivity and analytics provider for the workforce.
Kishore’s leading the continuous innovation of ProHance’s engines, which are powering productivity for over 370,000 users in 25 countries. To underline Kishore and his team’s prowess in fuelling business outcomes, ProHance was named the runner-up in the 2024 North American SSON Impact Awards.
His expertise spans multiple industries, such as retail, healthcare, and consulting, and he’s transforming business outcomes for organizations around the world.
David Khripunov
David’s journey in tech began in 2005 when he entered university and quickly excelled in computer science. After securing a role at a major oil company and rising to technical director, he transitioned to web development, eventually leading a government project focused on big data and security.
In his current role as CTO at Dosty, the all-in-one app that helps pet owners navigate ongoing and emergency care, David is refining how AI can help both humans and animals. With over 50% of European households owning a pet and 40% of pet parents struggling to keep up with their furry friends’ needs, platforms like Dosty are all the more vital.
Today, the proprietary AI considers 40 different data points (such as breed, diet, and health history) to offer expert insights tailored to each pet’s unique profile. It features symptom checkers, daily routine tools, health trackers, and more.
Mladen Pećanac
Mladen is driving innovation in product development so OpenFI can drive efficiency and results in human-to-organization interactions via automated conversations.
With a master’s degree in software engineering, Mladen is an experienced technology leader who is well-versed in software development and working with cutting-edge technologies. He’s ensuring teams at OpenFI have the best technical infrastructure in place to power seamless AI-powered customer experiences for their portfolio of clients.
At OpenFI, Mladen is pioneering AI innovations for businesses looking to turn around lead-generation initiatives, get up to 32% more inquiries, and nurture client relationships.
Elaine Zhou
Elaine comes with an impressive range of experience: she’s the ex-CTO of Change.org, the world’s largest non-profit platform, and an expert in leading and advising organizations in their strategies.
An alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley, Elaine’s experience in technology and software engineering spans more than two decades. She’s currently the co-CEO and CTO of SageCXO, providing hands-on advice and key product, marketing, and engineering actions to high-growth companies.
Ali Axghili
We could all learn more about security protocols, and Ali Aghili, CTO and Co-Founder of ManagedMethods, is helping K-12 schools manage data security risks and student safety signals in the cloud.
Horrifyingly, cyberattacks are on the rise, and last year was the worst yet for ransomware attacks on schools, jumping by 70%.
With over two decades of leadership experience, Ali is ensuring cybersecurity and safety are made easy for schools. ManagedMethods is an award-winning platform that utilizes AI and machine learning to take a proactive approach to security threats.
Alejandro Perez
Alejandro is the CTO of Fracttal, a Colombian-based maintenance management firm. Fracttal’s 100 cloud-based comprehensive platform allows companies to take full control of their asset management with ease.
Crucially, Alejandro is pioneering enterprise management for the greater good, not only enabling businesses to streamline their operations but also helping them reduce their carbon footprint—making a more sustainable future in the LatAm region.
Jacob Evans
Kryterion is a leading provider helping organizations and educational institutions develop and deliver exams. Their recently appointed CTO, Jacob Evans, comes with over two decades of experience in software development.
Since joining Kryterion, Jacob has doubled the engineering team and tripled its productivity, proving his instrumental role in unlocking new levels of success for the company.
As well as being a technologist, Jacob is also the co-host of a Leader Fables, a podcast made by leaders for leaders specifically aiming to guide middle managers on maximizing their success in leadership.
Mike Hoey
As CTO of PurpleLab, Mike is enabling healthcare providers to access precise insights from billions of data points to drive decision-making. Self-described as ‘your new best friend in healthcare analytics’, PurpleLab is a no-code healthtech platform on a mission to help providers interpret data via their HealthNexus™ solution.
Additionally, Mike is also the Co-Founder and Owner of Source Meridian, helping the largest global healthcare companies create innovative tech solutions to expand their businesses.
A force to be reckoned with, Mike comes with over three decades of experience in leading technology strategies for healthcare.
Razi Shoshani
Razi is the long-standing CTO of SQream, helping companies cut down data processing times from days to hours and hours to minutes. Through their platform, SQream is enabling clients to accelerate analytics, machine learning, and AI at scale. In fact, their latest benchmark includes hitting speeds akin to reading 25,000 Oxford dictionaries in under an hour.
Razi has over 25 years of R&D experience in advising and leading technical strategies for organizations looking to enhance IT infrastructures, advanced applications and more, while refining their vision and strategy.
Catherine Michel
Catherine is the CTO of Halma PLC, a global group of life-saving technologies that span the environmental, medical, and safety industries. As the CTO, Catherine is leading the digitalization of the group’s products and business operations.
Before joining Halma, Catherine was the Co-Founder and CTO of Tribold, a telecoms software company that was later acquired by Sigma Systems, after which she stayed on as Chief Strategy Officer and CTO.
Alongside this, Catherine is a member of multiple advisory boards for telecoms and technology companies.
Tina Kung
Tina is the Co-Founder and CTO of Nue, a quote-to-cash revenue operations platform, empowering businesses in their go-to-market motions.
She heads up Nue’s product and engineering teams, with expertise in configure, price, and quote (CPQ) software. Prior to that, Tina was the former VP of Products and Engineering at Neocrm, the largest CRM in China. Her 20 years of experience also includes leadership roles at Salesforce CPQ, Zuora, and Oracle CPQ.
This article includes a client of an Espacio portfolio company.
