Organizations at any time will have a number of technology projects that are ongoing. This will often involve a large number of technical staff, significant budgets and will affect the organizations future direction and strategy. The Chief Technology Officer (also sometimes called Chief Technical Officer manages these projects and the technology department of the organization. A Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is both an Internal and external figurehead for the organization. The CTO’s role is as guarantor of the availability of robust and reliable technical platforms. The CTO shapes software development, forges links inside and outside of the organization. The CTO brings clarity and common sense to challenging technical issues. In this guide, we provide information and guidance on how to become a Chief Technology Officer.

There are a number of different but related career paths for Chief Technology Officers, such as Information Systems Manager, IT Director, and IT Manager.

Salary expectations The following indicators reflect salary expectations for Chief Technology Officers:

1. According to an ongoing salary survey by Indeed, a Chief Technology Officer earns about $139,000 http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=CTO+Chief+Technology+Officer&l1=
2. According to a salary survey for Payscale, the Chief Technology Officerrole earned http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Chief_Technology_Officer_(CTO)/Salary:
   1. With 5 – 9 year experience, between $79,000 and $144,000
   2. With 10 – 19 years experience, between $102,000 and $168,000

This guide is split into three steps, which should provide you with all the answers you need on how to become a Chief Technology Officer, the steps are: Step 1: What is a Chief Technology Officer? Step 2: Personal Attributes Step 3: Career Path

Building on from the points in the introductory section we will now build further details to help explain, what is a Chief Technology Officer?

A definition for a CTO is "An executive whose primary responsibility is to manage and address technical issues that a company faces, including research and development (R&D). Also called Chief Technical Officer.’’” – Source: Business Dictionary http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/Chief-Technology-Officer-CTO.html

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is responsible for establishing and driving through the organizations technical vision. The CTO leads all aspects of the company’s technology development and is the company's top technology executive. The CTO plays an integral role in the strategic direction, development, and future growth of the organization. The CTO determines technical approaches, procedures and methodologies to achieve the technical objectives.

The role of a Chief Technology Officer is wide and varied, here is a list of associated tasks:

1. Anticipate changes in technology and adjust vision and direction accordingly to maintain the organizations competitive edge
2. Assist in customer service management in regard to the company's technologies
3. Create/ensure the maintenance of technical standards
4. Develop and manage strategic partnerships
5. Lead the execution of the organizations technology strategy
6. Network within the local technology community
7. Oversee research and development
8. Oversee the project management within the IT department
9. Provide visible leadership for the technology direction of the company

In this section we detail the personal attributes and certifications needed to become a Chief Technology Officer.

Personal Attributes The personal attributes of a Chief Technology Officer are:

1. Adaptable/Flexible – Need to adapt to different challenges/demands which will arise daily
2. Analytical mind - Strong quantitative combined with analytical skills
3. Commitment – A CTO regularly has to work long hours, a real commitment to the cause is needed
4. Communication – Important to have excellent oral and written communication skills
5. Customer facing - Excellent customer facing/service skills, treat everybody as a “customer”
6. Decision making – Sound decision maker, based on a good grasp of the facts
7. Drive – The ability and determination to drive forward the technological direction of the organization
8. Energy – The ability to work in a fast paced, challenging and frequently changing environment
9. Good negotiator – Negotiation skills are at their premium in dealings with suppliers, internal staff and partners
10. People oriented - Excellent interpersonal skills, it is not just about technology, people matter too
11. Research – Keeps abreast of technology and market trends, the ability to interpret technology trends for the benefit of the organization
12. Visionary – Envisions on a personal basis and leads other along this vision

In step 3 we consider the career path of how to become a Chief Technology Officer. The CTO is the highest technical level within the organization, a possible career path is detailed below: (A) Junior Programmer to (B) Senior Programmer/Systems Analyst to (C) Project Manager to (D) Senior Project Manager to (E) Program Manager to (F) CTO

Chief Technology Officer - indicative salary $139,000http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=CTO+Chief+Technology+Officer&l1=

The requirements to become an Chief Technology Officer are:

Bachelors Degree Chief Technology Officers will need as a minimum a bachelor's degree ideally in a related subject to Information Technology (e.g. Management Information Systems, Computer Science, or Business Studies). The main requirement for the CTO role is experience, so having the years of experience but an unrelated degree is generally classed as acceptable.

The following experience:

1. A heritage in IT, hardware, software development and IT strategy
2. Understanding the context of a business and the key business drivers
3. Appreciation of all of the latest IT processes, methodologies & tools
4. Ability to lead an IT department and manage the IT budget
5. Ability to create key new processes and identification/ensurance of best practice strategies.

Years of working experience A Chief Technology Officer role would require a minimum of 15 years of experience.