CTO Confessions Brought to you by IT Labs

Madalina Tanasie, CTO of Collibra, shares her insights on AI governance, data intelligence, and SaaS evolution. She highlights how advancements in AI have democratized technology and emphasizes the need for solid data governance. Tanasie also stresses the importance of meaningful work for engineers to drive innovation. Her perspectives offer valuable guidance in navigating the tech industry's rapi...

Vijay Karunamurthy, Field CTO at Scale AI, joins CTO Confessions to discuss his career in AI and the future of generative models. Vijay shares lessons from early neural network research and his time at YouTube, where he helped build recommendation systems. He explains his role translating customer needs to product roadmaps and ensuring ethical, transparent AI development. The conversation explores...

In this insightful episode of CTO Confessions, listeners are treated to an in-depth exploration of technology and leadership through the experiences of Andreas Westendörpf, CTO of Emma. His journey, from a budding software engineer to an influential technology leader, is a central theme. The episode covers the crucial role of good architecture, with a focus on the MACH Alliance's contributions to...

TC Gill converses with Adam Siegel, co-founder of Recurate, a trailblazing retail tech startup. Siegel discusses his transformative journey from early computer enthusiasm to pioneering sustainable solutions in the retail sector. Listen in as he shares insights on creating a remote-first, mission-driven company culture, the challenges of balancing product development with market demand, and his uni...

In this episode, TC engages with Rob Phillips, the Vice President of Software Engineering at UDig, a Richmond-based consulting company. Phillips delves into his journey from a passionate technologist in his youth to a seasoned leader in the tech industry. He shares valuable lessons on transitioning to senior leadership, the importance of understanding and articulating company problems, and the art...

Join us in a compelling conversation with Robert Matsuoka, where he unveils his transformative journey from a tech-centric role to a strategic leadership position. In this episode of CTO Confessions, Robert delves into the art of delegation, the dynamics of building effective teams, and the criticality of nurturing talent. He also sheds light on managing remote teams and establishing meaningful ri...

In this enlightening episode of CTO Confessions, Alessio Garofalo, the CIO/CTO of Oxagon at NEOM, delves deep into his multifaceted journey from the NATO military fields to the forefront of tech innovation. Drawing from his rich experiences in defense, tech giants like Amazon, and his entrepreneurial ventures, Alessio shares invaluable insights on leadership, adaptability, and the rapid evolution...

Michael Jones is a seasoned technology leader with a rich history in steering digital transformation and scaling platform businesses, especially within PE and PLC landscapes. As Chief Technology Officer at uSwitch, Michael was pivotal in navigating the company through three significant exits: an MBO to LDC, a £190m trade sale to Zoopla, and a monumental £2.2bn sale to Silver Lake under ZPG.

In this episode of CTO Confessions, TC Gill welcomes Pierre Arman, a Partner – Global Tax SaaS Go-to-market Leader at EY, based in Dubai. Pierre dives deep into his role at EY, discussing the intricacies of tax technology, particularly in the realm of VAT and GST automation. As the conversation progresses, Pierre shares his insights on leadership, the importance of authenticity, and the challenges...

In this episode of CTO Confessions, the conversation dives deep into the intersection of technology and the legal realm. Featuring insights from Alex Bazin, listeners are granted a look under the hood of the legal world, revealing the transformative effects of AI and tech innovations. Bazin's candid discussion offers listeners invaluable leadership insights and communication strategies. For those...

In this enlightening episode of CTO Confessions, TC Gill dives deep with Benny Keinan, VP of R&D at Windward, a tech veteran who's seen the evolution from Commodore gaming to leading the R&D at Windward, a maritime tech giant. Benny shares his passion for startups, the transformative power of APIs, and the importance of people in any tech journey. He emphasizes the strength in admitting what you d...

TC Gill welcomed Jon Santee, Senior Director of Information Technology Operations at iRhythm Technologies with a unique journey from computer science studies to a passion-filled career in technology. Jon's approach to leadership is marked by his earnest desire to help others, a guiding principle that's shaped his professional growth. The conversation covers critical topics such as the evolving con...

In this episode of CTO Confessions, TC Gill welcomes Casper Rasmussen, CEO, CTO, and co-founder of Monta, a company building software for electric vehicle charging. Casper shares his journey from gaming to programming, his passion for road biking, and the evolution of his leadership style. The conversation dives into Monta's growth, the challenges of onboarding customers, and balancing current pro...

In this captivating episode of CTO Confessions, host TC Gill sits down with Paul Dorney, CTO at BOSSCAT an inspiring tech leader, to delve into a remarkable journey filled with startup experiences, both challenging and triumphant. Paul's unwavering passion for problem-solving and servant leadership shines through as he shares invaluable insights on building a collaborative and inspiring work envir...

An episode which can be described simply as ‘enlightening’, TC Gill engages in a captivating conversation with Andrei Lopatenko, the VP of Engineering at Zillow, as they explore the critical elements of cultivating a culture of innovation and continuous learning in the realm of tech leadership. Andre shares his journey from an individual contributor to a tech leader, emphasizing the importance of...

In this captivating episode, TC Gill engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Nick Peddy, the Chief Technology Officer at CLEAR, exploring the dynamic realm of technology leadership and the intriguing biometric security industry. With a wealth of experience and wisdom, Nick delves into the essence of servant leadership, stressing the significance of trust, open communication, and cultivati...

Join us in this exciting episode as we sit down with Andrew Philips, the CTO of Skyscanner, a leading player in the online travel search and comparison market. Discover how Skyscanner goes beyond the traditional flight search experience, aiming to inspire travelers, as well as Andrew shedding light on the challenges of scaling the business and maintaining efficiency with a lean team. Furthermore,...

“Imagine a world where people of all ages and walks of life, have access to similar knowledge, resources, and can gain new insights and skills, where everyone who wants to get an education is able to access and complete their degrees.” - this is one thing that the guest on this episode, Michelle Lee, CTO at ITHAKA, said during the episode, and it’s just one of the many gems she dropped in our shor...

We often see people going against the odds, achieving the unthinkable, and pushing boundaries, but how often do you see someone making it their life's work and being successful at it? Meet Robert Mannino, CTO of Sanguina – a biotech company that develops tools to help people act on their health through accessible science and technology. Rob sat down with me, as we talked about his struggle with an...

Building, creating, developing – these are all activities all tech leaders simply love. And as leaders, they are skilled at nurturing the flames of others – the flames to build, create, develop, analyze, or simply put, to follow their drive towards creating a better tomorrow. I had the chance to have a good talk with one such leader – Jamie Smith Webb, CTO at Numan, who shared with me his journey...

Tech leaders are drivers – they inspire people and draw them to ideas, concepts, new projects, and motivate them to be better by getting them to align with their MO and way of thinking – to a healthy extent, that is. I had the chance to talk about all of this with a tech leader who is working with a team diverse in skill – but also in culture, something that requires some serious leadership skills...

Growing to become a tech leader means you’ve had your fair share of attempts to do something, and with that – a fair share of failures that you’ve learned from. But in the end, you’ve grown and have learned how to think like a leader, the importance of your team, and how to keep one eye on the big picture, the great idea. One leader that encapsulates all of this is Mijo Duric, CTO at Creative Car...

The road of to becoming a change-maker, a tech leader, is – unlike in many other industries – anything but a straight line. But the traits that all tech leaders share are adaptibility and willingness to learn and grow. Enter Tramale Turner, CTO at TaxBit, who sat down with me to discuss his journey, the things he learned, and how he rolls as a leader! Key takeaways from the podcast are: - Recogniz...

The tech leaders of today greatly differ from the tech leaders of yesterday – from their scope of work to their mindset, skills, and approach – a lot of things have changed. Basically, what changed was the answer to the question “What does it mean to be a leader?” - and with me here on this episode to help answer that question is David Germain, Group Chief Information Officer, who sat down with me...

How do tech leaders roll? What are they all about? What really is important for tech leaders and their approach? On the hows and whys, I got Jonathan Rigby, a senior engineering leader, who sat down for a chat with me, and we dived deep into his personal journey in the world of tech – from his beginnings, through today, all the way to what’s in store for the future and what he’s learned so far, co...