Chief Technology Officer, the executive responsible for an organization's technological needs and research and development activities. The CTO typically oversees technology strategy, innovation, and technical operations.
Acronym formed in the 1980s as technology became central to business strategy. Combines 'Chief' from Old French 'chef' (head), 'Technology' from Greek 'tekhnologia' (systematic treatment), and 'Officer' from Latin 'officium' (duty).
Many people think CTO and CIO are the same thing, but CTOs focus on external-facing technology and innovation while CIOs manage internal systems and infrastructure. In some companies, they're rivals fighting for the same budget.
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