Interim CTO Services
Fast-Growing SaaS BillPay Innovator
This leading PE-owned SaaS company in the hot FinTech space needed senior CTO leadership to integrate a massive acquisition and expand globally. They chose Fortium.
Our CTOs offer specialized technology leadership on a flexible schedule, driving the systems, strategies, staff, and structure needed to deliver the products and services sold by a Technology Creator to a Technology Consumer.
Those organizations that primarily create technology to produce their revenue
Those organizations that primarily consume technology to produce their revenue
who has the right expertise and experience for their specific needs
This leading PE-owned SaaS company in the hot FinTech space needed senior CTO leadership to integrate a massive acquisition and expand globally. They chose Fortium.
An advanced enterprise AI solutions firm needed an experienced CTO to enable technology success and foster business growth. Fortium was their top choice.
Have questions? We're here to help
The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is an organization's most senior technology executive who reports to a non-technology executive. A CIO usually reports to the CEO but may also report to the CFO, COO, or another executive. The CIO is responsible for creating and implementing a technology strategy, executing it with people and investment, and aligning it with the CEO's and organization's vision and goals. The CIO is a strategic advisor, a thought leader, and a trusted confidante who is ultimately responsible for the entire organization's technology.
As we’ve defined the CTO role in a Technology Creator (e.g., a SaaS company) as the primary technology leader responsible for building the organization’s primary revenue driver, the CTO almost always reports to the CEO and is a peer to other members of the C-Suite. In addition to the CTO’s role in building and deploying the revenue engine, the CEO often leans on the CTO, along with the Chief Product Officer, to build a business case for and rationalize the product roadmap, future sources of revenue, and spending. Finally, the CTO and the CTO’s team defend against revenue threats from security or production issues. Having the CTO report anywhere other than the CEO is a strong signal that either the CTO is not a senior executive worthy of the title, or there is something unusual about the structure of the organization (e.g., the CEO is primarily a Visionary and has delegated all operational authority to the President or COO).
Most fractional and interim CTO providers will be able to get started very quickly, often providing viable candidates within hours to days and beginning within one to two weeks if speed is essential.
Most companies achieve innovation through software, and commercial software companies provide the vast majority of software. Technology Creators, such as SaaS companies, need a CTO. The complexities of building a commercial software product are too great and too broad to risk not having the input and oversight of a competent and experienced CTO. The good news is that most modern software companies of size, say over $5-10M in revenue, do have a CTO overseeing the development of the product.
If a SaaS company does not have a CTO, it is usually due to one of three reasons:
Despite conventional wisdom, the role of CTO does not vary considerably from one software company to the next. What does vary is the size, stage, and available technology spend of the company, any specific outcomes the CTO is charged with accomplishing, and in the case of a CTO who is not full-time, the amount of time available to dedicate to the company. But several key attributes are generally important for success in the CTO role:
some use alternative titles to designate this role, such as: