The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) brings technical and business acumen to organization to align technology-related decisions with the company's future. Most times they are responsible for recommending a company's overall technology direction.
On the technical front, the CTO is responsible for setting the technology innovation trends and determining how this is applied to the business. They are also responsible for being a liaison and a two-way link between research, innovation teams, and development teams. On the business front, the CTO is responsible for applying technology macro trends to meet regulatory requirements, achieve operational efficiency, create new innovation models, and identify the new risks that are created by adding these new technologies to the mix. They also make recommendations to the C-suite, CIO in particular, on where in IT enterprises should invest in the future..
The CTO is responsible for spearheading and evangelizing the company's technology strategy to C-suite, employees, board, partners, and investors.