Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Programme
Invalid liquid data
Invalid liquid data
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Programme: scale technology-led innovation across the value chain
Led by Cambridge Judge Business School faculty, the programme combines strategic leadership, innovation strategy and AI-enabled decision-making through online learning, live faculty sessions, elective specialisation and an in-person capstone in Cambridge, UK. Across the learning journey, you will strengthen your leadership skills, explore business strategies and business models, manage strategic partnerships and drive innovation that delivers measurable business outcomes across the organisation.
86%
83%
Source: Heidrick & Struggles
What will you learn in the CTO Programme?
Key takeaways
Strategic alignment: Develop technology strategies that align with both corporate and business objectives, balancing vision, risk and measurable success
AI applications: Apply practical applications of AI, big data, machine learning, generative AI and causal analytics to create a competitive advantage and drive better business outcomes
CTO strategy: Understand the different levels of strategy a CTO contributes to and how technology leaders engage with R&D, manage risk and align innovation efforts with organisational strategy
Innovation execution: Translate strategic concepts into actionable operational measures, leveraging agile, experimental and traditional approaches to execute innovation effectively
Innovation leadership: Drive innovation, navigate global complexity and shape company culture to empower high-performance teams, foster collaboration and support long-term organisational growth
Learning journey
How is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Programme curriculum structured?
The programme combines self-paced online modules, live virtual sessions, elective specialisation and a capstone project to help you strengthen technology leadership, apply innovation strategy to real organisational challenges and lead technology transformation with confidence.
Core modules | Online
Phase 1 — Strategic Leadership for CTOs
Corporate and Business Strategy: Differentiate corporate, business and technology strategies; assess an organisation’s strategic position and apply the Markides framework to align mission, vision and strategy.
How Strategy Translates to Innovation: Explore how innovation supports strategic objectives, evaluate organisational priorities and identify the types of innovation needed along with associated challenges.
The Role of the CTO: Examine how CTOs drive strategy execution by aligning initiative objectives with functional goals and designing performance measures across roles.
The Innovation Portfolio: Learn to manage an innovation portfolio by translating strategic objectives and organisational capabilities into portfolio decisions and designing tailored selection processes.
Phase 2 — Leadership, Culture and Innovation: Understanding People to Drive Change
What Is Culture?: Examine the defining features of organisational culture, its origins and its alignment with strategic needs.
Changing Culture: Learn approaches for identifying where cultural change is necessary, implementing change and making culture fit for purpose.
Leadership Is Emotional: Explore the role of social emotions in decision-making and relationships, understand strengths and weaknesses and develop communication strategies.
Innovation Leadership: Analyse innovation leadership practices, methods for understanding team motivation and approaches for implementing fair processes.
Leadership Is Cultural: Investigate cultural influences, including imitation, and develop strategic plans for influencing organisational culture.
Innovation and Sustainability: Learn how sustainability and technology initiatives align with strategy, and examine the CTO’s role in enabling sustainable innovation.
Phase 3 — Innovation Architecture and Execution
Innovation Types and Processes: Explore experimentation challenges, approaches suited to diverse innovation types and methods for managing innovation.
Structure of Organisations: Examine how organisational structures influence strategy and behaviour, and identify opportunities for automation.
Strategic Role of Projects: Evaluate and select innovation projects, align operational plans with strategic objectives and prepare for digital transformation.
The Distributed Nature of Innovation: Analyse how collaborations and interdependencies shape innovation and identify both realised and unrealised opportunities.
Operation Measures and Incentives: Understand how process measures and incentives influence behaviour, and assess the alignment of operational metrics with innovation objectives.
Phase 4 — Global Ecosystems and Strategic Partnerships
Gaining an Ecosystem Edge: Explore how to create value within ecosystems, develop strategies to launch and scale them, promote innovation and identify monetisation opportunities.
From Local to Global Innovation: Examine readiness for global innovation, leverage global knowledge and develop approaches to expand beyond geographic boundaries.
Contracting with Partners: Explore partnership models, contracting structures, risk allocation and stakeholder tensions when engaging with external partners.
Global Cross-Boundary Collaboration: Learn to navigate challenges across globally dispersed teams, leverage technology and plan for effective boundary-spanning communication.
Frugal Innovation: Explore principles for solving problems with limited resources and delivering value through simplicity without compromising quality.
Phase 5 — Enacting Innovation
Challenge Identification: Identify meaningful innovation challenges, investigate them systematically and define them clearly.
Ideation and Solution Design: Guide the creation of challenge statements, generate and select innovative ideas and develop them into viable solutions.
Proposition and User Experience: Craft elevator pitches, visualise customer journeys, define functionality, build cost models and articulate commercial propositions.
Agile Experimentation and Implementation: Explore rapid testing and agile experimentation techniques to refine and implement solutions effectively.
Live online sessions (13 sessions)
Gain insights into best practices for implementing technology initiatives through faculty-led live sessions. Recordings will be available for flexible viewing.
Strategy: The Innovation Portfolio
Learn to build and manage an innovation portfolio that aligns initiatives with strategic goals, balances risk, reduces bias and drives organisational alignment.
Leadership and Culture: Changing Culture
Examine how culture shapes strategy and innovation, identify cultural enablers and barriers and apply frameworks to guide cultural evolution.
Leadership and Culture: Innovation and Sustainability
Understand how the circular economy and innovation drive sustainability, exploring frameworks and examples for profitable, resource-efficient business models.
Process and Execution: Innovation Types and Processes
Explore structured and iterative innovation processes, balancing risk and flexibility while integrating incremental and radical initiatives.
Thinking Globally: The Distributed Nature of Innovation
Discover how to foster networked innovation through cultural alignment, stakeholder engagement and governance while leveraging emerging technologies.
Incorporating Data and AI into Project Prioritisation Decisions
Learn to manage innovation portfolios and partnerships using data-driven decision-making, effective governance and dynamic data strategies.
From Silos to Synergy: Cross-Boundary Collaboration for AI Transformation
Develop strategies to overcome the challenges of cross-boundary collaboration, including cultural differences and remote working constraints.
Thinking Globally: Frugal Innovation
Explore how to innovate effectively with limited resources through flexibility, collaboration and customer engagement.
Solutions: Challenge Identification and Definition
Learn to define and articulate real organisational challenges, turning strategic issues into actionable problem statements.
Solutions: Ideation and Solution Design
Use structured techniques to overcome groupthink and generate creative, high-impact solutions.
Solutions: Proposition and User Experience
Map the customer experience life cycle to identify key touch points and opportunities to enhance satisfaction and perception.
Solutions: Agile Experimentation and Implementation
Apply agile principles to design rapid experiments, test assumptions and refine innovations iteratively.
Programme Wrap-Up
Business Analytics and AI: Decision-Making Using Data | Online
Equip yourself to make informed, data-driven decisions and lead AI-enabled initiatives with clarity and confidence. You will explore how emerging capabilities in big data, machine learning, generative AI and causal analytics can be applied to real organisational challenges to drive innovation and business impact. You will also strengthen your ability to build a data-driven culture, guide responsible AI adoption and develop the analytical mindset needed to support sustainable, intelligence-led growth.
Topics include:
Mapping Business Decisions to Data
Getting Creative with Big Data
Experimental Design
Machine Learning
Causal Analytics
Generative AI
Legal and Ethical Use of Data and AI
Making Business Analytics and AI Happen
Online elective — Choose any one
Deepen your expertise in an area of your choice with one selection-based online elective.
Digital Transformation: From Strategy to Execution: Design and implement digital initiatives that transform business operations.
Strategic Thinking for the CXO: Platforms, Ecosystems and AI-Driven Strategies: Identify critical inflection points and deploy strategies that drive organisational change.
Mastering Change Management: Building Resilient and Adaptable Organisations: Lead organisational transformation by fostering adaptability and resilience.
Note: Electives are subject to change.
In-person capstone module in Cambridge (two and a half days)
Meet your cohort peers and faculty in Cambridge for a two-and-a-half-day in-person capstone experience. You will complete your capstone project and build a lifelong community of global technology leaders.
Participants must attend the in-person capstone module in Cambridge to complete the programme and receive the certificate of completion.
AI-focused live online sessions
The AI-focused live online sessions explore the strategic, operational and leadership implications of AI, helping you understand how to apply AI responsibly, navigate emerging technologies and support better business outcomes across your organisation.
Session 1 — From Orchestration to Autonomy: Leveraging Agentic AI for Innovation
Analyse the shift from AI orchestration to fully agentic systems capable of autonomous reasoning, planning and execution. Examine how organisations can harness agentic AI to drive innovation, redesign workflows and unlock new value while addressing the technical, operational and governance considerations that come with increased autonomy.
Session 2 — Our AI Future
This interactive session explores the transformative possibilities of AI in the coming years, examining how advances in intelligence, autonomy and reasoning could reshape business and society.
Session 3 — Copyright and Creativity with Gen AI
Examine the evolving intersection of copyright law and creative practice in the age of gen AI. Through real-world examples and emerging legal guidance, explore questions of ownership, authorship and fair use while highlighting how creators and organisations can responsibly harness gen AI tools.
Session 4 — Measuring AI Portfolios as Strategic Assets
Explore the key principles to manage the AI value chain and deliver value to the organisation, customers, society and employees.
Session 5 — Designing Leadership in the Age of AI
As AI capabilities double every four months, leaders face a defining question: what should we automate, where should we augment and what must remain distinctly human? Drawing on the latest research, this session introduces a practical framework for AI delegation, showing how thoughtful integration of generative AI can boost decision quality, reduce leadership fatigue by up to 50% and protect the uniquely human capabilities that drive trust, judgement and organisational performance. You will leave with a clear operating model for redesigning work so that AI expands leadership impact.
Session 6 — Managing the AI-enabled workplace
In a world where employees and managers increasingly rely on data and AI to perform and coordinate work, leadership itself is being reshaped. As AI becomes embedded in everyday workflows, managers must evaluate AI-assisted work, maintain accountability when algorithms inform decisions and balance data-driven insights with human expertise and professional judgement. At the same time, the growing use of algorithmic management raises important questions about fairness, transparency, privacy and employee trust.
Note: Session topics are indicative and are subject to change.
Who is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Programme for?
Current CTOs | Aiming to lead the next wave of AI-enabled transformation and looking to strengthen board-level communication and drive AI adoption responsibly across the enterprise |
Senior engineering, software architecture and platform leaders | Looking to build skills to connect technology delivery to business models, investment priorities, scalability and AI readiness |
Senior AI, cybersecurity, risk and compliance leaders | Seeking to shape responsible technology strategies at the intersection of innovation, security, governance and resilience |
Emerging tech and business transformation leaders | Aspiring to lead AI and technology initiatives that drive measurable business impact |
Eligibility criteria
More than ten years of work experience
A successful track record in one or more functional areas of business and an agenda for change
Past participant profile
Diverse industries
A wide range of work experience
Global cohort
How does the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Programme use applied learning?
The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Programme combines practical learning experiences throughout the programme, helping participants connect new concepts with challenges they encounter in their organisations. Learning takes place through AI-focused live sessions, online discussions and an in-person capstone module that encourages peer collaboration and practical application.
AI strategy for technology leaders
Agentic AI and autonomous systems
Understand how AI is evolving from orchestration to autonomous systems capable of reasoning, planning and execution. The session also explores the operational and governance considerations that accompany increasing AI autonomy.
Generative AI and future trends
Explore how advances in generative AI and emerging AI capabilities could influence organisations, leadership priorities and broader societal change.
AI-enabled workplaces and transformation
Examine how technology leaders are responding to innovation challenges through agile experimentation, strategic partnerships and insights gained from capstone work.
AI and data-driven decision-making
Learn how AI, big data and analytics can support organisational decision-making, strengthen business performance and inform technology strategy.
Responsible AI and governance
Explore the principles of responsible AI adoption by examining topics such as copyright, authorship, fairness, transparency and accountability in AI-enabled environments.
Programme highlights
Interactive sessions
Participate in live online sessions with faculty and industry practitioners.
World-renowned faculty
Learn from thought leaders and leading researchers.
Peer interaction
Interact with high-achieving peers from around the globe and build your network.
Core curriculum
Kick-start your journey with 24 weeks of in-depth sessions on strategy, leadership, execution and technology policy.
Capstone project
Apply programme concepts to prepare a capstone project that addresses a real-world technology issue in your organisation.
Success coach
Craft your learning journey in line with your career goals with a success coach assigned to your cohort.
Practitioner insights
Glean insights from global industry experts with guest lectures throughout the programme.
In-person capstone module
Interact with faculty and peers at an in-person capstone module and certificate ceremony.
Programme completion benefits
Earn select Cambridge Judge Business School benefits upon completion of the programme.
Immersion module at Cambridge
The in-person capstone module in Cambridge gives you the opportunity to apply programme concepts in a collaborative academic setting while engaging with faculty and peers on contemporary technology leadership challenges.
You will:
Participate in faculty-led sessions exploring technology transformation, organisational culture and strategic execution
Work through collaborative workshops to develop practical technology leadership plans
Explore discussions on aligning innovation initiatives with organisational and business priorities
Connect and collaborate with senior technology professionals from diverse industries and regions through peer learning and networking
Take part in guided group activities that encourage reflection, knowledge exchange and the practical application of programme concepts
Experience Cambridge's distinctive academic and innovation environment, shaped by generations of global leaders, thinkers and pioneers.
Why choose the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Programme?
Cambridge Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Programme vs other CTO programmes | Chief Technology Officer Programme — CJBS Executive Education | Other Chief Technology Officer Programmes |
Institution brand | Cambridge Judge Business School sits within a global hub for technology, AI and innovation, empowering leaders shaping the future of business.
| Programmes are from strong university brands but geared more towards emerging CTOs and less immersive in format. |
Immediate business impact | Participants frequently applied frameworks, innovation approaches and leadership strategies directly within ongoing transformation and technology initiatives. | Outcomes are often more conceptual or longer-term with less immediate workplace application. |
Technology and innovation depth | The programme connects emerging technology, innovation strategy and business leadership, helping CTOs move from technical delivery to enterprise influence. | Many programmes focus broadly on leadership or transformation, without deeply addressing the processes of driving innovation that shape CTO-level decision-making. |
Breadth of leadership exposure | The programme covers strategic leadership, innovation culture and cross-boundary collaboration, helping CTOs influence across functions, teams and partners to drive enterprise-wide transformation. | Programmes focus primarily on tech-enabled business strategy and transformation themes, with less emphasis on leadership breadth, innovation culture and cross-boundary collaboration. |
Faculty and peer learning | Learn from diverse faculty, industry practitioners and experienced peers across industries, creating richer perspectives on leadership and innovation challenges. | Faculty exposure and peer diversity vary significantly across programmes. |
Cross-industry perspective | Engage with leaders navigating technology, innovation and transformation challenges across sectors, and extend your perspective through The CTO Podcast with David Reiner, with discussion forums linking technology policy themes to your organisation-focused capstone. | Peer interaction and cross-industry exposure can be less central to the learning experience. |
Best fit for | The programme is ideal for senior technology leaders ready to move beyond IT operations and shape the innovation portfolio, building strategic alignment, culture and governance for organisation-wide technology-led innovation. | Programmes are ideal for executives seeking to drive digital transformation through technology strategy, emerging trends and execution frameworks. |
Meet the faculty for the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Programme
Jeremy Hutchison-Krupat
Associate Professor in Innovation and Operations Management
Professor Jeremy Hutchison-Krupat’s research interests include how organisations can effectively implement their innovation objectives, particularly the impact of an organisat...
Kristin Behfar
Professor of Strategic Leadership and Ethics at the United States Army War College (Retired)
Jane Davies
Faculty (Professor Level) in Management Practice
Matthew Lawson
Coach and Mentor, MSt Entrepreneurship
Stylianos Kavadias
Margaret Thatcher Professor of Enterprise Studies in Innovation & Growth
Jennifer Howard-Grenville
Diageo Professor in Organisation Studies
Jaideep Prabhu
Professor of Marketing
Nektarios (Aris) Oraiopoulos
Professor of Operations and Technology Management
Stella Pachidi
Research Fellow (Organisational Theory and Information Systems)
Khaled Soufani
Management Practice Professor of Financial Economics and Policy
Peter Williamson
Honorary Professor of International Management, and Fellow and Director of Studies in Management at Jesus College
What do past participants say about the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Programme?
Credentials and outcomes: Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Programme
Certificate
Upon successful completion of the programme, participants will be awarded a certificate of completion in Cambridge by Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education.
Programme completion benefits
Earn select Cambridge Judge Business School benefits upon completion of the programme, including:
Access to Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education’s Leader’s Club network
Regular newsletter with updates on the latest research, activities and events at the school
Discount on future CJBS Executive Education open-enrolment programmes
Invitations to worldwide networking events including in-person events and webinars
FAQs
Programme
What is the Chief Technology Officer Programme from Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education?
The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Programme is a comprehensive learning journey designed to help senior managers like you advance into organisation-wide CTO and technology leadership roles.
Who is the CTO Programme from Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education ideal for?
This programme is ideal for experienced technology professionals who aspire to become CTOs. You will gain valuable insights into how to become a CTO and lead your organisation in today’s rapidly changing world.
What will I learn in the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Programme from Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education?
You will explore strategic leadership, innovation, organisational culture, global ecosystems, AI and data-driven decision-making. The curriculum also examines innovation execution, strategic partnerships, business analytics and the evolving responsibilities of CTOs.
Does the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Programme include AI as a topic?
Yes. The programme includes the Business Analytics and AI: Decision-Making Using Data specialised component, together with AI-focused live online sessions covering agentic AI, gen AI, responsible AI, AI-enabled workplaces and AI governance.
How does the Chief Technology Officer Programme stay current with evolving technology trends?
Our curriculum is updated to reflect the latest developments in technology leadership practices, ensuring that participants are well prepared for the dynamic technology landscape. We also ensure access to real-world case studies, enabling them to gain relevant practical industry insights.
Learning journey
How long will it take to complete this programme?
The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Programme comprises online modules, live online sessions and an in-person capstone module in Cambridge. The entire learning journey can typically be completed in about 9 to 12 months, depending on the dates of the in-person module.
How is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Programme structured?
The programme is structured across five learning phases, live online sessions, a Business Analytics and AI: Decision-Making Using Data specialised component, one online elective and a two-and-a-half-day in-person capstone module in Cambridge.
What learning formats are included in the programme?
You will learn through self-paced online modules, live online sessions, project coaching and an in-person capstone module in Cambridge.
What is the Business Analytics and AI: Decision-Making Using Data specialised component?
This specialised component explores how AI, machine learning, big data, gen AI and causal analytics can support organisational decision-making. You will also examine responsible AI adoption and the practical application of business analytics.
What is the in-person capstone module?
The in-person capstone module is a two-and-a-half-day learning experience in Cambridge in which you will engage with faculty and peers, participate in collaborative learning activities and present your capstone project.
Does the programme include networking opportunities?
Yes. Throughout the programme, you will learn alongside a global cohort of senior technology professionals and engage with faculty, industry experts and peers through live online sessions and the in-person capstone module.
Are there any prerequisites for joining the Chief Technology Officer Programme?
This programme is designed for participants with over ten years of professional experience, a proven track record in one or more business functions and a strong agenda for driving change. Fluency in written and spoken English is required, along with a desire to strengthen your technology leadership skills. Exposure to global work projects is preferred.
Certificate
What will I receive after completing the programme?
Upon successful completion of the programme, participants will be awarded a certificate of completion in Cambridge by Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education.
Payment process
Who will be collecting the payment for the programme?
Emeritus collects all programme payments, provides learner enrolment and programme support and manages learning platform services.
Is there any discount or financial aid?
You can pay the full programme fee upfront or pay in easy instalments. If you apply well in advance of the programme start date, you can receive a programme fee benefit. If you believe you may qualify for other discounts, please check with your programme adviser to confirm the applicable discount that will provide the greatest benefit and whether there are specific terms and conditions for use. If you would like to approach your organisation with a sponsorship request for this programme, here is a customisable template that you can use.
Are there any restrictions on the types of funding that can be used to pay for the programme?
Programme fees for Emeritus programmes with Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education may not be paid for with (a) funds from the GI Bill, the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Act of 2008 or similar types of military education funding benefits or (b) Title IV financial aid funds.
Refund
What is the programme refund and deferral policy?
For the programme refund and deferral policy, please click the link here.
Accessibility
How does Emeritus support accessibility for learners?
Emeritus is committed to making high-quality education accessible and affordable to individuals, companies and governments around the world. If you have questions about accessibility or would like to discuss available support options before enrolling, please contact accessibility@emeritus.org. For more information about our accessibility practices, please review our Accessibility Policy here.
Connect with a programme adviser for a 1:1 session
Our programme advisers have helped senior executives around the world choose the right programme for their career goals. Schedule a 1:1 to get a deeper understanding on why the Chief Technology Officer Programme is the right fit for you.
Email: cambridge_cto@emeritus.org
Phone: +971 80 0088601097 (UAE) / +44 1786 649936 (UK) / +1 573 527 3654 (USA) / +52 55970 73870 (LATAM) / 000 8009191970 (India*) / +65 3138 1820 (SG)
*If you are dialing the India number, please make sure to include the first three zeros (000).
Early applications are encouraged. Admissions are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Flexible payment options available.
Starts On