What is CTO Advisory?

CTO Advisory is a strategic partnership focused on achieving outcomes more effectively through better alignment between business and technology. It builds trust, clarity, and accountability across leadership by connecting strategy, systems, and execution. The result is sustained speed, dependable online delivery, and a technology strategy that drives confident growth.

CTO Advisory - Kathy Keating

Strategic Technology Advisory for CEOs, CTOs, and Boards

Independent advisory that drives clarity, trust, and sustained speed. Aligned technology strategy and business goals create momentum that lasts.

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Where Technology Meets Strategy

Sustainable speed doesn’t come from doing more faster. It’s the outcome of aligned strategy, systems, and teams.

Growth brings complexity. As technology organizations scale, friction often shows up not in the code, but in the alignment between people, process, and strategy. CTO Advisory work bridges this gap.

I partner with CEOs and CTOs to translate between technical execution and business outcomes to help leadership teams gain clarity, align direction, and build the systems that sustain speed and scale.

Companies bring in a CTO Advisor when growth, complexity, or change make it harder to achieve outcomes efficiently. That might look like misalignment between strategy and delivery, loss of trust in timelines or priorities, or technology decisions outpacing business clarity. I help reestablish alignment, rebuild trust, and ensure strategy, systems, and execution move in sync, so the organization can scale with confidence.

Boards and investors engage a CTO Advisor to gain clear, trusted insight into how technology strategy supports the company’s growth, resilience, and risk management. A CTO Advisor provides an independent view that translates technical realities into business context. This helps leadership communicate effectively, validate investments, and make informed decisions about innovation, delivery, and operational risk. The result is stronger governance, increased transparency, and greater confidence that technology is advancing the organization’s long-term objectives.

Where I Add the Most Value

While every engagement is unique, there are consistent areas where strategic advisory delivers the highest impact.

Scaling Organizations

Designing engineering and product orgs that grow without chaos.

Turnarounds & Transitions

Restoring trust after CTO exits or leadership change.

Investor Confidence

Translating technical risk into business language for boards and capital raises.

Governance & Risk

Embedding practices that keep compliance, security, and delivery aligned.

Executive Development

Guiding technologists as they evolve into enterprise executives.

AI Strategy

Advising leaders on effectively & responsibly adopting AI and other emerging technologies to accelerate growth.

How CTO Advisory Engagements Work

Every engagement is designed around the outcomes you want to achieve.
Whether you’re scaling fast, realigning priorities, or preparing for investment, our work focuses on creating clarity, strengthening decision-making, and sustaining speed through alignment.

1. Assess & Align

We start by clarifying your goals, challenges, and desired outcomes to connect business strategy to technology execution. This phase builds trust, surfaces friction points, and establishes a shared understanding of where alignment will have the greatest impact.

2. Focus & Plan

Together, we identify the areas that will create the most leverage from leadership communication to delivery systems to technical strategy. We design practical, high-impact steps that improve clarity, accountability, and confidence across the organization.

3. Sustain & Scale

Advisory isn’t a one-time event; it’s an ongoing partnership. I stay engaged, at whatever level you need, as a trusted advisor, reinforcing alignment, ensuring accountability, and helping the organization sustain clarity and momentum as it grows.

Let’s Create Alignment That Scales

Growth moves fast, and clarity is what keeps it sustainable. If your organization is ready to strengthen alignment between business and technology, I’d love to start a conversation. Together, we’ll explore your goals, challenges, and see where advisory can create the most impact.

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What Clients Say

"Kathy's ability to problem solve and manage stakeholders is one of the key reasons we were able to see continued growth and development in the ever-changing landscape during this challenging time. She knows how to manage expectations, and deliver for the customers, our team, and our board. Kathy has been one of the most influential leaders with whom I have had the pleasure to work."

Erich Hugunin
Chief Revenue Officer

Meet Kathy Keating

Great leadership isn’t about doing more. It’s about creating flow from friction and clarity from complexity.

As a technology strategist, executive coach, and board-certified director, I’ve spent more than three decades helping CEOs, CTOs, and boards align technology, leadership, and strategy to achieve meaningful outcomes quickly and effectively.

Highlights:

Board-Certified Director (CDI.D) and four-time founder with 30+ years leading and advising B2B and B2B2C SaaS, FinTech, HealthTech, and GovTech organizations.
Co-author of the bestselling book Liquid: How CEOs & CTOs Unlock Momentum In Complex Systems
Co-creator of the CTO Levels framework, and creator of the GEMs framework used by technology leaders worldwide.
Known for driving clarity, alignment, and scale from restoring investor confidence and securing turnarounds to guiding startups through successful acquisitions.

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