In today’s European boardrooms, technology leadership is evolving at a pace few could have predicted.

Job titles are shifting, responsibilities are expanding, and the language organisations use to define their top digital roles is changing with them. Against this backdrop, Eton Bridge Partners’ 2025 CxO Technology Pathways Report offers a telling view of where the market is heading.

Drawing on the findings from this year’s report and our experience in the market, one statistic in particular stood out to me: across more than 2,200 Tech C-suite appointments in Europe during 2023/24, 62% carried the title Chief Technology Officer (CTO). By contrast, just 16% were Chief Information Officers (CIOs).

That’s not a small margin – it’s a profound shift in how businesses are choosing to position their technology leaders. And it’s something I’m seeing mirrored in the market every day: in boardrooms, role briefs, and leadership conversations. The CTO label has become the shorthand for digital leadership, and there are good reasons why.

Technology as a value driver

We’ve moved well past the point where technology was simply an enabler of business strategy. For many companies – particularly in SaaS, fintech, and product-led businesses – technology is the strategy.

Our data shows that the prevalence of the CTO title is especially high in sectors with strong digital product propositions or high levels of private equity investment. It’s no surprise that boards and investors are looking for leaders who can build platforms, launch products, and scale at pace. The CTO title signals technical depth, product integration, and innovation leadership in a way that aligns with these ambitions.

The report also highlights that nearly half (45%) of all Tech CxO appointments were in PE-backed businesses, even though they represent a smaller proportion of the overall market. While the dynamics in PE are unique, the broader takeaway for Chairs and NEDs is that the right technology leadership can directly and materially influence enterprise value.

The CTPO trend

We’re also seeing the rise of hybrid roles – Chief Technology & Product Officers (CTPOs) – which unite technology build with product strategy.

In digital-first organisations, customer experience, product roadmap, and technical architecture are inseparable. By consolidating product and engineering under one leader, businesses can reduce the handover friction between departments, make faster decisions, and ensure that market feedback translates directly into technical execution.

In the report, the growth of CTPO appointments is particularly visible in software & computer services, a sector that accounts for a quarter (25%) of all Tech CxO hires in the period. It’s a strong sign that this integrated approach is becoming a mainstream leadership model in Europe’s most tech-centric industries.

CIO vs. CTO: Not just a name game

None of this diminishes the importance of the CIO role. In transformation-heavy industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, and financial services, CIOs remain essential – overseeing enterprise systems, delivery, data, and large-scale change programmes.

But the perception of the titles is different. The CIO title still carries strong associations with operational excellence, infrastructure, and governance. The CTO label, on the other hand, leans towards growth, innovation, and product development.

The report reinforces this nuance: CIOs were more likely to be female than CTOs (15% vs 8%), suggesting the CIO role is often broader in scope and closer to business transformation. The choice between the two titles should therefore reflect not just the responsibilities, but the organisation’s strategic priorities and cultural positioning.

For Chairs and NEDs, that means defining the scope and influence of the role before settling on the title rather than following a market trend that may not fit the business model.

Matching leadership to business ambition

For aspiring digital leaders, the lesson is to match your career narrative to the business context you’re targeting. In product-driven environments, lean into your innovation and scaling credentials. In transformation-led contexts, emphasise your ability to modernise systems, deliver complex change, and lead diverse technology teams.

For boards and investors, the challenge is to think beyond market fashion. A title should signal both internally and externally the strategic weight and focus of the role. That’s not just a matter of semantics – it can influence candidate pools, market perception, and even investor confidence.

Balancing innovation and operations

Ultimately, this is not a battle between CIOs and CTOs. In fact, some of the most successful organisations have both working closely together, each with clear ownership: one focused on enterprise technology and operational excellence, the other on innovation, product, and growth.

The key is clarity. Who owns product? Who owns enterprise systems? Where do data and security sit? When those lines are clear, the title becomes less important than the alignment and partnership between the roles.

Still, in today’s European market, the numbers tell their own story. The CTO is in the ascendancy, and that reflects the increasingly central role of technology in driving business growth and competitive advantage.

For Chairs, NEDs, and senior leaders, these are conversations worth keeping on the agenda. As technology becomes increasingly central to strategy, ensuring your leadership structure reflects both your ambitions and your market reality can quietly yet profoundly shape long-term success.

If you’d like to explore these themes further or discuss what we’re seeing in the market, please get in touch.