CIO vs. CTO: Navigating Power, Partnership, and Progress in Tech Leadership
Presented by Seattle Tech Forum and Seattle SIM, sponsored by Brooksource.
What happens when two of the most critical technology roles in an organization—CIO and CTO—collide, collaborate, or compete? In this candid panel discussion, tech executives from diverse sectors will unpack the evolving relationship between these roles, offering real-world perspectives on how strategic priorities, operational realities, and innovation agendas are shaped differently across industries—from high-growth tech companies to legacy enterprises and government agencies.
Daniel Key is the Chief Information Officer for the City of Tacoma, where he leads enterprise technology strategy and digital innovation across municipal departments. With a background that bridges public service and private-sector roles, Daniel focuses on aligning IT systems with community needs, driving operational improvement, and advancing digital equity. He is known for leading high-performing teams, managing large-scale technology transformations, and fostering collaboration between government, community, and industry partners. His work reflects a commitment to inclusive, service-driven innovation.
Kevin Goldsmith is a technology leader with over 30 years of experience building engineering organizations and scalable software platforms. He currently serves as Chief Technology Officer at DistroKid, a leading digital music distribution service. Kevin previously held senior engineering leadership roles at companies including Spotify, Adobe, and Avvo, where he helped scale teams and systems through periods of high growth and technical complexity. He is a strong advocate for team culture, agile practices, and sustainable software development, and is widely recognized for his work in mentoring and engineering leadership.
Neil Roseman is the CEO of Invicti, a leader in web application security, where he focuses on scaling the company’s impact and advancing secure software development practices. A longtime technology executive and advisor, Neil brings more than two decades of experience leading high-growth engineering teams and building innovative platforms. He previously served as VP of Technology at Amazon, where he helped launch major initiatives including the Marketplace Platform, Kindle digital systems, and AWS infrastructure. He has also held leadership roles at Zynga and Evri.com and currently serves as an Advisory Partner with Summit Partners. Neil is known for his product-focused approach to engineering strategy and his work in shaping resilient, customer-centric organizations.
Geared toward mid- and senior-level technology leaders, this session will explore how CIO and CTO mindsets diverge, where they align, and what it takes to succeed at the intersection of IT, product, and business strategy.
This event is an in-person networking event with hosted refreshments, courtesy of our sponsor, Brooksource.