Leadership development for technology leaders
It's rarely your technical expertise. It's how you connect and influence decisions. That's something you can learn.
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Built on the work of Joe Topinka, three-time CIO of the Year
Why good ideas get stuck
“This system is past its life. We need to replace it before it fails.”
“Another big expense. It can wait.”
So it waits. Then it breaks, and suddenly it's everyone's top priority.
That isn't a technical gap. It's a way of talking about it, and it can be learned. We teach you to put it in the terms the business decides on: what it costs, what it risks, and what it's worth.
Who you'd learn from
The work behind the program
Joe has been a CIO for more than 25 years, at Bank of New York, Red Wing Shoes and Snap One, and was named CIO of the Year three times. He is a two-time author with a third book coming, and this program is built on his work. His books:
Your guide
Graham spent his career building technology products, most recently as VP of Engineering at Snap One and Resideo. He built the software behind OvrC, now running on more than 30 million devices, and led engineering through a $1.4 billion acquisition. He guides you through the program.
The program
Business Tech Leadership is a coaching program for technology leaders. You learn to put your work in the terms the business decides on, with real assessments, personal time with Joe and a group of peers working on the same thing. It runs in four parts.
The course
The course at the heart of the program is six modules, taken at your own pace.
Why it matters now
AI now produces analysis, drafts, and recommendations faster than any team I ever led, which puts the leader’s judgment under a brighter light.
Joe Topinka
Three ways to take it
Choose this if you want the tools, the assessments and a peer group.
One 1:1 with Joe on your results, biweekly cohort calls, six months of access.
Choose this if you have a situation to work, like a stalled project.
Six 1:1 sessions with Joe, one every two weeks, and an Enneagram read.
Choose this if a big moment is coming: a board presentation, succession or a top-job search.
Twelve weekly 1:1 sessions with Joe, and an Enneagram read.
Who it's for
Technology leaders: directors, VPs, CTOs and CIOs, including those stepping into their first CIO or CTO seat.
Individual contributors and first-time managers.
Questions
Usually it's how the business hears you, not your ability. The program starts with a read on how you're seen today, so you know what to work on first.
Nobody is born knowing how to put a project in revenue, risk and time. It's a skill, and it can be learned. That's what the six modules and the live sessions are for.
The live sessions run every two weeks, and the six modules are self-paced. Some people finish in six weeks and some take six months.
No one can promise that, and we don't. A promotion, more scope or budget authority depends on timing and on you applying the work. What the program changes is how you're read in the room.
You don't need to become an accountant. You need to know where technology sits on the P&L, whether it's cost of goods sold or operating expense, and why your CEO and CFO watch those lines. That's what turns a request into a decision.
No, it's optional. We strongly recommend it, because results are better with outside feedback, and part of the course is learning to be open to it. If you'd rather not ask your current boss, a former manager, a mentor or an executive who has seen you work can fill that role.
The six modules are self-paced. Some people finish in six weeks and some take six months. The live sessions run every two weeks.
We cover that on the call. The first cohort has founding pricing, and you can add one-on-one sessions with Joe.
Many leaders do. Tell us on the call and we'll walk through how that works, including a team going through together.
It's a 30-minute influence review. You bring one decision or project that's stalled with the business, and we work out how to put it in revenue, risk, time and trust. You leave with a clearer way to make the ask. If the program fits, we'll show you how it works. If it doesn't, we'll say so.
Bring one stalled decision. The first cohort starts January 11, and we'll tell you plainly whether the program fits.
Not ready to talk?
A few short emails over the next week, built on Joe's work: the stories behind the program and the tools you can use in your next exec meeting. No call needed.