back when the word CTO was invented it had a different meaning than it does now. It used to mean the person in charge of the technology for a non-technology com

back when the word CTO was invented it had a different meaning than it does now. It used to mean the person in charge of the technology for a non-technology company. So for instance, a Wall Street firm would have a CTO in charge of their computer systems, critical infrastructure for their business, key technology trends to anticipate, etc., needed visibility in the C suite, but it's not their main business, it's not a profit center. A technology company would have a VP of Engineering, because that's what the company does as a core business. A company like Boeing could have a VP of Engineering wrt the airplanes they build, and a CTO wrt their CAD systems. (I just made that up to try to give some flavor, not saying that's literally true)