Gilles Crofils

Gilles Crofils

Hands-On Chief Technology Officer

Based in Western Europe, I'm a tech enthusiast with a track record of successfully leading digital projects for both local and global companies.1974 Birth.
1984 Delved into coding.
1999 Failed my First Startup in Science Popularization.
2010 Co-founded an IT Services Company in Paris/Beijing.
2017 Led a Transformation Plan for SwitchUp in Berlin.May 2025 Eager to Build the Next Milestone Together with You.

From Engineer to Leader: The Journey of Becoming a CTO

By

Hands-On Chief Technology Officer

Abstract:

Engineers transitioning to Chief Technology Officer (CTO) roles face a challenging yet rewarding journey. Moving up requires developing interpersonal skills, strategic thinking, and industry knowledge. CTOs shape a technology organization's strategic direction, ensuring it aligns with business goals and drives innovation. Continuous learning, adaptation, and empowering others are crucial for CTO success. This involves staying current with industry trends, fostering a supportive environment for team members, and building high-performing teams for long-term success.

Craft an abstract depiction portraying the transition from an engineer, identified by typical engineering tools like gears and diagrams, to a Chief Technology Officer, represented by symbols like a compass indicating strategic direction, a book for deep industry knowledge, and a light bulb for driving innovation. The imagery should change fluidly, using different shades of blue to symbolize continuous learning, adaptation, and empowering others in a cohesive, high-performance team environment. This should visually express abstractly the professional evolution and growth within the technology sector.
From Engineer to Leader: The Journey of Becoming a CTO

The Evolution of an Engineer

The path from engineer to Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is a challenging yet rewarding journey. Engineers possess the technical prowess and problem-solving skills necessary to drive innovation, but leadership roles demand more. As an engineer ascends the career ladder, they must cultivate interpersonal skills, strategic thinking, and a comprehensive understanding of their industry.

Building a Leadership Mindset

Engineers aspiring to become CTOs must develop a leadership mindset, which involves thinking beyond technical solutions and considering the broader organizational and industry contexts. This shift entails embracing change, fostering collaboration, and making data-driven decisions. CTOs must also be adept at navigating the complexities of technology management, including resource allocation, project prioritization, and risk management.

The Role of a CTO

The CTO plays a pivotal role in shaping a technology organization's strategic direction, ensuring alignment with business goals, and driving innovation. A CTO must possess a deep understanding of emerging technologies, their potential applications, and the competitive landscape. Moreover, CTOs are responsible for creating and maintaining a technology vision that supports the organization's mission, fosters a culture of innovation, and promotes continuous improvement.

Continuous Learning and Adaptation

To remain relevant and effective, CTOs must commit to continuous learning and adaptation. This includes staying abreast of industry trends, understanding the implications of new technologies, and acquiring new skills as needed. CTOs should also engage in networking and knowledge-sharing with peers, attend industry conferences, and participate in professional development programs to expand their knowledge and expertise.

Empowering Others: The Key to Success

Ultimately, the journey to becoming a CTO is about empowering others to succeed. CTOs must create an environment that fosters growth, learning, and innovation, where team members feel valued and supported. By doing so, CTOs can build high-performing teams, cultivate the next generation of technology leaders, and drive long-term success for their organizations.

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25 Years in IT: A Journey of Expertise

2024-

My Own Adventures
(Lisbon/Remote)

AI Enthusiast & Explorer
As Head of My Own Adventures, I’ve delved into AI, not just as a hobby but as a full-blown quest. I’ve led ambitious personal projects, challenged the frontiers of my own curiosity, and explored the vast realms of machine learning. No deadlines or stress—just the occasional existential crisis about AI taking over the world.

2017 - 2023

SwitchUp
(Berlin/Remote)

Hands-On Chief Technology Officer
For this rapidly growing startup, established in 2014 and focused on developing a smart assistant for managing energy subscription plans, I led a transformative initiative to shift from a monolithic Rails application to a scalable, high-load architecture based on microservices.
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2010 - 2017

Second Bureau
(Beijing/Paris)

CTO / Managing Director Asia
I played a pivotal role as a CTO and Managing director of this IT Services company, where we specialized in assisting local, state-owned, and international companies in crafting and implementing their digital marketing strategies. I hired and managed a team of 17 engineers.
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SwitchUp Logo

SwitchUp
SwitchUp is dedicated to creating a smart assistant designed to oversee customer energy contracts, consistently searching the market for better offers.

In 2017, I joined the company to lead a transformation plan towards a scalable solution. Since then, the company has grown to manage 200,000 regular customers, with the capacity to optimize up to 30,000 plans each month.Role:
In my role as Hands-On CTO, I:
- Architected a future-proof microservices-based solution.
- Developed and championed a multi-year roadmap for tech development.
- Built and managed a high-performing engineering team.
- Contributed directly to maintaining and evolving the legacy system for optimal performance.Challenges:
Balancing short-term needs with long-term vision was crucial for this rapidly scaling business. Resource constraints demanded strategic prioritization. Addressing urgent requirements like launching new collaborations quickly could compromise long-term architectural stability and scalability, potentially hindering future integration and codebase sustainability.Technologies:
Proficient in Ruby (versions 2 and 3), Ruby on Rails (versions 4 to 7), AWS, Heroku, Redis, Tailwind CSS, JWT, and implementing microservices architectures.

Arik Meyer's Endorsement of Gilles Crofils
Second Bureau Logo

Second Bureau
Second Bureau was a French company that I founded with a partner experienced in the e-retail.
Rooted in agile methods, we assisted our clients in making or optimizing their internet presence - e-commerce, m-commerce and social marketing. Our multicultural teams located in Beijing and Paris supported French companies in their ventures into the Chinese market

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