This text has the contribution of Daniel Iriarte, associate director of Glue Executive Search.
The scarcity of these talents is due, in part, to the fact that they are in high demand by foreign companies. Their salaries are on the podium in Argentina
They are the head of what happens around the digitization that companies are facing. There is no movement that does not depend on your gaze and your decision making.
The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is the one who moves and opens the game: this explains its importance and why it is so demanded today.
What does a CTO do and how much does it charge in Argentina?
“He is responsible for the area of IT, infrastructure and technological challenges to meet the business objectives. Together with his collaborators, he outlines the required architecture and the path to reach it, also generating safe spaces to promote research and development”, he indicates to iProUP Mariano Vázquez, CTO of MODO.
His focus is that the developments are effective in terms of costs and times, providing a clear balance between innovation and productivity in the vision.
“He is responsible for outlining the company’s research and technological development goals and timelines, as well as developing the technical aspects of the business strategy to align with the goals and ensure that the technology resources meet the company’s needs” , assures iProUP Javiera Ruiz, Chief People Officer of Despegar.
An outstanding point is that in salary matters it is the most decoupled segment from the Argentine reality. Daniel Iriarte, associate director of Glue Executive Search iProUP, affirms that the IT category “is the one that works the most abroad.”
The role of the CTO is crucial in digital core companies and is directly related to the entire C-Level
In any case, if they work for Argentina, their salaries are usually around $2 million a month, to which must be added an annual bonus, long-term incentives and benefits,” he adds.
Alejandro Servide, director of Professionals, RPO & Technologies at Randstad Argentina, double-clicks on this topic: “In the current inflationary context, remunerations vary according to the adjustments that companies are granting to combat the loss of purchasing power “.
In this way, Servide affirms that the professionals who occupy this role can perceive on average:
$750,000 to $850,000 in small businesses
$850,000 to $1 million at the medians
$1.2 million to $1.5 million in multinationals and large companies
“Furthermore, if they work for international markets, they start with a minimum of US$10,000, depending on the size and complexity of the company and the project,” explains Iriarte.
What should a CTO study?
“It is exclusive that they have worked in IT, systems, technology or derivatives and have several years of experience in the field”, assures iProUP Amelia Bálsamo, CTO of UALI.
According to the executive, “it is important that he has gone through leadership responsibilities, aligning technology and business. Experience is required to manage that everything operational is carried out while meeting external audiences and the company’s technological objectives.”
Being a very technical and experienced role, the CTO can earn up to $10,000 if he works outside
Being a highly technical and experienced role, the CTO can earn up to $10,000 working for international firms
Iriarte adds that, in general, “those who occupy these positions have training in systems engineering, telecommunications or similar. They are scarce and technical profiles, in which learning on the job in training companies weighs heavily.” Gonzalo Ozán, CTO at Naranja X, reveals to iProUP the main functions of the profile:
Define and articulate the company’s IT strategy, aligned with organizational aspirations and continuously analyzing industry and technology trends
Being part of the strategic direction, co-developing with an innovative look the evolution of the business and digital products with a focus on impacting the life of the client
Attract, develop and retain teams of professionals from different domains of technologies with high potential and performance
Develop, influence and promote a customer-centric digital product culture as a competitive advantage for the company.
Why do companies need a CTO?
Although many work independently, “one of the benefits of having them in house is long-term commitment,” Nicolás Baccigalupo, CEO of Octopus Proptech, confides to iProUP.
“It is not just looking at today, the problem and the specific need, but also being able to see beyond. In addition, you will learn much more about the product and the users to achieve the best result,” he remarks.
This implies “that you can get to know the user, problems, frustrations and moments that generate a good experience. The key is that, by leading the team of programmers, you can put yourself in the client’s shoes and add value to the product,” adds Baccigalupo.
Eduardo Chiacchiarini, It Specialist at Together Business Consulting, tells iProUP that “having the CTO in-house is extremely necessary, given the degree of commitment that the position requires, as well as the dedication of full time.”
“The position typically requires long shifts, some weekends, and long nights during the rollout of new technology,” he adds. This happens because they must “keep the offering in an updated state, relevant to the market where it operates,” Carolina Bompadre, HR manager at BGH Tech Partner, tells iProUP.
A CTO
A CTO works long hours and must even work weekends
“It must also align the productive capacity with the commercial strategy, choose sustainable technologies and improve the efficiency of the organization”, she completes. For his part, Mario Bolo, director of ITBA’s Computer Engineering program, remarks that “CTOs are executives and will primarily interact with that segment of the company.”
“There is undoubtedly going to be a close relationship with the IT team, but also with Purchasing, HR and more. In general, they interact with all areas of the organization,” he describes.
Ariel Larralde, CTO of Wabee Smart Energy, points out to iProUP that the CTO interacts directly and regularly with the Information Managers (CIO) and Operations (COO), and the CEO.
“With the CIO they used to be the same position a few years ago, but the evolution of the market required differentiating the roles. The relationship is continuous, since it is a joint task to understand what the latest IT trends are to see how to improve and implement them in current strategy,” adds Larralde.
According to his vision, “contact with the CEO is not daily, but the results and insights for decision-making are reported; while with the COO it is more constant, since they share the objective of optimizing and improving the final product “.
Finally, Pablo Vittori, Director of Global Technology at Making Sense, highlights to iProUP that “the role of the CTO requires a combination of experience and talent, which in a market with scarcity like the current one makes it even more complex to find someone meet all the requirements.”
“Finding talent with experience not only in technology, but also in management and business, is very difficult, especially when it comes to a critical role in the future of companies,” he concludes.
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