Technology has moved from support function to strategic core. In every sector, organisations now compete on their ability to attract, develop and retain technology leaders — executives who can build and scale digital businesses, govern the use of AI responsibly, and align technology investment with commercial outcomes. The demand for this profile of leader significantly exceeds the supply.

JOlivier & Partners places Chief Technology Officers, Chief Digital Officers, Chief Information Officers, Chief AI Officers and technology board directors across software companies, AI-native businesses, enterprise technology groups, fintech organisations and technology-enabled businesses across Europe. Our technology practice is active across the full range of company stages — from growth-stage businesses making their first senior technology appointment to established groups restructuring their technology leadership for the next phase.

The Leadership Challenge in Technology

The technology leadership mandate has expanded dramatically. The CTO of 2026 is not primarily a technical architect — they are a business leader who happens to be deeply technical. They must translate complex technology decisions for non-technical boards, build engineering cultures that attract and retain scarce talent, manage the security and governance risks of increasingly complex digital infrastructure, and articulate a technology strategy that is credible to investors and partners.

Artificial intelligence has introduced a new category of leadership demand. Organisations across every sector are making consequential decisions about AI adoption — decisions that will determine competitive positioning for years. The executives who can navigate these decisions — who combine technical AI literacy with commercial judgement and governance awareness — are among the most sought-after in any market. We are placing Chief AI Officers, heads of AI strategy and AI-focused board directors with growing frequency.

The talent market for technology leadership is intensely competitive. The best candidates are consistently employed and are approached regularly. Access requires relationships built over time — not transactional outreach at the moment a mandate opens.

How We Work in Technology

Technology search requires a genuine understanding of the technical landscape — not just the ability to read a job description. Our principals engage with the technical dimensions of each mandate at sufficient depth to assess candidate credibility and cultural fit, not just functional experience. We work exclusively on retained mandates, ensuring that every technology search receives focused, senior attention from identification through to offer.

Functions we place: Chief Technology Officer · Chief Digital Officer · Chief Information Officer · Chief AI Officer · Chief Information Security Officer · Chief Data Officer · VP Engineering · Head of Product · Board Directors with Technology Expertise · Chief Operating Officer (technology-led businesses)