The CTO Compass is a podcast about CTO, CIO, and tech leadership - on strategy, scaling, teams & bringing clarity to technology leadership for real boardroom impact.

Hosted by Mark Wormgoor, each episode features candid conversations with experienced CTOs, CIOs, and senior tech leaders from startups through to large enterprises.

The focus is on the real work of leading in tech:
– Setting clear tech strategy that aligns with business goals
– Scaling teams and culture
– Making high-stakes decisions under pressure
– Navigating the transition from hands-on engineer to executive leader

This is not a hype show, nor a theoretical leadership podcast. Guests share hard-won lessons, mistakes, and practical insights from the moments that mattered most - when clarity was missing, heavy decisions needed to be made, and leadership was tested.

If you’re a CTO, CIO, or tech leader looking to sharpen your thinking, increase your influence, and create real impact in the boardroom, The CTO Compass is built for you.

About your host

Mark Wormgoor

How do you decide which tech to bet on when AI is moving so fast?
And everyone expects you to have all the answers?

I work alongside leaders when technology decisions keep them up at night. Over the past 30 years, I’ve been in those moments myself - leading large global IT organizations, consulting for industry leaders, and advising executives and boards.

What I’ve learned is that the hardest part isn’t the technology itself. It’s setting the right direction, building teams that can execute, combined with rigorous execution.

Today, I lead Tairi. We work as a strategy, coaching and execution partner for leaders where technology is a real driver of business value, not just a supporting function.

As technology and AI continue to reshape businesses, my focus is simple: helping leaders make the right tech decisions - and execute on them.