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Ward Vuillemot
CTOCTPOCofounder
Ward Vuillemot is a remote-based technology leader who advises companies through StrategyPlus, leveraging his two-decade career at Boeing, Amazon, Microsoft, and successful startups to transform organizations and scale technology teams.
Ward Vuillemot is a distinguished technology leader with over two decades of experience spanning industry giants like Boeing, Amazon, Microsoft, and innovative startups such as Varsity Tutors and RealSelf. As a versatile technologist, Ward has excelled in roles ranging from data scientist and software developer to UX designer and aerospace engineer, giving him a comprehensive understanding of technology ecosystems. Since 2015, he has been at the forefront of remote work, successfully leading technology organizations from his base in central Washington state. Ward's expertise in scaling technology and building organizations from startup to enterprise level is evident in his track record of transforming early-stage startups into pre-IPO, series-funded companies with revenues of $50M to $125M and teams of 150 to 650 employees across the Americas and Europe.

At StrategyPlus, Ward brings his unique blend of deep technical expertise and enlightened leadership to advise and guide companies through technological transformations. His leadership philosophy is rooted in fostering psychological safety, empowering teams to innovate through a culture that encourages risk-taking and learning from failure. This approach has consistently yielded exponential results and groundbreaking innovations. Ward's focus on building future leaders through coaching allows him to transform not only the technology but also the organizations behind it, creating best-in-class teams that deliver tangible value to customers and revenue to businesses. His multifaceted background, including multiple advanced degrees in engineering and experience with global-scale technologies like Xbox and Azure, positions him as an invaluable asset for companies seeking to navigate the complex intersection of technology, leadership, and organizational growth in today's remote-first business landscape.


Portfolio
I've had the very good fortune to have worked in technology the last thirty years, spanning aerospace to e-commerce to entertainment and education to now the health space.  

I've worked largely as engineer and engineering leader the entirety of that time, albeit did a short detour as a technical Japanese interpreter working alongside Shingijutsu.

I love to build things.  It's a love that transcends the technology itself, though.  My real passion starts with the customer and works backwards, building transformative technology organizations.
Philosophy

On Leadership


I often quip that the "T" in CTO stands for therapy, not technology; in so much that much of my responsibility is to promote collaboration amongst everyone in my organization and throughout the company.

On Leading Remotely


Since 2015 I worked remotely as a technology leader. In that time I've built teams from scratch to growing them to span the globe with 100s of people.

On Lean Thinking


I've a lifetime starting with my father learning about lean. I've worked as a Japanese interpreter with Shingijutsu, world leaders in lean consulting. And I've an early adopter of the agile manifesto.  I know lean.

On Technology


I have experience spanning multiple industry sectors from aerospace to retail to entertainment to education and now medical, which gives me a very broad view of adopting technology.

On Building Scale


I've worked on every scale of growth from idea generation to scrappy startup right up to world-class enterprise, providing a unique vantage on how not only address each stage of growth, but navigate the transitions.

Operating Guide
This guide is intended to establish my expectations of the leaders with whom I work so we create a great working relationship together. Part of this is having a better understanding of what matters to me.  This is meant to provide you a high-level overview of key behaviors I see in those most successful in working with me.  

Foundation


  1. Demonstrate passionate business ownership:  A visible business-owner mindset counts for a lot with me.  We’re here to make things happen
  2. Growth Mindset, Personally & Professionally:  Develop deep self-awareness and self-actualization; do not allow yourself to be powerless
  3. Diversity in Thought & Action: I’m autistic. I see the world (very) differently than you. I do not expect you to always agree with me; come with well-informed opinions of your own.
  4. Trust: I tend to give trust freely, but if lost it’s hard to regain.
    1. Don’t surprise me.  Keep me up-to-date on your area.  Err on the side of over-communicating.
    2. Don’t count on me to “sense” when something is wrong.  If it’s bothering you, share. I cannot address what I don’t know about.

Other Key Thoughts


Accountability & Leadership


  • Be a leader in your area.  Know the drivers of your area, dive deep on key issues, and have a plan to address challenges.  
  • How you operate and what you deliver matters. Create an environment that empowers everyone, and ensures your team is accountable to growing our business.  We must deliver on both to be successful.
  • Prioritization matters.  Focus on growing the business, or if addressing technical debt be able to tie it back to the business in the necessity of limited time.  

Communications


  • Clear, concise thinking.  Start with high-level summary, recommendation & options, and then follow-up with validating your recommendations. 
  • Be proactive and solutions-focused:  Don’t wait to share bad news.   Come prepared with options and recommended course of action. 

Growth Mindset


  • Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.  We will learn more from mistakes than we will from many of our successes.  Mistakes are a gift; learn from them.
  • Build automated/scalable solutions to your challenges and drive impact beyond the boundaries of your area. 

Personal Life & Development


  • Your career is important to me.  Let’s frequently discuss your interests, goals, progress, et cetera.
  • Keep things in perspective.  I believe in work/life balance, and recognize there are more important things in your life than your job.  You manage your own time (not me), find a work/life balance that works for you. 

Books That Inspire Me