Background

I help growing tech companies get past implementation challenges to achieve scale. I also perform Technical Due Diligence (TDD) for M&A. Full bio on LinkedIn.

TECHNICAL: After starting as a software engineer in data compression and graphics, I’ve been a tech CEO for 8 years, CTO of the Gartner Family Office for 8 years, and an independent consultant since 2010. Professionally represented by 10x Management.

EXECUTIVE: I have managed 7-figure R&D budgets, launched dozens of products, and closed enterprise sales with Fortune 500s including substantial work in Operations Research and Management Consulting.

EDUCATION: I hold an MBA from the IMD Business School in Switzerland, and a BA in Digital Music from Bennington College. I also studied negotiation at Harvard, and in work with an International hostage negotiator.

COMMUNITY: I have brought together hundreds of entrepreneurs, produced 80+ licensed  TED Talks, and I curate the exclusive DRΛM series of executive technology conferences.

Read more about my services at aaronsylvan.com/cto, and explore my case studies.

Aaron Sylvan Headshot Hex Smile 2024-03-16

Testimonials

Aaron is an experienced strategic consultant with deep expertise across technology and operations. He evaluated multiple functional areas of our business and provided valuable insights as we developed our 3-5 year growth plan. These insights and recommendations ultimately translated to more profitable growth and investor confidence in the allocation of capital across strategic initiatives. I highly recommend Aaron to any businesses in the technology, software, and services spaces.

Joe Alie

VP Finance, Cforia Software

I think your input was incredible. You have a gift to be able to see and describe a business from so many perspectives.

Brian S. Cohen

Chairman Emeritus, New York Angels

I appreciated Aaron’s open mindness towards business issues and his visionary way of looking at opportunities in the business area. He was highly reliable … I would love to work together with him in the future.

Daniel Meile

General Manager, Nestle Germany

Aaron is an outstanding professional that I experienced as a creative leader with excellent business acumen … his contribution was excellent. Aaron is a real team player, committed and dedicated to get the job done.

Lijong Tjang A Tjoi

Managing Director Enterprise Netherlands, Dell EMC

Aaron has been very committed to the tasks and has always been invaluable by bringing the views of an entrepreneur to the table. [He] is also a tech wizard …  I was especially impressed with his skills … also always pointing out the VC’s viewpoint.

Patrick Stoessel

General Manager - ITEC, NXP Semiconductors

Everyone should jump on a table to clap their hands and shout at the top of their voices to congratulate Aaron on the great results he has been producing for our new updated website. It looks amazing! Thank you Aaron.

Jeffery Stein

Chairman, IT History Society

Aaron has a great mixture of entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen. His creativity and passion will be a great asset to any business environment.

Keith Sellers

787 Deputy Fleet Chief, Boeing Commercial Airplanes

Aaron has been a coach for our startup. He was very knowledgeable, very collaborative and very pragmatic at the same time. This was a great mix of intuition and knowledge, always focused on the essential, a real pleasure to work with him.

Nicolas Dengler

CEO, Shore.li

Aaron’s creativity has proven to be his real strength … novel ideas, new ways of looking at problems or working out solutions. In addition, I have really been impressed with the ease and the way Aaron uses technology to improve or solve business problems.

Michiel Van Duin

Head of HR Operations China, Novartis

Aaron has a very good understanding of new business models, particularly with respect to start-ups, develops great insights about the way to evolve the company… I recommend Aaron without any hesitation.

Carlos Cordón

Professor, IMD Business School

Aaron was extremely determined … drove for success of all projects we worked on together, but also was great person to work within a team. Aaron’s “outside of the box” thinking has helped solve many puzzles.

Stefan Minder

Vice President West Coast USA, Kuehne + Nagel

Aaron is an extremely intelligent person who has an ability to understand complex causal relationships and make well founded decisions in difficult situations . He is a hard working individual that balances his own contribution to the team with the input of others.

Olav Espeland

Managing Director, Klinikk Oslo and Norsk Legesenter

Aaron has clear vision and works tirelessly toward converting that vision into reality. … While searching solutions as a part of the team, Aaron does not fall for any compromises. I’ve never met anyone else with such unbelievable persistence when it comes to watching and insisting on all the little details even in very complex systems.

Martin Adamec

CTO, DataDock Solutions

Aaron was contributing at all levels of the company’s operation that I had visibility into: business development, sales and account management, product and project development, software architecture and actual coding … Aaron has a rare ability to quickly grasp advanced concepts and techniques and leverage those for building value to the business even when such topics fall outside domains of his formal training.

Michael Smolsky

VP Machine Learning Architecture, Fidelity Investments