The formula for a successful company in today's world requires one key ingredient: a first-rate CTO. The leader of your tech team must have wisdom from experience and the foresight to innovate the future. We sat down with four of Los Angeles' most well-established CTOs to hear about the tech that is powering their business today and what they have in store for the future:
Mark Castrovinci, Legacy.com
Mark Castrovinci knows technology.
Over the past 15 years, he’s held leadership positions at technology companies all over the world, helping build cutting-edge platforms and nurture successful teams.
Today, he’s commander-in-chief for all of Legacy.com’s tech development and innovation at their Calabasas office. The CTO helms Legacy’s online platform for memorials and obituaries. The company plays host to 30 million-plus visitors a month, making it one of the largest media companies in the world. We caught up with up him to get his thoughts on how technology is fueling Legacy’s success.
Jody Mulkey, Ticketmaster
When Jody Mulkey joined Ticketmaster in 2013, he knew he was entering one of the oldest SaaS companies in the world. Founded in 1976, the online ticket seller merged with Live Nation in 2011 and began a massive overhaul of the company's technology.
Mulkey was an early member of Connexity (formerly Shopzilla) where he spent nearly 15 years before joining Ticketmaster as the EVP of Platform Engineering and Global Technical Operations. Since being named CTO in 2014, he has led the company's recent technological revolution as they shift their focus toward an immersive, mobile experience. We sat down with Jody to learn what the future has in store for Ticketmaster:
Doug Sellers, AssetAvenue
Doug Sellers isn't afraid of a new challenge.
AssetAvenue, a Westwood-based online lender for real estate investment properties, is approaching their two year anniversary — a crucial time for a young business. Amidst a growing platform and a new CEO, Sellers has been guiding the company's technological future as CTO since he assumed the position in September.
Sellers could appropriately be titled a veteran CTO. Prior to AssetAvenue, Sellers was the Chief Technology Officer at Kumu Wellness, Redline.cc (where he was also a cofounder), and GOOD Worldwide. He has experience navigating the occasionally-tumultuous waters of the startup ecosystem and has years of experience developing teams that thrive in high-pressure environments. We sat down with Douglas to learn about what the future has in store for AssetAvenue.
Aaron Stibel, Dun & Bradstreet
What does it mean to be a CTO in a company that pre-dates the Civil War?
When that company reinvents itself to be a global database with more than 220 million business records — it means a whole lot.
Aaron Stibel, who joined Dun & Bradstreet in 2010 and now serves as CTO of Emerging Businesses, has been simplifying online data for more than a decade and has several patents for such technologies issued under his name. He is a prominent figure in the U.S. tech community, having been named to the CIO100 in 2013, and a key player at Dun & Bradstreet’s innovative Malibu office. We caught up with Aaron to hear how technology continues to drive the company's success:
