David Johnston is an experienced software executive who typically assists clients as a fractional or interim CIO or CTO.
He manages complex IT transformations to drive strategic business growth. His experience on boards of directors, advisory boards, and as CEO, CTO, and CIO, gives him a broad and deep understanding of how business and technology fit together. He partners with C-level leaders to guide businesses through critical growth phases, aligning technology with enterprise strategy to optimize operations, accelerate innovation, and maximize ROI. David excels at delivering cost efficiencies, enhancing operational resilience, and turning IT into a competitive advantage that fuels long-term success.
Before joining TechCXO, David led IT operations for privately and publicly held organizations in the finance, logistics, and entertainment industries. He has designed applications, built international teams, and helped multiple companies scale up.
David leads with expertise in the following areas:
- Strategic Roadmap Development
- Technical management
- Application design
- Project management
- Mentoring teams for growth
In his career, David has served in multiple roles. Here is a short list:
- Director of IT, building an IT platform for all Mitsubishi companies in the US
- Performed multiple M&A technology assessments at TIAA-CREF
- Transformed technology costs at TIAA by migrating tens of thousands of physical servers to the cloud
- Stepped in at a startup to replace a seriously ill IT leader
- Led IT strategy for a Series A technology startup building specialized AI tools
- Redesigned the systems of a book retailer to reduce costs
- Migrated multiple companies between on-premise and cloud platforms.
David has held key leadership roles at Mitsubishi, TIAA-CREF, and multiple startups. He has served or is serving on advisory boards and boards of directors in the US and Europe.