Chief Technology Officer / United States · Global perspective
BenjaminHawthorne
Engineering the platforms on which the future is built.
I build technology organisations that can turn a strong idea into a dependable product and a durable platform.
- Board appointments
- Advisory roles
- Speaking invitations
04
Product innovation
40 M
Users on the platform
Across web, mobile and partner APIs
6×
Release frequency
With fewer production incidents
1,200
Engineers led
In five global engineering hubs
23
Patents granted
In payments and applied AI
I believe
Engineering choices shape what a product can become. I invest in architecture, technical leadership and developer effectiveness so teams can move with confidence. Reliability and delivery speed are decisions to design together, with trade-offs made explicit.
— Benjamin Hawthorne
The work
Decisions that moved the needle.
- 01
Platform transformation
A successful product was reaching the limits of its original platform. I worked with product and engineering leaders to identify the constraints that mattered most to customers, establish service boundaries and sequence migration without forcing a single high-risk cutover. The roadmap connected technical investment with the product capabilities it would unlock.
- 02
Engineering scale
Engineering growth had introduced inconsistent delivery practices and unclear ownership. We clarified team missions, invested in shared development infrastructure and made reliability part of the product conversation. Technical leaders gained a common framework for decisions while teams retained the autonomy to solve problems within their areas of responsibility.
- 03
Innovation programme
The organisation had many promising experiments but no consistent route from prototype to supported product. I introduced review points that considered user value, operational readiness, security and long-term ownership. The process helped teams distinguish an interesting demonstration from a capability the business could responsibly depend on.
Boardroom
Seats at the table.
Kestrel Systems
Non-Executive Director
Technology & Innovation (Chair)
2023 — Present
The Open Standards Alliance
Technical Steering Committee
AI Safety Working Group
2021 — Present
Others say
Word from the boardroom.
Builds platforms the business can bet on, and engineering teams people want to join.
Brought rigour and humanity to our AI decisions in equal measure.
An invitation
Let's talk properly.
Bold mandates, difficult turnarounds, board seats that need conviction — I want to hear about them.
- Board appointments
- Advisory roles
- Speaking invitations
office@benjaminhawthorne.example