Melbourne Web Meet Up: Is a CTPO a Real Thing? The Startup Superhero in Action!

Join us for an an in-depth discussion into the wild world of the CTPO—the ambitious hybrid of Chief Technology and Chief Product Officer.

In startups, where budgets are tight and every hire counts, some leaders are stepping up to wear both hats. But what makes a *good* CTPO, and can one person really handle it all?

What We’ll Explore:

• The CTPO Mystique: What superpowers (or caffeine levels?) make someone effective in both tech and product?
• Juggling Act: How CTPOs balance big visions and small budgets, bringing together tech strategy and user-focused innovation.
• Behind-the-Scenes Tales: Hear stories from real-life CTPOs juggling two roles, their time hacks, and how they manage priorities.
• Knowing When to Split the Role: Tips on spotting when it's time for separate CTO and CPO roles as the company scales.

Expect practical takeaways and real insights into what it takes to be a CTPO - startup style!

Stick around after the panel for networking, discussions, nibbles and refreshments!

5:30pm - Doors open
6:00pm - Panel discussion
7:00pm - Networking, nibbles and refreshments
8:00pm - Event finishes

Meet our panel:

Corina Best - Head of product at PlayHQ
Corina is an Experienced product and technology leader with a passion for creating game-changing digital products and building high-performing teams. 12+ years experience working in tech, product and design for startups and scale-ups. She’s a born innovator, with the ability to think creatively and solve hard problems. Data and customer obsessed. Natural leader, fantastic people manager and excellent team player.

Susan Brander - CTO at Kaleida
Susan is currently the co-founding CTO at Kaleida, a start up that is passionate about building high performing tech teams that represent the Kaleida-scope of society. She has a strong history of leading teams that balances the need to experiment and learn in an emerging market with reliability expected of customer focused systems.

Luke Bongiorno - CTPO at Human Force.
Luke is a seasoned CPO who has more recently officially stepped into the CTPO role for HumanForce. Luke has a knack for development, management, and sales, delivering on both the enterprise side and as a vendor. Known for leading teams and working hands-on with customers, from presales to deployment, to bring product ideas to life. Peers say he "gets stuff done" and earns trust quickly with customers.
Who should attend: Startup founders, CTO, CPO, CTPO's, head of technology, head of product, and anyone curious about how to build modern teams.

Moderator: Bill Hunter - CEO at Fortify Technology
With 20 years in tech, Bill Hunter is known for bridging product and technology to drive impactful, scalable results; from tackling Superannuation challenges at AustralianSuper to building innovation award-winning startups like Kolmeo. Bill’s background in regulated, high-growth environments fuels his talent for creating clear, customer-led paths for teams that balance innovation and growth with the predictability required by modern product organisations.

This event is made possible by our sponsors Forward talent, Kolmeo and StarRez.