Technology Executive

Thomas Prommer

CTO | CIO | CTAIO | AI Strategic Advisor

20+ Years in Tech Leadership
1000+ Engineers Led
$2B+ Revenue Impact
4 C-Level Roles

Welcome — Meet Me in 3 Minutes

In this short video, I share my approach to building technology organizations that scale — from leading 500+ engineers at adidas to building tech functions from scratch at Sweetgreen.

I also introduce eUSA, my playbook distilled from two decades of enterprise and startup leadership: making things Easy, building for Ubiquity, balancing Security with Speed, and driving Accountability through Analytics.

Building Technology Organizations That Scale

I've spent two decades at the intersection of technology strategy and hands-on engineering leadership — from software engineering at Lufthansa Systems to leading global engineering organizations as SVP at adidas.

My career has been defined by a single thread: taking complex, multi-brand technology environments and turning them into high-performing platforms. At adidas, I unified fragmented regional engineering teams into a global organization powering a $9B+ e-commerce operation across 50 markets. At Sweetgreen, I built the technology function from scratch as CIO, modernizing POS systems and launching the digital ordering platform that now drives a majority of revenue. At Huge, I grew the technology practice from 50 to 500+ engineers across 14 offices, winning and delivering enterprise engagements for Apple, Google, McDonald's, Toyota, and Nike.

As a C-level technology leader, I've partnered with Google, Amazon, Apple, Nike, McDonald's, Toyota, Verizon, T-Mobile, EA, Porsche, Hulu, Thermo Fisher, Hugo Boss, and Lufthansa — spanning retail and fashion, technology and media, food and restaurant, financial services, automotive, and telecommunications.

I've scaled organizations of 1,000+ professionals in outcome-driven, high-performing distributed teams across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. My core expertise covers AI and machine learning, platform engineering, digital transformation, e-commerce and retail, team scaling, and tech due diligence.

What sets me apart is that I'm still a builder. I write production code daily — Python, TypeScript, infrastructure-as-code — and I ship AI-powered systems using Claude, GPT-4, and agentic coding pipelines. I don't just set strategy; I understand what's happening at the commit level because I'm there.

My approach is outcome-driven and pragmatic — results over process, evidence-based decisions, and right-sized solutions. I build teams that are people-first, globally distributed for 24/7 delivery, and AI-augmented with modern tooling. Whether it's a Fortune 500 enterprise or a high-growth startup, I focus on creating technology organizations that don't just execute — they compound.

That conviction led me to found CTAIO — a community and weekly newsletter for technology leaders navigating the convergence of CTO, CIO, and AI. I also run the CTAIO Labs Podcast, where I test AI tools head-to-head and document what actually works in production.

As an expert network consultant for Tegus, Office Hours, and GLG, I advise investment firms and enterprises on technology strategy, vendor evaluation, and market dynamics across platforms like Adobe, Acquia, Sitecore, and Salesforce. I'm also a conference speaker at Google, adidas, and industry events, and my work has been featured in Adweek, Digiday, eMarketer, and Nation's Restaurant News.

Beyond technology, I'm a marathon runner, Ironman triathlete, and HYROX competitor — and a songwriter and musician playing guitar, piano, and vocals. I bring the same discipline and endurance mindset to building engineering organizations as I do to crossing finish lines.

Executive Roles

Global SVP EngineeringAdidas
Chief Information OfficerSweetgreen
Sr Technology AdvisorBain Capital
President, TechnologyHuge (IPG)
Global Director of TechnologyFantasy
Other Roles
Business Strategy ConsultantRoland Berger
Software EngineerLufthansa Systems

Academic Foundation

Carnegie MellonAI & Robotics Research
UMass AmherstNLP & Machine Learning
KITM.Sc. Computer Science
MIT SloanInnovation Leadership
HarvardData Science
WhartonBusiness Analytics

Advisory & Speaking

Board AdvisorAdobe, Acquia, Sitecore, Salesforce
Expert NetworksTegus, Office Hours, GLG
Conference SpeakerGoogle, Adidas, industry events
Published InAdweek, Digiday, eMarketer, NRN
AwardsWebby Awards winner

Personal

CitizenshipUS & German citizen
StatusSingle, no children
LanguagesEnglish, German, Spanish, French

Partnerships with World-Class Brands

Hover or tap on logos to see project details

What Colleagues Say

"I had the pleasure of working with Thomas during my five years at Huge. Thomas is a seasoned technologist and executive that knows how to drive business value through technology and data. As the Managing Director, Technology and President, Platform Strategy he was key to the success of the technology organization globally."
Stefan Feissli
CTO, Amberdata
"It's impossible to convey the value that Thomas brings to any situation in one short review. He is an entire project team wrapped into one man. He has the patience of a department lead, the strategic vision of a business executive, the impeccable knowledge of a technology VP."
Head of Operations, Apple
"Thomas is among the best all-around problem-solvers you will ever meet. From the way he runs meetings, to organizing a team, to planning a project, there is an easily intelligible reason for it all. He's incredibly solutions oriented, level-headed and focused."
Managing Director Europe, Work & Co
"Thomas is one of the most exceptional technologists and leaders I've worked with. He was always a trusted partner when attempting to determine the right solution. Thomas always works at full scale - he has all of the details at his grasp along with highly strategic thinking."
Managing Director LA, Work & Co

Continuous Learning

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

M.Sc. Computer Science

Service-Oriented Architectures, Machine Learning

Carnegie Mellon University

M.Sc. Thesis Researcher

Humanoid Robotics, Speech Recognition

University of Massachusetts

Full Scholarship Graduate School

Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Processing

MIT Sloan

Executive Business Education

Innovation Leadership, Corporate Strategy

Harvard Extension School

Professional Program

Data Science, Statistical Analysis

Wharton

Executive Certificate

Business Analytics, Decision Making

Available for Engagements

Get in Touch

Fractional CTO, AI strategy consulting, and technology advisory services for enterprises and scale-ups.