What is a CEngO?

Firstly, some personal news, I was recently promoted to Chief Engineering Officer (CEngO) at Element, after serving as Element’s VP Engineering for the past seven years. I’m hugely proud of this step, and even more proud to be part of Element and the wider Matrix community.

So what does a CEngO do?

CEngO is a relatively rare title, so it’s worth explaining what it means and how it fits alongside other engineering leadership roles.

The CEngO is a core member of the CxO leadership team responsible for helping steer the company as a whole. While the role is rooted in engineering, its focus is cross-functional: aligning technology with business strategy and ensuring engineering is a force multiplier across the company.

A CEngO typically:

Works with fellow CxOs to define and drive company strategy.
Translates strategy into high-performing, consistent engineering delivery – ideally with smiles along the way.
Builds and scales the engineering organisation, focusing on team structure, culture, and performance.
Defines and continuously improves engineering processes – covering everything from testing and release workflows to incident response and cross-org collaboration.

CEngO vs CTO: What’s the difference?

Both roles are executive-level technical leaders, but they emphasise different things. The CTO is typically focused on long-term technology direction, innovation, and architecture. The CEngO focuses on engineering delivery, operational excellence, and building a scalable, effective engineering organization.

At Element, we have both roles by design. Our CEO (and CTO), Matthew, brings deep technical insight and vision as the technical co-founder of the Matrix protocol. This dual role makes sense for our mission, and by having a dedicated CEngO, we ensure that engineering execution remains strong and closely aligned with company goals. It’s a complementary structure – one that plays to our strengths.

CEngO vs VP Engineering: What changes?

There’s natural overlap, but the key difference is scope. A VP Engineering focuses on engineering leadership, with influence across the organization. A CEngO carries broader executive responsibility, contributing to company-wide decisions while still being accountable for the success of engineering.