] Michael introduces Timothy Branham and asks him to share an interesting tidbit about himself — Tim is a third-degree black belt and teaches Moo Duk Kwan, a form of Taekwondo.   He explains who Autoweb are and what they do — as well as what car he drives!   BENEFITS FOR ALL CAREER PATHS [7:55] Tim shares what people on different career paths can take away from this conversation.   CIO VS CTO [10:07] From simple to more complex differences, Tim shares his definition of a CTO and a CIO and how they diverge.   WHY A CTO [11:38] Tim’s non-traditional career path had a huge impact on why — and how — he came to be interested in the CIO/CTO position.   FUJITSU DAYS [14:18] Coming in as VP CTO Application Services, to SVP CIO, Tim walks us through his progression at Fujitsu. He also breaks down how he came to underscore and overcome the company’s shortcomings and empowered his teams to bridge the technological gaps.   WHY LEAVE FUJITSU [23:54] Tim breaks down how he came to take the decision to leave the company, both on the professional and personal side. He also shares how the conversation went with the executives.   BEST CTO PREP [28:41] Consulting has contributed a great deal to Tim reaching the CTO role, he shares what aspects of it come into play. He also touches on the importance of adapting to the needs of your company.   [33:59] Tim shares what experience he wishes he had had before getting the role.   BIG AND SMALL [36:54] From being a small fish in a big pond to a big fish in a small pond, Tim details how breaking away from the industry giants also helped him break the ceiling on his career progression. Tim touches on how the different sized companies each helped build his experience and pave the way for a CTO role.   ASPIRING CTOs AND CIOs [41:16] Look for opportunities to build trust within a company, keep pushing and remember that there is no passive path to the C-suite; Tim shares these and other critical pieces of advice.   [44:36] Tim shares a mentorship story from his Siemens days.   EXECUTIVE HIRING [47:26] Hire people that don’t suck as people is a piece of advice Tim got years ago and that still sticks, he shares some of the other qualities he looks for.   BEST WORST JOB TIMOTHY EVER HAD [49:44] Fujitsu — it’s a good thing! Tim explains why.   FINAL THOUGHTS AND READING RECOMMENDATIONS [55:26] Be a voracious reader: Tim shares his reading list.   [58:08] Michael thanks Timothy for coming on the podcast to share his insight and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.   We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please give us 5 stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Moo Duk Kwan Books: 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You, by John C. Maxwell The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick Lencioni Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It, by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz   SPECIAL THANKS TO Jalan Crossland for the music Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search Joseph Batty at Podfly Corey Coates at Podfly   ABOUT YOUR HOST For the past 20 years, Michael Mitchel, B.A., has been interviewing leaders in their fields. He started his career recruiting for United Parcel Service in Seattle, where he implemented the company's Welfare to Work program for the Washington State District. He has recruited for Federal agencies and U.S. Department of Defense contractors for classified programs internationally. He Founded OC Executive Search in 2001 to serve companies ranging from startups to Global F10.   Michael is an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Navy and enjoys skiing, cycling, traveling, photography as well as hiking in the Colorado Rockies with his cattle dog, Kala the Wunderdawg.   FIND MICHAEL MITCHEL ON LINKEDIN AND ON TWITTER