Tom Cochran
Fractional CTO & Growth Advisor to CEOs & Boards
“Credibility is not something you’re given. It’s something you earn by listening first, then leading.”
About Me
I’m a fractional technology and growth executive working at the intersection of AI adoption, governance, and organizational change.
From the White House Situation Room to the boardroom, I help leaders navigate change with clarity.
My career has operated at the intersection of technology, government, and media. As a presidential appointee in the Obama White House and U.S. State Department, and later as CTO of The Atlantic, I didn’t just witness digital transformation. I led the teams that defined it, with accountability built in from the start.
My foundation is technical: I was the first engineer at the digital firm that powered $1.2 billion in grassroots fundraising for two presidential campaigns. Today, I translate that deep technical fluency into executive strategy by helping PE-backed firms, growth-stage ventures, and institutional organizations bridge the gap between complex systems and principled leadership.
My insights on trust, transparency, and decision-making appear in the Harvard Business Review and The Washington Post. My current work focuses on helping leaders navigate AI adoption — containing the risks and accelerating the innovations that compound.
Who I Work With
I help leaders in technology, media, policy, and mission-driven organizations grow their teams, simplify their systems, and lead with clarity when the stakes are high.
Founders
in Transition
Translate vision into language that moves people.
I help founders close the gap between what they’ve built and how the market understands it. We sharpen positioning, align the narrative across stakeholders, and make the complex thing legible to the people who fund it, buy it, or join it.
Executives
Under Pressure
Contain risk while accelerating what compounds.
I help executives identify which risks to mitigate and which innovations to amplify. Together, we build the decision frameworks that let leadership move quickly without outrunning the organization’s ability to absorb change.
Operators
Facing Complexity
Navigate governance and multi-stakeholder complexity.
I help leaders build alignment across partners, regulators, and internal teams. Together, we clarify governance, simplify decision rights, and build the trust infrastructure that lets technology deliver on its promise.
Where I’ve Worked
From managing a $40 million global diplomacy operation at the State Department to overseeing $20–25 million P&Ls in the private sector, I’ve helped institutions scale responsibly and built global digital platforms to engage millions.
Oversaw WhiteHouse.gov and co-created “We the People,” the petition site that helped millions engage with government.
Led a 140-person team and $40M digital effort to modernize U.S. diplomacy, expand outreach, and build global trust.
Led digital transformation as CTO of The Atlantic and Quartz, reshaping platforms, teams, and audience strategy.
Built the original tech stack enabling $1.2B in donations across major presidential campaigns.
Led a $25M business unit driving digital transformation for federal agencies, nonprofits, and global enterprises.
Oversaw $20M P&L and led integrated marketing ops to modernize client strategy, content, and communications.
Where I’ve Spoken
Over the past decade, I’ve spoken in more than 20 countries at events ranging from private briefings at the New Zealand Parliament to global stages like ad:tech Tokyo, the Dublin Tech Summit, and Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If you’re organizing a gathering and want to explore these themes, feel free to reach out.
Let’s Start a Conversation
I take on a limited number of advisory and speaking engagements each year. If you’re facing a key decision or preparing for change, feel free to reach out.