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David Kavanagh

David Kavanagh

CTO & Product Leader | Board Advisor | Driving Tech Innovation & High-Performing Teams

London Area, United Kingdom
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Joined August 2025
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Network

8.8K connections
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Startup Software Engineers
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PropTech Real Estate Innovators
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Tillo Engineering Product
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Tillo Commercial Operations
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FinTech

Summary

David Kavanagh is a highly experienced Chief Technology Officer with a proven track record of leading significant digital and organizational transformations. He excels in building and scaling technical teams, moving organizations from nascent or outsourced tech structures to robust, in-house capabilities, as demonstrated during his tenure as founding CTO at Purplebricks. co+1
He is a strong advocate for a 'people-first' approach in technology leadership, emphasizing empowerment, autonomy, and continuous learning within engineering teams. David believes in fostering a culture of curiosity and innovation to drive results and mastery of craft, treating software practitioners as intelligent individuals capable of exponential productivity when given the right environment. youtube+2
Kavanagh is a strategic technologist who champions cloud-first and modern architectural principles, including DevOps, containerization, serverless, and microservices. His experience shows a clear ability to leverage cutting-edge technologies to enhance business outcomes and create resilient, scalable platforms in dynamic industries. co+1
Beyond his executive roles, David acts as a thought leader and advisor within the tech community, serving as a Non-Executive Director, a Tech Advisor for Zinc Ventures, a coach for CTO Academy, and a Gartner Ambassador. He frequently shares his insights on CTO roles, software delivery, and technology strategy through articles on Medium and LinkedIn, and participates in industry podcasts and conferences. theorg+3

Work

Education

Writing

What does a CTO do Daddy?

July 1, 2019

An article explaining the role of a CTO, prompted by his youngest son's curiosity, detailing the responsibilities and impact of the position.

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The secret sauce of software delivery in a disruptive industry.

July 1, 2019

Reflects on his experience as CTO at Purplebricks, outlining three key ingredients for successful software delivery: people first, effective ways of working, and appropriate technology, emphasizing the importance of team culture and empowerment.

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Empowering home buyers with technology

March 1, 2019

Discusses how technology can empower consumers, specifically within the home buying process, drawing on his experience in the proptech sector.

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Purplebricks CTO David Kavanagh explains why the firmโ€™s founders sought to bring in IT expertise

January 1, 2016

An interview explaining the early technological challenges at Purplebricks and his role in building an in-house IT team and robust platform for the online estate agency.

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