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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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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 firm’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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