Should Product and Engineering Sit Under One Leader?

This session examines two opposing views on unifying product and engineering under a single CPTO. One side argues that combining functions removes friction, clarifies priorities and strengthens customer focus. The other side argues that separating product and engineering creates healthier tension, clearer ownership and better technical depth. Drawing on Ellen’s experience stepping into a unified CPTO role at Synctera, and Deb Kawamoto’s experience at Vanta leading through hypergrowth, shifting design into a more strategic role, and navigating blurred ownership across AI, data, product and engineering, the debate challenges assumptions about alignment, autonomy and organisational design. Together, they will explore what happens when traditional boundaries stop reflecting how modern teams actually build.

Debate Outcomes:

• Compare the benefits and risks of unifying product and engineering under one leader.
• Explore how ownership shifts when teams are building across AI, data, compliance and product at the same time.
• Understand how customer problem ownership can support or undermine functional clarity.
• Gain insight into when organisational unity accelerates delivery and when it creates new bottlenecks.
• Consider how strategic design leadership can reshape decision-making in cross-functional teams.