For Leaders Targeting Director, VP, or CTO Roles

Reach Director, VP, or CTO Level

The skills that made you a great EM will not make you a great Director. Get coached by VPs and CTOs who will teach you organizational strategy, executive presence, and the political navigation required at the top.

Expert mentors available 60 min sessions 10 mentors online

Find Your Senior Leadership Coach

Mentors from top companies

Sound Familiar?

You're not alone. These are the challenges we hear most.

The Skills Gap is Enormous

Director and VP roles require organizational design, executive communication, budget ownership, and cross-functional strategy. Nobody teaches these skills and you cannot learn them by observation alone.

You Are Invisible to Senior Leadership

You do great work but the executives making promotion decisions barely know your name. You need to build visibility and a leadership brand at the right level.

Politics Become Unavoidable

At the Director+ level, organizational politics are not optional. They are the operating environment. You need to learn to navigate them without compromising your integrity.

Learn Senior Leadership from Those at the Top

Our mentors are current and former VPs, CTOs, and senior Directors who have built organizations, influenced company strategy, and mentored the next generation of leaders. They will help you develop the specific capabilities that separate Directors from EMs.

Find Your Senior Leadership Coach

Organizational Strategy Skills

Learn to design org structures, set multi-team roadmaps, allocate resources, and drive initiatives that span multiple teams and functions.

Executive Communication Coaching

Master the art of communicating up: board presentations, executive reviews, strategy proposals, with the clarity and conciseness that senior leaders expect.

Sponsorship and Visibility Strategy

Your mentor will help you identify and cultivate executive sponsors, build a leadership brand, and ensure your work is visible to the people who make promotion decisions.

Political Navigation Frameworks

Learn to navigate organizational politics ethically and effectively: building coalitions, managing competing agendas, and influencing decisions at the highest levels.

How It Works

Get started in three simple steps

Choose Your Mentor

Browse mentors by company experience, expertise, and availability. Every mentor is vetted and actively working in the industry.

Book a Session

Select a time slot that works for you. Sessions are conducted over video call with screen sharing for hands-on practice.

Get Results

Receive personalized feedback, actionable strategies, and follow-up resources to accelerate your career goals.

Meet Our Mentors

Learn from engineers at the world's top companies

Vinay Bansal

Senior Engineering Leader

Google Nike Startup

Sandeep Kochhar

CTO

Paint Minds Consulting Pvt Ltd Honeywell IBM

Nishant Kumar

Principal Engineer at Microsoft

Microsoft Rackspace Ericsson

Gregory Bates

VP of Engineering, Artificial Intelligence at The Coca-Cola...

Mastercard Kasier Permanente Coca-Cola

These are just a few of our expert mentors. Search for your perfect match →

Success Stories

See how engineers like you achieved their goals

“

My mentor helped me navigate a challenging career transition with genuine empathy. Every session was focused on my specific goals, and the personalized guidance gave me the confidence to land a senior role at a top-tier company.

Ana Reyes

Software Engineer

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The mentorship I received was transformative. My mentor brought deep technical expertise and exceptional communication skills that helped me master system design. I went from struggling with interviews to receiving multiple offers.

Danish Kalim

Software Engineer

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After months of preparation on my own, I knew I needed expert guidance. Choosing BeTopTen was the best decision - my mentor's targeted feedback on my coding and behavioral interviews directly led to my promotion.

Amruta Rathod

Senior Developer

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Director / VP Track

How long does it typically take to go from EM to Director?

Typically 3-5 years, but it varies significantly by company and individual. Some companies have formal Director tracks while others require you to create the opportunity. Your mentor will help you assess the realistic timeline at your company and whether an internal or external path is faster.

Do I need to manage managers to become a Director?

At most companies, yes. Managing managers is a prerequisite for Director roles because it demonstrates you can lead through layers. If you are not managing managers yet, your mentor will help you position yourself for that opportunity and develop the skills in advance.

Is it better to get promoted internally or jump to a Director role externally?

Both paths work. Internal promotions leverage your organizational context and relationships. External hires bring fresh perspective and sometimes come with a level bump. Your mentor will evaluate your specific situation: tenure, company growth, sponsorship strength, and recommend the optimal path.

What is the biggest difference between EM and Director mindset?

EMs optimize for their team. Directors optimize for the organization. The shift from team-level execution to org-level strategy is the most fundamental change. Your mentor will help you practice thinking at the right altitude and communicating at the level executives expect.

Can this coaching help with VP or CTO interviews?

Yes. Senior leadership interviews are fundamentally different from IC or EM interviews. They focus on organizational impact, strategic thinking, executive judgment, and leadership philosophy. Your mentor will prepare you for these specific formats and help you articulate your leadership narrative.

Director / VP Track Find Your Mentor