In this episode of CTO2CTO, Lucas Hendrich, CTO at Forte Group, sits down with Christopher Penido, CTO at Louis Vuitton, to talk about what it means to lead technology in one of the world’s most iconic luxury brands.
Their conversation covers everything from digital literacy in the boardroom to implementing blockchain for product authenticity, and why technology is only part of the story. What really matters is trust, storytelling, and staying connected: to the customer, to the brand, and to each other.
Here are a few highlights from their conversation:
“I probably would not have bet that I would’ve gotten here, even if I wanted to,” says Christopher, reflecting on his early career. Raised in Queens and trained in Romance languages, his path into technology wasn’t linear. But a passion for systems, learning, and communication led him to build a foundation in security and IT that eventually opened the door to a role few imagine: CTO at Louis Vuitton.
What pushed him to keep going? “If I truly worked hard toward the goal… and stayed with that mindset of being ‘too school for cool,’ it would propel me forward,” he says. “And it did.”
At Louis Vuitton, technology serves a bigger purpose: preserving the story behind every product. Pinedo explains how blockchain has become part of that effort. “Knowing the provenance of supplies, materials, which artisan touched something; that’s embedded in the organization,” he says. “It builds not only legitimacy, but reinstalls the trust.”
This extends to everything from data security to customer experience. “Security isn’t a department,” Christopher says. “It’s everybody’s job.”
Christopher doesn't just focus on customer experience. He’s also passionate about improving the employee experience. “We’ve focused so much on the consumer experience that we’ve ignored what it feels like to work here,” he says.
He points to something simple but telling: the help desk. “It’s ironic to me that tech people have created these fragmented experiences, and no one is questioning the value of them.”
“Ironically, my job as a CTO is less about technology and more about people,” Christopher says. It’s a theme that comes up again and again in the conversation.
On GenAI and automation, he’s pragmatic: “The tech is available. If it benefits your business, use it. But don’t assume the surface-level stuff (chatbots, copilots) is the real opportunity.”
The real impact of AI, he says, lies in improving how work is done behind the scenes, in making tools that actually serve humans. “Jeff Bezos said it best: AI’s biggest impact is what it does for you quietly.”
Whether he’s leading a data center migration or crafting a customer experience, Pinedo is always connecting the dots between people, culture, and technology.
“I think we’re in a phase where we’re all learning a new language,” he says of AI and modern tech. “Eventually, we’ll adopt it in the right ways. But we need to stay grounded in creativity, trust, and the human experience.”
Listen to the full episode for more insights from Christopher Penido on leadership, innovation, and building technology that earns trust.
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