Strategic Growth Ahead: Cleo Credo’s CTO Appointment Signals New Era for Full Scale’s Technical Capabilities

Tech companies face increasing challenges in scaling engineering teams, managing technical debt, and finding specialized talent in competitive markets. These challenges are all too familiar for CTOs and VPs of Engineering at growing tech companies.

Full Scale, a leader in building world-class software development teams from the Philippines, is taking a bold step forward by appointing Cleo Credo as Chief Technology Officer. This strategic addition to the leadership team addresses the industry-wide challenges technology leaders face today.

The First Filipina Google Developer Expert Takes the Helm

Cleo Credo brings a powerful combination of technical excellence, global perspective, and human-first leadership to the CTO role. 

She has over a decade of experience building, scaling, and leading development teams across fintech, ride-hailing, and SaaS companies. Now, Credo steps into the position with a proven track record of shipping complex products and transforming engineers into owners—not just coders.

“Cleo isn’t just a world-class technologist. She’s a builder of people, a leader who codes, and a force multiplier for every team she touches. Her vision and values reflect where the future of tech leadership is going—and we’re proud to have her leading ours,” said Matt Watson, CEO of Full Scale.

What makes Credo particularly unique? Her distinction as the first and only Filipina to be named a Google Developer Expert (GDE)—a global recognition reserved for highly respected technical leaders. 

She has represented Google at conferences and developer communities worldwide while remaining deeply rooted in mentoring engineers in the Philippines.

Why This Matters for Technical Leaders

Credo’s appointment represents more than a leadership change for technology executives facing the daily challenges of building and scaling engineering teams. 

It signals Full Scale’s commitment to addressing the core pain points that keep CTOs and engineering leaders awake at night.

1. Talent acquisition and retention in competitive markets: With a 95% developer retention rate at Full Scale, Credo’s leadership approach offers valuable insights into building stable, high-performing teams.
2. Balancing quality and speed: Credo’s experience shipping complex products while maintaining engineering excellence directly addresses the struggle many companies face in accelerating development without compromising standards.
3. Building distributed teams that truly work: Her human-first approach to leadership emphasizes technical excellence while honoring time zones, cultural differences, and personal growth—critical factors in successful distributed team management.
4. Developing engineers who think like owners: Credo’s philosophy transforms developers from task-completers into problem-solvers who take ownership of technical solutions.

A Different Kind of CTO for a Different Kind of Team

Credo’s appointment reflects Full Scale’s growing investment not just in developer quality, but in leadership, diversity, and engineering culture. 

As CTO, she will lead technical strategy for client delivery and internal innovation efforts, including Full Scale Ventures, the company’s startup studio.

“I’ve spent my career writing code, leading teams, and proving that developers thrive when they are seen as engineers, not just executors. Joining Full Scale is a chance to scale that vision—by building product-minded teams, mentoring new leaders, and contributing to innovations across the Ventures and client ecosystem,” Credo said.

Her leadership style centers on three pillars that resonate with engineering leaders across industries:

• Excellence: Building world-class engineers who don’t just complete tasks—they solve problems.
• Empathy: Leading with heart, listening deeply, and creating human-first teams.
• Growth: Staying hands-on to mentor others and keep evolving alongside the tech itself.

A Journey Fueled by Grit and Growth

Credo’s path to the CTO role is as impressive as her technical credentials. 

Her career began early—while still a college student, she took on full-time development work to help support her education. That early experience sparked a passion for building real-world software and ignited a journey that would take her from local startups to global tech conferences.

Since then, she has held leadership roles in fintech, ride-hailing, and software agencies, including as the former CTO of a growing development firm. Alongside her professional work, Credo has helped shape the Philippine tech ecosystem by co-leading community-driven initiatives such as Facebook Developer Circles Cebu, PizzaPy, and React Cebu.

“I’ve always believed that software development is a skill-based field. It’s not a gender-based one. As CTO, I want to help shape teams where engineers are empowered to think critically, lead confidently, and always keep learning,” she shared.

What Does This Mean for the Future?

With Credo at the technical helm, Full Scale is accelerating several key initiatives that address the needs of its primary audience: CTOs, VPs of Engineering, and technical leaders at growing companies.

1. Enhanced Engineering Excellence: Building development teams prioritizing problem-solving over task completion, directly addressing the concerns about code quality and technical debt.
2. Human-First Distributed Teams: Changing how companies think about offshore development by creating teams that honor cultural differences, time zones, and personal growth.
3. Leadership Development Pipeline: Implementing mentorship programs that transform skilled developers into technical leaders and architects.
4. Product-Minded Engineering: Cultivating teams that understand business objectives, not just technical requirements.

The Bottom Line for Technical Leaders

For CTOs and engineering executives facing the challenges of scaling teams quickly while maintaining quality, Credo’s appointment represents an evolution in how distributed development teams can be structured and led. 

With over 300 developers and a 95% retention rate, Full Scale offers a model that gives companies full control, top-tier talent, and the flexibility to scale at startup speed.

As technology leaders continue to navigate the complexities of building high-performing engineering organizations in competitive markets, having the right strategic partners becomes essential. 

Cleo Credo’s leadership at Full Scale represents a vision of technical excellence, empathetic leadership, and an engineering culture that aligns with the industry’s direction.

Know More about Full Scale