[THE ROLE] I interviewed for a senior leadership role in Australia that essentially combined three positions into one: Head of Data Science, Head of AI, and Head of Analytics. The role also involved leading a team of 12 people in a flat organizational structure, with no middle management.⠀ [STAGE 1: HR] The first interview was conducted by HR. The interviewer was approachable, clearly had read my CV, and understood my background and experience. She communicated clearly, was well prepared, and was a pleasure to speak with. Overall, it was a very positive experience.⠀ [STAGE 2: THE CTO] The second interview was with the current CTO, and it was a completely different experience. He had no understanding of my background or experience. In fact, he openly admitted that he had only looked at my CV a few minutes before the interview, so he knew virtually nothing about my profile.⠀ [THE INTERVIEW] The interview began by focusing on him. There was no introduction to the company, the product, or the role. Instead, he introduced himself, highlighted his previous experience at Amazon, and expecting me to ask questions about him. The remainder of the interview followed the same pattern. He asked a series of disconnected questions without explaining what he wanted to learn, which aspects of my experience were most relevant, or which projects he was interested in discussing. Given that he had not read my CV, the conversation lacked structure, direction, and purpose.⠀ [TECHNICAL GAPS AND ATTITUDE] He also demonstrated technical gaps. Like being unfamiliar with MLflow, one of the most widely adopted platforms for managing ML and data science workflows. More concerning, however, was his attitude. He came across as arrogant. He did not appear to recognize that every interaction he has, whether with candidates, partners, etc., shapes people's perception of the company and its products. As the CTO, he represents not only himself but also the business. The way he conducted the interview projected an image of poor leadership, inadequate preparation, and a lack of respect for candidates.