Shopify CTO Mikhail Parakhin steps down to become advisor

Shopify Chief Technology Officer Mikhail Parakhin is departing his position after just over two years leading the engineering organization at the Ottawa-based retail technology firm ^[1]. The executive is not leaving the company entirely, transitioning instead into an advisor role ^[1].

Parakhin stepped into the chief technology officer post in late 2024 to oversee technical operations across the platform ^[1]. Prior to his time at Shopify, Parakhin built an extensive engineering track record, having previously served as the chief technology officer of Yandex and holding multiple senior executive roles at Microsoft ^[1].

Addressing the executive shift, a Shopify spokesperson noted that Parakhin made a lasting impact across the engineering team during his tenure, stating that "Mikhail has left an indelible mark on the company and has helped us level up" ^[1]. Shopify did not disclose further leadership changes ^[1].