Organizational Structure

Abstract This chapter examines the organizational structure of Conti, breaking it down into four key aspects: hierarchy, workspace and workflow, recruitment, and compensation. It begins by analyzing Conti’s internal hierarchy, tracing roles from senior leadership—including Stern, the de facto CEO—to specialized positions such as malware developers, hackers, and negotiators. The chapter then explores Conti’s workspace dynamics, revealing similarities with conventional workplaces, including structured workflows, regular updates, and discussions on remote versus office-based work arrangements. The recruitment process is also examined, highlighting Conti’s struggle with high turnover and its efforts to attract and vet new members. Finally, the chapter details Conti’s compensation and reward system, showing how performance-based incentives were intended to drive productivity but were applied inconsistently by Stern and his senior management. These insights reveal how Conti functioned as a structured yet volatile organization, balancing professionalized operations with internal instability.