CTO & Chief AI Officer Advisory
Many organisations face a handful of decisions each year — a platform commitment, a build-versus-buy call, an architecture that will constrain them for a decade — without anyone in post whose job is to get those calls right.
We provide that judgement on a retained basis: someone who knows your estate, attends the meetings that matter, and is accountable for the recommendation rather than selling the next phase of work.
Platforms we typically deliver this on
Scope of the service
Fractional CTO
Ongoing technology leadership: architecture direction, standards, vendor strategy and technical risk, at one to four days a month.
Chief AI Officer advisory
Ownership of AI direction, portfolio and governance where the accountability exists but the role does not.
Board and executive reporting
Translating technical position and risk into material a board can act on, including AI risk reporting.
Vendor and contract review
Independent assessment of proposals, statements of work and platform agreements before they are signed.
Architecture review
Periodic review of significant designs against maintainability, cost, security and lock-in.
Team and capability planning
What to hire, what to develop internally, what to contract, and in what order.
Where this is used
Representative engagements, described at the level our clients permit. Sector and shape are accurate; identifying detail is withheld.
Leadership through a platform transition
A firm without a CTO faced a multi-year platform decision. Two days a month of retained leadership carried the evaluation, the negotiation and the first year of delivery oversight.
Outcome — A decision made with independent technical accountability behind it.
Interim AI leadership during recruitment
An agency created an AI leadership role and expected a nine-month recruitment. We held the portfolio, established governance and briefed the incoming permanent hire.
Outcome — Momentum kept through the vacancy rather than lost to it.
Independent review of a major proposal
A large implementation proposal needed scrutiny the organisation could not provide internally. We reviewed scope, assumptions, pricing and risk allocation and produced a negotiating position.
Outcome — Scope and commercial terms materially improved before signature.
Before you get in touch
How much time is typical?
One to four days a month, with the ability to surge around specific decisions or incidents.
Is there a conflict if you also deliver the work?
We are explicit about it. Where the advisory relationship covers work we could bid on, we either recuse ourselves from the procurement or the advisory scope excludes that decision. You choose which.
What is the minimum engagement?
Six months. Shorter than that and the advisor never learns the estate well enough to be useful.
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