Fractional CIO and technology governance for the MD and board
Technology decisions your board can stand behind.
Fractional CIO and technology advisory for managing directors and boards of established businesses, including groups built by acquisition. Senior ownership of technology investment, core systems and AI.
Level 2 Reactive(2.4 out of 5)
- Ownership1.7
- Bid→budget3.7
- Commercial/CVR1.7
- Payments/CIS3
- Supply chain3
- Cyber1.7
- Compliance2.3
- Data3
- Adoption2.3
- AI1.9
Your data chain: breaks in 3 places
- Bid → Budget Trusted
- Site Re-keyed / manual
- Valuation/CVR Re-keyed / manual
- Payments Partly manual
- Board pack Partly manual
- Handover Re-keyed / manual
Your top three priorities
- 1 · Cyber · 1.7 You may not recover as quickly as you think S10: you said “Never thought about it”
- 2 · Ownership · 1.7 Technology risk may have no clear owner S1: you said “Nobody specifically”
- 3 · Commercial/CVR · 1.7 Margins may rest on re-keyed site data S5: you said “Paper or photos”
Advising boards and executive teams since 2010. 25+ years in technology and business roles. Over four years as Fractional CIO to a national engineering and construction group: roadmap, governance and three core-system implementations, then handover to a permanent appointment.
Ian also runs his own technology business on a near fully AI-native operating model, so advice on AI comes from making those decisions, not reading about them.
Clarity where it matters. Control where it counts. Progress that continues.
Strategy papers and frameworks do not, by themselves, tell a board that technology risk is under control. Organisations need senior judgement where decisions are made — on operating model, investment, suppliers, core systems and, increasingly, AI — before unmanaged risk becomes the cost of progress.
- 01
See clearly
Understand the technology and AI position, material exposure, and what needs attention first.
- 02
Decide with confidence
Align strategy, operating model, investment and governance so leadership can act.
- 03
Keep moving
Change and innovate without leaving accountability and control behind.
Where to start
The right intervention for the decision in front of you.
Every engagement is fixed in scope. Start with the trigger you face now; build what you need next.
- 01 Frame the decision
- 02 See the position
- 03 Build the model
- 04 Lead the change
- 05 Assure & recover
- 06 Sustain leadership & capability
Who we work with
MDs who need someone at board level to own technology.
Established mid-sized UK construction and engineering firms, with growth and performance targets to deliver. Our deepest recent experience is in engineering and construction. Many have a capable IT manager or head of IT. What is missing is someone senior who owns the investment plan, the core-system decisions, supplier and cyber risk, and the board's questions on AI. That is the role we fill, working with your IT team rather than replacing it.
- Managing directors
- Group boards
- Chairs
Sectors we know
- Professional services
- Engineering & construction
- Agriculture
- Financial services
- Public sector
Questions for your next board meeting
- Who owns technology and AI risk at board level?
- How often does the board see a report on technology and cyber risk?
- What is the firm's position on AI tools?
Start here
The decisions are already on the table.
Calm, candid advice for complex technology and governance choices.
Not in engineering or construction? Try the scorecard for other sectors