Fractional CTO

What a fractional CTO actually does

A fractional CTO is not a part-time commentator. The role is leadership with accountability, delivered at the level of time your business genuinely needs. Done properly, it means making hard calls, improving delivery rhythm, setting technical standards, and giving the board confidence that technology is managed, not improvised.

There is plenty of noise online about “fractional leadership”. Most of it is branding. In reality, this role is operational. You are responsible for hiring decisions, architecture direction, budget trade-offs, supplier performance, delivery planning, and risk management. You are also responsible for translating technology to commercial outcomes in plain English.

My approach is practical and direct. I work with founders, boards, and technology teams to set clear priorities, tighten execution, and remove avoidable risk. I have done this from inside PE-backed environments where pace matters and mistakes are expensive.

When you need one

Post-acquisition: New ownership often exposes weaknesses in systems, reporting, and team structure. I help stabilise quickly and align technology with the value-creation plan.

Pre-scale: Growth is starting to outpace current architecture and delivery practices. I help design an operating model that can scale without constant firefighting.

CTO departure: Leadership gaps create drift fast. A fractional CTO provides immediate continuity while you decide whether to recruit permanent leadership.

Strategy gaps: If board conversations are full of technical updates but short on commercial clarity, you need stronger technology leadership and sharper translation to outcomes.

How I work

I typically work 2–3 days per week, embedded with your leadership and engineering teams. That is usually enough time to lead effectively without creating unnecessary overhead.

I set a clear cadence: weekly leadership priorities, delivery reviews, risk tracking, and board-ready reporting. I make sure key decisions are documented and actioned, not left in meeting notes. I work hands-on where needed, especially when delivery confidence is low or architecture choices are blocking growth.

You get board-level visibility and team-level momentum. I am direct about what is working, what is not, and what should change first.

What I bring

I led technology through 22 acquisition integrations across five countries, in a PE-backed environment with high delivery expectations. I co-founded InfoSaaS and took it through sale to private equity in 2021. I have advised on £300m+ of PE and VC investment decisions.

Earlier in my career, I spent four years at McLaren, including trackside work in Formula 1. That background shaped my operating style: disciplined preparation, data-led decisions, and clear accountability under pressure.

I also build teams. Not just org charts — teams that can execute consistently, communicate clearly, and deliver commercially useful outcomes.

Fractional vs interim vs full-time CTO

Fractional CTO: Best when you need senior capability quickly but your scale does not yet justify a full-time executive. Efficient, focused, and flexible.

Interim CTO: Best during acute transition or crisis where temporary full-time intensity is required for a defined period.

Full-time CTO: Best when technology complexity and organisational scale justify a permanent executive role and succession depth.

I am honest about fit. If your business needs a permanent CTO now, I will say so. If you need six to twelve months of focused leadership before that decision, fractional is usually the right move.