Fractional CTO and CIO leadership, without the full-time commitment

We join your leadership team on a part-time basis and take operational responsibility for the technology direction. This is not consulting. We are in the room, making decisions, and accountable for outcomes.

IN SHORT

The essentials

What it is. Senior technology leadership without the full-time commitment, from one day a month.
Who it is for. Scaleups needing a credible technology voice at board level.
Who does it. A named senior practitioner with 15+ years’ experience. No rotating associates.

How it works. Accountable for outcomes, present at your meetings, embedded in the work.
Flexible. From coaching an existing lead to running the whole function.
Built to hand back. Knowledge transfer, not dependency.

HOW IT WORKS

From onboarding to steady state

Onboarding

The first month is higher intensity to understand the business, the team, the technology estate, the board dynamics, and the immediate priorities. We produce a technology strategy and an initial 90-day plan. If preceded by a Technology Review, onboarding is faster because the diagnostic is already done.

Steady state

Regular cadence with your leadership team. Time is used flexibly across leadership meetings, 1:1s with your technical staff, vendor oversight, strategic planning, and ad-hoc problem solving. Weekly touchpoint plus deeper sessions as needed.

Duration

Minimum three months. Most engagements renew and run for twelve months or longer. Our longest-running fractional relationship has been continuous since 2023.

ENGAGEMENT MODELS

Three tiers

Executive Advisory

Best for businesses that have a CTO or technical lead but need senior oversight, coaching, or a sounding board.

Fractional CTO / CIO

Best for businesses that need someone to hold the full technology leadership function on a part-time basis.

Intensive / Interim

Best for businesses in transition, post-acquisition, or running significant technology change programmes. Higher time commitment, broader scope.

Engagements can be priced as a fixed fee or a day rate, whichever you prefer. We will discuss the right model and pricing on the scoping call.

Which engagement model fits?

	Executive Advisory	Fractional CTO / CIO	Intensive / Interim
Best for	You have a CTO or technical lead and want senior oversight, coaching or a sounding board	You need someone to hold the full technology leadership function part-time	You are in transition, post-acquisition, or running a significant technology change programme
What we do	Advise and challenge at board level, and mentor your existing technical leader	Own the technology strategy and roadmap, manage teams and suppliers, sit in leadership meetings, accountable for outcomes	Hands-on leadership through a defined programme, with broader scope and higher intensity
Time commitment	Light, from one day a month	Typically one to three days a week	High, up to near full-time for a defined period
Accountability	Advisory, your team owns delivery	We hold the leadership role and are accountable for outcomes	Full leadership accountability for the duration
Typical duration	Ongoing, flexes with need	Months to years	Defined programme, then step down

Every engagement is led by a named senior practitioner with 15+ years in the seat, priced as a fixed fee or a day rate, with knowledge transfer built in so the improvements stay after we step back.

What changes

What is different once we are in the room

The board gets answers to technology questions in language they understand. Vendor conversations have someone technical on your side of the table. Hiring decisions are shaped by someone who has built and led teams at scale.

Architecture choices are connected to business outcomes, not just engineering preference. And your existing technical team gets a senior leader who is invested in their development, not a consultant passing through.

How we deliver

Always named, always senior

We match each engagement to the practitioner whose background fits the context. The right person for a fintech re-platform is not the right person for a care technology review. Always named, always senior, always accountable.

Because our practitioners operate across multiple businesses simultaneously, insights from one context sharpen judgment in the next. That breadth is the advantage a fractional model offers over a single-company hire.

For investors

For PE/VC firms and non-executive directors

We work with investors and board members who need independent technology oversight of portfolio companies. Our Board Observer role provides strategic advice to founding teams with regular reporting to the investor. We currently hold this role for a Development Bank of Wales portfolio company.

If you are looking for a fractional CTO or interim CIO for a portfolio business, we can scope an engagement directly.

Is this right for you?

You should consider fractional leadership if….

Your leadership team needs a senior technology voice but cannot justify or fill a full-time hire.

You need someone who can translate between your technical team and your board.

You have a strong technical lead who is brilliant at delivery but needs someone to hold the strategic picture.

You are between CTOs and need experienced leadership while you recruit.

You have been through a difficult technology hire or project and want experienced oversight before committing again.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently asked

What is a fractional CTO?

A fractional CTO is an experienced technology leader who joins your leadership team part-time and takes operational responsibility for technology direction. You get senior, accountable leadership and decision-making without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. A fractional CTO covers the same remit as a full-time Chief Technology Officer, on a part-time basis.

How many days a week does a fractional CTO work?

It varies with the engagement. After a higher-intensity first month to understand the business, most settle into a regular weekly or fortnightly cadence, with time used flexibly across leadership meetings, one-to-ones, vendor conversations and strategic work. We agree the right shape with you on the scoping call.

Is a fractional CTO the same as a consultant?

They are different. A consultant advises and then leaves you to act on it. A fractional CTO stays in the room, makes decisions, and is accountable for outcomes, owning the technology leadership function rather than producing recommendations from the outside.

When should a business hire a fractional CTO instead of a full-time CTO?

A fractional CTO makes sense when you need a senior technology voice but cannot yet justify or fill a full-time role, when you are between CTOs, or when a strong delivery lead needs someone to hold the strategic and board-facing side. It is also a good fit during transition, post-acquisition, or significant change.

Can a fractional CTO manage our development team?

Yes. A fractional CTO can lead and line-manage your engineering team, set priorities, improve delivery, and act as the bridge between the team and the board. The level of hands-on management is agreed up front and shaped around how your team already works.

What is the difference between a fractional CTO and a fractional CIO?

Broadly, a CTO focuses on the technology you build and how you build it, including architecture, product engineering and delivery. A CIO focuses on the technology you run, including internal systems, infrastructure and operations. We match the right profile to the question you actually have.

Can a fractional CTO or CIO help get you Cyber Essentials certified?

Yes. A ScaleAround fractional CTO scopes the work, fixes the technical gaps and owns the remediation through to assessment, while our partner BeeSec runs the certification itself. We hold Cyber Essentials ourselves and have taken clients through the same process, so you get hands-on help to pass it rather than a list of things to go and sort out.

How long do fractional CTO engagements last?

Engagements run for a minimum of three months. Most renew and continue for twelve months or longer, evolving as your needs change. Our longest-running engagements span several years.

Will a fractional CTO clash with our existing tech team?

No. The role is designed to support and strengthen your existing team rather than compete with it. A good fractional CTO provides oversight, coaching and a strategic sounding board, so your technical people are set up to succeed rather than second-guessed.

How much will a fractional CTO or CIO cost?

UK fractional CTO day rates typically run from around £800 to £2,000 depending on seniority and scope. We work on a fixed fee or a day rate, whichever suits you, agreed on a free scoping call and starting from one day a month. See our fractional CTO cost page for the full breakdown.

“Oliver is direct, well organised, and brings a level of clarity that is hard to find. To add to that he is a pleasure to be around. I would recommend him to any organisation looking for interim technology leadership that actually moves things forward.”

Sharron Gunnn
Group CEO, BCS (The chartered Institute for IT)

WHERE WE WORK

Fractional CTO leadership, near you

Fractional CTO in Cardiff

On the ground in Cardiff and South Wales

Fractional CTO in Wales

Across Wales, with the funding ecosystem in mind.

Technology leadership, South Wales

The full range across the M4 corridor.

Fractional CTO across the UK

National reach, remote-first, names senior practitioners.

Engagements can be priced as a fixed fee or a day rate, whichever you prefer. We will discuss the right model and pricing on the scoping call.

Get Started

Start a conversation

A 30-minute scoping call. We will ask about your situation, tell you honestly whether we can help, and if it makes sense, outline next steps. No pitch deck. No pressure. No charge.

Book a scoping call