Fractional CTO, part time and hands-on.
For founders and boards who need a senior technology leader, but not yet a full-time one. I take the CTO seat for a set number of days a month: strategy, architecture, suppliers, hiring and the board, with the hands-on depth to check the detail myself.
Also known asFractional CTOPart-time CTOInterim CTOHead of Technology
You need senior technical leadership, not another full-time hire.
No senior technical lead.
Founders are making architecture, hiring and supplier decisions without someone who has made them before, and the cost of getting them wrong is rising.
The platform will not carry the next stage.
What got you here is creaking. Releases are slow, outages are more frequent, and growth is exposing the gaps.
Your CTO has left.
Interim cover keeps the team and delivery steady while you recruit, and helps you hire the right permanent person.
Investors are asking technical questions.
Roadmaps, risk, security and due diligence need answers a board and investors can rely on.
Development spend keeps rising.
Agency or team costs grow every quarter without matching output, and nobody can say clearly why.
AI is on the agenda.
You want to use AI tools and coding agents sensibly, for real gains, without creating security or quality problems.
The CTO seat, a few days a month.
Strategy and roadmap
A clear, prioritised and affordable technology roadmap, tied to what the business is actually trying to achieve.
Architecture decisions
Build or buy, repair or rewrite, which cloud and which tools. Decisions made on cost, risk, practicality and speed.
Team and hiring
Shape the team, set the technical tests, interview and onboard senior hires, and mentor the people you already have.
Suppliers and costs
Review quotes and contracts, hold agencies and integrators to account, and cut spend that is not earning its keep.
Security and resilience
Secure-by-design standards, penetration testing, disaster recovery and GDPR, built in rather than bolted on.
Board reporting
Plain-English updates on progress, risk and spend, so the board can make decisions with confidence.
Where I have done this before.
Constructionline
Platform Infrastructure Lead
Built the Azure Production, UAT and Dev platforms for a greenfield SaaS product serving 100,000 customers across the UK and Europe. Ran production support and cut the service ticket backlog from 1,000 tickets to single figures. Also advised on development, security, testing and performance.
Inheritable
Founder, architect and engineer
Designed, built and launched an encrypted life planner on the web, iOS, Android and as a browser extension. Row-level security, layered encryption and an independent penetration test, built quickly with AI and coding agents under my own security review.
Royal Mail
Solutions Architect
Assured the proposals of a tier-one global systems integrator, the group’s main IT supplier. Showed how a project they quoted at 395 days could be delivered in five using internal resources, saving around £100k per project.
Three simple steps.
- 01
A free conversation
30 minutes to tell me what is going on. We work out whether I am the right person to help.
- 02
A short review
I look at your systems, team, suppliers and plans, and give you a clear written view with priorities. For smaller businesses, this is the fixed-price Independent IT Review.
- 03
The right engagement
An advisory retainer, a few days a month, a defined project, or interim cover. Whatever the review shows you need.
Where I am not the right fit.
Being clear about this up front saves us both time.
- Day-to-day IT support. Fixing individual laptops, printers or passwords. Your IT support company is better placed for that, and I can help you get more from them.
- A developer by the day. Hands-on work, yes, but as part of owning the outcome, not as an extra pair of hands without the senior responsibility.
- Equity-only roles. Work paid only in shares. I am happy to talk about how an engagement is structured, but partial ownership is a long-term route, not a consulting one.
- Rubber-stamping. Signing off a decision that has already been made. If I think it is the wrong call, I will say so.
- Technology for its own sake. AI, a rebuild or a new platform where a simpler, cheaper option would do the job just as well.
Common questions.
How many days a month do you work?
It depends on the need. Typically a set number of days each month, with more at the start or around key decisions. We agree it up front and review it as things change.
What is the difference between a fractional and an interim CTO?
An interim CTO covers a gap, often close to full time, until a permanent hire starts. A fractional CTO is an ongoing part-time role. I do both.
Can you work alongside our developers or agency?
Yes. I set direction, review designs and code where it helps, and hold in-house teams and external suppliers to clear standards.
Will you help us hire a permanent CTO?
Yes. I can help define the role, run the technical assessment and interviews, and hand over properly once the right person is in place.
The same person, in a different role.
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Tell me what you’re working on.
A few lines is enough. I’ll reply personally, and if I’m not the right fit I’ll tell you, and point you to someone who is, if I can. The first 30-minute conversation is free.
Prefer a call? Leave your number in the form and I’ll ring you back.