Interim and fractional IT Director.
For established businesses that need IT run properly. I step in as your IT Director or Head of IT, steady things quickly, and leave you with a clear roadmap, reliable suppliers and a team that can run it.
Also known asFractional IT DirectorInterim IT DirectorIT DirectorHead of ITHead of IT Infrastructure
When IT needs a steady, senior hand.
IT has grown up by accident.
A patchwork of systems, suppliers and workarounds that nobody fully understands, and that the business depends on every day.
Your IT lead or provider is leaving.
Someone needs to take over the network, cloud, Microsoft 365, voice and desktops quickly, without disrupting the business.
Costs keep climbing.
Cloud, licences and support contracts grow every year, with no clear view of what is needed and what is waste.
Security and compliance pressure.
Cyber questionnaires, regulators, GDPR, customer audits and phishing need a credible, documented answer.
Moves, mergers and acquisitions.
Office moves, new sites, acquisitions and due diligence all land on IT, usually at short notice.
Manual work everywhere.
Staff re-key data between systems and run the business on spreadsheets, because nothing talks to anything else.
IT run properly, and handed back in better shape.
IT strategy and roadmap
A prioritised, affordable roadmap linked to the organisation’s goals and any operating-model change.
Infrastructure and cloud
Azure, Microsoft 365, networks, VPNs, firewalls and voice, designed and managed so they simply work.
Identity and security
Entra ID, two-factor authentication, security policies, phishing tests and penetration testing.
Systems and automation
Business systems connected, manual processes automated, and the website and back office working together.
Suppliers and contracts
Master services agreements, statements of work and service levels, negotiated and then managed.
Continuity and recovery
Disaster recovery and business continuity plans that are written, tested and proven to work.
Where I have done this before.
Pollen Street Capital
Head of IT Infrastructure
Took over all infrastructure from an exiting IT unit in two weeks, across three offices while onboarding a fourth. Led the technology for a move to new offices, including leased lines, the comms room and structured cabling. Cut Azure and Office 365 costs by around 30% and advised on IT due diligence for acquisitions.
NetOTC
Corporate IT Manager
Turned a haphazard set of systems into a managed estate fit for a regulated financial firm. Owned a £2M IT budget, the roadmap, security policy and all supplier contracts. Relocated the entire 40-seat office over a single weekend on three weeks’ notice, with new telecoms, a new comms room and every piece of equipment moved and running.
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.
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 do you work with our existing IT support company?
Alongside them. Your IT support company keeps handling the day-to-day fixes, while I set the direction, hold them to clear service levels and check the bigger decisions. If they cannot deliver, I will help you replace them.
How quickly can you take over?
I am used to starting fast. At Pollen Street Capital I took over all infrastructure from an exiting IT unit within two weeks, across three offices, without disrupting the business.
Do you work with regulated businesses?
Yes. I have worked across finance, private equity, insurance and FinTech, including bringing a firm’s IT up to the standard needed to become a regulated financial entity.
Is this hands-on?
Yes. I set the direction and manage suppliers, and I am equally comfortable configuring the firewall or writing the automation script myself when that is the quickest route.
The same person, in a different role.
Fractional CTO
I take the senior technology seat for a few days a month. Strategy and roadmap, architecture, budgets, suppliers, security and hiring, reported to the board in plain English.
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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.