AI decisions are piling up. Someone senior should own them.
Teams run pilots that never reach production, vendors pitch platforms nobody can evaluate, the bill grows, and the board keeps asking what the plan is. A fractional Head of AI, or fractional Chief AI Officer, gives you that judgment for a few days a month, and makes the full-time hire easier when its time comes.
| Starts with | A free advisory session, so you can judge the fit |
|---|---|
| Term | Three months to start, then month to month |
| Time | An agreed number of days each month |
| Where | On site in Hyderabad, or remotely |
| Reports to | Whoever owns the outcome |
| Ends with | A handover to a full-time AI leader, when you are ready for one |
One person accountable for AI priorities, vendors and governance.
A short list of AI bets worth making
Which use cases have a business case, which are theater, and in what order to try them.
Build, buy or wait
Vendor and model selection with the trade-offs written down, including what it will cost at production volume.
Pilots that tell the truth
Each one designed with a baseline and a named owner, so the result is evidence the board can use.
Governance your teams can live with
What agents and coding tools may touch, who approves what, and how you would know afterwards what happened.
The AI bill
Who owns it, what drives it, and where a smaller model does the job.
Bringing the leadership team along
Regular reviews with the CEO and the board in plain language, and training for the leadership team where it is needed.
Retainer, fractional or full-time: pick by where you are.
| AI Advisor retainer | Fractional Head of AI | Full-time Head of AI | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fits when | Someone inside already owns AI and wants a senior second opinion | AI activity is real, but nobody senior owns it yet | AI is central to the product and you know what the role should own |
| Who owns AI decisions | Your team, with our review | We do, accountable to whoever owns the outcome | Your new hire |
| Time from us | Monthly reviews | An agreed number of days each month | None, once the hire is made |
| Term | Month to month | Three months to start, then month to month | Permanent |
| Where we help | Strategy reviews, governance, first look at implementation choices | Priorities, vendors, governance, the bill, board reviews | Defining the role, interviewing and handing over |
Four steps, and a clear end point.
A full-time Head of AI is the obvious answer and often the wrong first step. The role is expensive, slow to hire, and hard to scope before you know what AI should be doing for the business.
If AI is already central to your product and you know what the role should own, hire full-time. A fractional engagement is for the stage before that, when the work is real but the role is still hard to define. Part of the job is making that hire easier.
- Advisory sessionFree. You judge the fit before committing to anything.
- First monthWe review what is already running, talk to the people doing the work, and come back with priorities and the first pilot.
- OngoingAn agreed number of days each month, on site in Hyderabad or remotely, reporting to whoever owns the outcome.
- HandoverWhen you are ready for a full-time AI leader, we help define the role, interview for it and hand over.
Before you write to us.
What is a fractional Head of AI, or fractional CAIO?
A senior AI leader who works with your company part time, typically a few days a month, and is accountable for AI strategy, vendor and build decisions, governance and delivery review. CAIO stands for Chief AI Officer; Head of AI and Chief AI Officer describe the same responsibility at different company sizes.
When does it make sense?
When AI decisions are piling up and nobody senior owns them: several teams are running pilots, vendors are pitching, the board is asking for a plan, and a full-time Head of AI is either premature or taking months to hire.
How is it different from a consulting project?
A project has a scope and an end date. A fractional role carries ongoing ownership of priorities, vendors, governance and the bill, month to month, by one senior person. Some firms offer both, and so do we: if a pilot needs building, our lab can do it, and we will put the alternatives next to it so you can compare.
How long does an engagement last?
We suggest a three-month start, which is long enough to set priorities, run one pilot properly and put basic governance in place. After that it continues month to month, or ends with a handover to the full-time leader you hire.
What does it cost compared with a full-time hire?
You pay for the days you use, with no notice period, equity or recruitment fee. The figure depends on the days per month and the scope, which we agree after the first conversation.
Do you work as a fractional CAIO for companies in Hyderabad?
Yes. For companies in Hyderabad the role is usually on site for part of each month. Companies elsewhere in India and abroad work with us remotely, with visits when they are useful.
What does a Chief AI Officer do?
A CAIO owns the company's AI agenda: which AI bets to make, which vendors and models to use, how AI is governed, what it costs, and whether pilots turn into results. In a mid-sized company that is rarely a full-time job at first, which is why a fractional CAIO is often the right first step.
Find out whether a fractional role fits.
Start with a free advisory session. We talk through where you are, and you get a straight view of whether a fractional arrangement fits or whether something smaller will do.
Book a free advisory session