Fractional AI Leadership
Senior AI judgment on retainer, for companies with a real roadmap and no reason to hire a six-figure executive to run it.
The gap this fills
You have moved past the first project. There is a roadmap, several workflows in flight, staff asking questions, vendors circling, and nobody whose job it is to hold the whole picture. A full-time AI executive is not justifiable at your size. Leaving it to whoever is least busy does not work either.
What the engagement includes
- Ownership of the AI roadmap and its sequencing
- Vendor evaluation — we sit on the calls and read the contracts
- Oversight of internal or contracted implementation work
- A standing internal channel for staff questions
- Policy maintenance as tools and regulation change
- Quarterly reporting to ownership or the board on spend and results
- Named point of contact who knows your business without re-briefing
How it works in practice
Typically [8–20] hours a month: a standing weekly or fortnightly call, an on-site day each month, and availability in between. It is a scoped retainer, not an unlimited-access arrangement — we say that plainly because vague retainers make both sides resentful.
| Tier | Commitment | Typical monthly investment |
|---|---|---|
| Advisory | ~[8] hrs/mo, remote | [$X,XXX] |
| Embedded | ~[16] hrs/mo, incl. monthly on-site day | [$X,XXX] |
| Programme lead | ~[32] hrs/mo, multiple workstreams | [$XX,XXX] |
National fractional AI leadership rates commonly run $5,000–$15,000 per month for 10–20 hours weekly at enterprise scale; SMB engagements sit well below that. Price for your market, not for a headline.
Who this suits
Companies of roughly 25 to 100 employees with multiple AI initiatives, or smaller firms in regulated industries where the governance load alone justifies senior oversight. If you have one workflow to automate, this is not what you need — buy the build instead.
Find out what AI is actually worth to your business
Book a free 30-minute working session. We map your three most repetitive workflows, estimate the hours and dollars on the table, and tell you plainly whether AI is the right tool — or whether it isn't.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a minimum term?
We ask for three months to start, because the first month is largely learning your business and you would not get value from a shorter engagement. After that it is month to month.
Do you do the implementation work too?
We can, and we separate the fees so the advisory relationship is not quietly a sales channel. Plenty of clients have us advise while their internal team or another vendor builds.
Will you sign a non-compete with our competitors?
We will not work with a direct competitor in the same market segment during an active engagement, and we will say so in writing.