03 / LEADERSHIP
Fractional CIO & IT leadership for growing organizations.
Senior technology leadership without the full-time cost. Fractional CIO and CTO services for mid-market organizations across Canada and the US.
What is a fractional CIO?
A fractional CIO is a senior technology executive who works with your organization on a part-time, ongoing basis. You get the strategic leadership of a CIO or CTO, including technology roadmap development, vendor governance, team oversight, and board-level reporting, without the $250,000 or more annual cost of a full-time hire.
The CIO role has evolved beyond managing servers and helpdesks. Today's CIO is a strategic leader who aligns technology investments with business objectives, manages an ecosystem of vendors and partners, ensures compliance and security posture, and enables digital transformation. Most mid-market organizations need this level of leadership but cannot justify the cost of a full-time executive. Fractional leadership solves that problem by providing the strategic capability at a fraction of the commitment.
When does your organization need a fractional CIO?
Consider fractional CIO services when your organization is in one or more of these situations:
- You have outgrown your IT manager but cannot justify a full-time CIO or CTO.
- You are going through a technology transformation (cloud migration, ERP implementation, digital modernization) and need senior oversight to keep it on track.
- You have a technology team but no strategic leadership connecting their work to business objectives.
- Your vendor relationships have grown organically and nobody on your side has the experience to hold them accountable.
- Your board or investors are asking technology strategy questions that nobody on your leadership team can answer with confidence.
What does a fractional CIO from Deliver Digital actually do?
Every fractional engagement is led by a practitioner with 15 to 25 or more years of experience. A typical week includes:
- Attending your leadership meetings and providing strategic technology input alongside your CEO and CFO.
- Managing vendor relationships and holding your technology partners accountable to their commitments.
- Overseeing active technology projects and ensuring they stay on scope, on budget, and on timeline.
- Developing and maintaining your technology roadmap aligned to your 12 to 24-month business objectives.
- Mentoring your internal IT staff and helping them grow into stronger contributors.
- Providing board-ready reporting on technology performance, risk, and investment priorities.
How is a fractional CIO different from an IT consultant?
A fractional CIO is embedded in your leadership team as a part-time executive. They attend your meetings. They know your people. They own your technology strategy. They are accountable for outcomes over months and years, not just deliverables on a project timeline. An IT consultant typically works on a defined project with a start and end date. They deliver a report or an implementation and move on. Both have value, but they serve fundamentally different needs. If you need strategic leadership, not just project execution, a fractional CIO is the right model.
How much does a fractional CIO cost?
Fractional CIO engagements range from $5,000 to $15,000 per month depending on the scope and time commitment. Most engagements are 8 to 20 hours per week, including leadership meeting attendance, vendor management, project oversight, and strategic planning. For context, a full-time CIO with equivalent experience costs $250,000 to $350,000 per year in salary, benefits, and equity. A fractional engagement provides the same strategic capability at 15 to 25 percent of that cost.
Who are your fractional technology leaders?
Deliver Digital's fractional practice is led by practitioners who have held senior technology leadership roles in organizations ranging from mid-market to enterprise. Reg Cooper specializes in IT governance, compliance, and infrastructure for organizations in regulated industries. Kyle Kilback brings 28 years of experience in technology partnerships and vendor ecosystem management. Keith Daser leads strategic advisory engagements focused on technology decision-making and vendor governance. Every engagement is matched to the practitioner whose experience best fits your industry and challenge.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Clarity, momentum,
accountability.
I feel like we accomplished more together in the first three months than we did in the last three years.
”
Melanie McDonaldVP Strategic Initiatives, Calgary Chamber of Commerce
We needed a partner who could help us think strategically. Deliver Digital reframed the role of IT in our business.
”
Adam HartCFO, McKinley Studios
As a pillar of our business community, it is imperative we leverage technology to maximize the benefit we can deliver to our members.
”
Deborah YedlinPresident, Calgary Chamber of Commerce
Keith & the team at Deliver Digital are solutions-oriented, forward-thinking, & have built an impressive roadmap that is modernizing our organization.
”
Ruhee Ismail-TejaVP Policy & External Affairs, Calgary Chamber of Commerce
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Fractional Leadership FAQ
How quickly can a fractional CIO start?
Most engagements begin within 1 to 2 weeks of signing. We match the right practitioner to your industry and challenge before the engagement starts.
What is the minimum commitment?
We recommend a 3-month initial engagement to establish momentum and demonstrate value. After that, engagements continue month to month with no long-term lock-in.
Can a fractional CIO work alongside our existing IT team?
Absolutely. Most of our fractional engagements complement an existing IT team by providing the strategic leadership layer they are missing. Your team handles operations. The fractional CIO handles strategy, vendor governance, and executive communication.
What is the difference between a fractional CIO and a fractional CTO?
In practice, the roles overlap significantly at the mid-market level. A CIO typically focuses on aligning technology with business operations, vendor management, and organizational IT strategy. A CTO typically focuses on product development, technical architecture, and engineering leadership. Deliver Digital's fractional practitioners cover both domains depending on your organization's needs. We match the title and scope to what your business actually requires.
READY TO START?
Ready to bring senior technology leadership to your team?
Book a discovery call to explore fractional leadership.
