Fractional Chief AI Officer
A Board-Level Chief AI Officer to Lead Your AI Transformation
Not an adviser and not a project. An AIPEX Fractional Chief AI Officer works with your C-suite to build an AI-enabled operating model and strategy, then leads the transformation: coaching and developing your executives, building capability across the organisation and delivering change the board can measure.
The AI governance path: a Fractional CAIO runs all five steps
Start here if: Nobody on your board owns AI and you want it run for you.
See the whole path →At a glance
- The role
- A board-level transformation leader, working with the CEO and C-suite.
- Time
- 2, 4 or 6 days a month, from £3,250 a month, with a three-month minimum term.
- Starts with
- The Executive AI Strategy Day, so the work begins from an agreed plan.
- Who leads
- An AIPEX partner, or a vetted Chief AI Officer from the AIPEX network working to the AIPEX method.
01 What your Chief AI Officer delivers
A transformation role, not an advisory one.
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Designed with the C-suite
An AI-enabled operating model
How the organisation runs once AI is built in: processes, roles, decision rights, data and the technology that supports them.
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Approved by the board
AI strategy and costed roadmap
Where AI will change the business, what it is worth, what it costs, and the order that returns value soonest.
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Led, not advised
Transformation delivered
Programme leadership across functions and vendors, so the operating model changes in practice and not only on paper.
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One to one
Executive coaching and mentoring
Each member of the C-suite able to lead AI in their own function, make the calls and hold their teams to account.
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Across the organisation
Capability that stays
The skills, roles and internal team you need to run AI without outside support, built as the transformation runs.
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Every quarter
Governance and board reporting
AI system register, EU AI Act readiness, a benefits scorecard for every priority and a board AI paper.
02 The four pillars
One leader. Four pillars. Transformation delivered.
Your Chief AI Officer aligns people, process, systems and governance, so the operating model changes as one and not function by function.
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People
- Workforce capability uplift
- Culture and change leadership
- AI literacy and awareness
- Talent and skills strategy
- Leadership alignment
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Process
- Workflow redesign
- Operating model transformation
- End-to-end process optimisation
- Automation and augmentation
- Continuous improvement
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Systems
- Technology strategy and architecture
- AI tool selection and integration
- Data strategy and management
- Platform enablement
- Scalability and performance
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Governance
- AI governance and oversight
- Risk management
- Ethics and responsible AI
- Compliance and regulation
- Decision accountability
03 Is this for you?
When a Fractional Chief AI Officer is the right hire, and when it is not.
Right for you if
- The board wants AI to change how the business runs, not just add tools
- AI pilots are running but nobody can show the return
- Your CTO or COO is carrying AI as a third job
- Your executives need to lead AI in their own functions and are not yet ready to
- An investor or new CEO has set an AI value-creation mandate
- You want the transformation led now, before committing to a permanent hire
Not right for you if
- You want advice or a report rather than change
- You need a developer, or a single tool implemented
- The leadership team is not ready to change how the business runs
If that is you, we will say so on the first call.
04 The options compared
Consultancy, permanent hire or Fractional Chief AI Officer.
| Comparison | AI consultancy project | Permanent Chief AI Officer | AIPEX Fractional CAIO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating model | Recommends one | Designs and leads it | Designs it with the C-suite and leads it |
| Owns the outcome | No, delivers a recommendation | Yes | Yes, against a board-agreed scorecard |
| Develops your leaders | Rarely | Over time | Coaching and mentoring built in from month one |
| Reports to the board | Once, at the end | Yes | Every quarter |
| Time to start | Weeks | After a full executive search | Weeks, starting with a Strategy Day |
| Commitment | Fixed project | Salary, benefits and a search fee | Monthly, three-month minimum |
05 The first 90 days
Design it with the C-suite, commit at the board, then transform.
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Days 1 to 30
Diagnose and design
Executive AI Strategy Day with the C-suite, the current operating model mapped, AI already in use registered and risk-tiered, and baselines set.
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Days 31 to 60
Commit
Target operating model and AI strategy approved by the board, roadmap costed with the CFO, governance live and executive coaching under way.
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Days 61 to 90
Transform
First operating model changes live with named owners, the capability programme started, and the first benefits scorecard and board AI paper presented.
06 Owning the return
Hours saved are not a return. We report the money.
Every priority runs through the same scorecard, so the board sees value proven rather than claimed.
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Value lever
Revenue, cost, risk or capital: named before any work starts.
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Baseline
Measured before anything changes.
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Early and outcome measures
Adoption and process signals first, then the number in the accounts.
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Owner
A named executive for each priority, reported to the board every quarter.
The method is set out in How to Measure AI ROI, with a free AI ROI Board Readiness Scorecard.
07 Engagement options
Three levels of involvement. Three-month minimum term.
Lead
2 days a month
£3,250 a month
- Operating model and AI strategy with the C-suite
- Chairs the AI steering group
- Board AI paper each quarter
Transform
4 days a month
£5,750 a month
- Everything in Lead
- Leads the transformation programme
- Coaching and mentoring for the C-suite
Accelerate
6 days a month
£8,000 a month
- Everything in Transform
- Leads delivery teams and vendors directly
- Builds the internal AI team and capability programme
Every engagement starts with the Executive AI Strategy Day, so the transformation is built on a plan the C-suite has agreed.
08 Built to hand over
Less of us every quarter.
The measure of success is an organisation that runs on AI without us: an operating model that works, executives who lead AI in their own functions, an internal team with the skills to keep going and, where it is needed, a clear brief for a permanent Chief AI Officer.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does a Fractional Chief AI Officer do?
Works with the CEO and C-suite to build an AI-enabled operating model and strategy, then leads the transformation: coaching and developing executives, building capability and delivering change the board can measure.
How is this different from hiring an AI consultancy?
A consultancy recommends and leaves. A Fractional Chief AI Officer is a member of your leadership team, leads the change and is accountable for the outcome against a scorecard the board has agreed.
Who will lead the work?
Either an AIPEX partner or a vetted Chief AI Officer from the AIPEX network, chosen for your sector and stage. Both work to the same AIPEX method, and AIPEX stays accountable for the engagement.
How many days a month will we need?
Most organisations start at 2 or 4 days a month. The Executive AI Strategy Day shows which level fits, and you can scale up or down after the three-month minimum term.
Does it cover the EU AI Act?
Yes. AI Governance Foundations (AI register, risk assessment, AI use policy, training and annual review) is included in the first 90 days, and EU AI Act Implementation builds on it to the deadline.
How will we know it is working?
Every priority has a benefits scorecard with a baseline, early and outcome measures and an owner, reported to the board every quarter. The method is set out in How to Measure AI ROI.
Can it lead to a permanent hire?
Yes. We define the permanent role from real work, so you hire against evidence rather than a job description written in the abstract.
Next step
Talk to us about leading your AI transformation
A confidential call with a senior partner about your board, your operating model and what AI should change. We will tell you honestly whether you need a Fractional Chief AI Officer. We reply personally, usually within one working day.
- Call 0333 305 0866
- Email scope@aipexconsulting.co.uk