The shape of the work
Three engagement models, three audiences. The common element is that every engagement is built around a specific decision the client is facing, not an abstract capability assessment. The work has a named question, named artifacts, and a named end.
Strategic Advisory
For: CEOs, business unit presidents, CTOs, CIOs, and chief AI officers facing a specific selection, operating model, or board decision.
Shape: Two to eight weeks. Named decisions, named artifacts, executive-ready outputs. I work with internal teams rather than around them.
TYPICAL QUESTIONS
- Which one or two AI use cases inside our portfolio are worth treating as lighthouse work, and what governance does that require?
 - What does our AI operating model need to look like to scale beyond pilots?
 - How do we present an AI investment plan to the board that gets approved rather than negotiated down?
 - What is the right partner strategy for our AI capabilities, and what should we never outsource?
 - Where in our highest-value AI workflows should the boundary between AI and human judgment sit, and how do we make those decisions defensibly?
Fractional CTO / CIO
For:Â Mid-market and growth-stage companies, PE portfolio companies, and enterprise business units that need senior technology leadership in the seat but not yet a full-time hire.
​
Shape:Â Part-time, embedded inside the leadership team. Six to twelve months, with a clear handoff plan.
TYPICAL QUESTIONS
-
How do we move our AI strategy from intent into execution with discipline that survives quarter-to-quarter pressure?
 -
What governance, hiring, and operating model decisions need to happen in the next two quarters?
 -
How do we set the technology agenda the next CEO or CTO will inherit?
PE and VC Advisory
For:Â Private equity firms, venture capital firms, and growth investors evaluating AI-enabled targets or stress-testing portfolio company AI strategies.
​
Shape:Â Diligence sprints (one to four weeks) and recurring portfolio advisory engagements.
TYPICAL QUESTIONS
-
Is this target's AI capability defensible, or is it a wrapper that the next model release commoditizes?
 -
Does the operating model support the value creation plan, or is the AI thesis dependent on work the company has not done?
 -
Which portfolio companies are running real AI programs, and which are running theater?
What clients get
01
A named decision. Every engagement starts with a specific question that needs a specific answer by a specific date. Capability assessments and platform reviews are not engagements; they are inputs to engagements.
02
Artifacts that survive the engagement. The work produces documents and frameworks the client's team can defend and extend after I am gone. The goal is permanent capability, not consulting dependence.
03
Executive partnership. Most of my work is with CEOs, business unit presidents, CTOs, CIOs, and chief AI officers. I am comfortable in board rooms, executive teams, and operating reviews. The pace is fast, the standards are high, and the conversations are senior.