CTO-level technical leadership without the full-time hire. Structured as an ongoing fractional engagement — embedded, accountable, and aligned to business outcomes from day one.
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What a fractional CTO engagement is
A fractional CTO is not a consultant who reviews and leaves. It is a named technical authority — present in your leadership structure, accountable for technical decisions, and engaged for as long as the business needs it.
The engagement is ongoing. It does not have a defined end date. It evolves with the organisation.
What it provides is executive-level technical leadership at a fraction of the time and cost of a full-time hire — without the compromises that usually implies.
The problem it solves
Most businesses reach a point where technical decisions are too consequential to leave to chance — but not yet at the stage where a full-time CTO hire makes commercial sense.
The result is a gap. Decisions get made by developers without strategic oversight, or by founders without technical grounding. Architecture accumulates debt. Governance falls behind. Compliance becomes a problem rather than a posture.
A fractional CTO closes that gap. Not by reviewing what’s happened, but by being present for what happens next.
How it works
A regular check-in with your management team. Technical teams engaged as the work requires.
The management check-in is 30 minutes. It covers direction, decisions, and anything that needs a technical perspective at leadership level. It is the minimum contact point — the rest of the engagement expands around the work.
Technical teams get access to CTO-level judgment when they need it. Architecture decisions, technical direction, standards enforcement, vendor evaluation. Not a scheduled slot. As the work demands.
The approach
Every engagement starts in the same place: the data model.
Most technical problems — fragmented systems, costly integrations, compliance exposure, architecture that nobody can explain — trace back to a data model that was never properly defined. Getting it right at the start changes every decision that follows. It is the foundation everything else is built on.
Alongside this, every engagement applies the same proven framework for security, standards, and accessibility. Not reinvented each time. Tested, refined, and applied consistently across every client.
The aim is always the same: the right solution, not the fast one. The one that holds.
Who this is for
Businesses that have outgrown founder-led technical decisions but are not structured — or not ready — for a full-time CTO hire.
Specifically:
- Regulated industries where technical decisions carry governance and compliance weight — financial services, professional services, medical, legal, engineering
- Scale-ups preparing for investment, audit, or compliance review
- Enterprises navigating digital transformation or platform migration
- Organisations with technical debt, fragmented architecture, or governance gaps
- Boards and leadership teams that need a named technical authority in the room
Previous engagements include organisations including NHS and DHL Supply Chain.
Geography
Based in Cyprus. Available globally.
The Cyprus timezone bridges Europe, the Gulf, and Asia. Early starts and late availability are not a problem when the engagement is right.
Availability
Engagements are structured as a defined fraction of a full working week — calibrated to what the business genuinely needs, not a fixed model.
Availability is limited. When a position is open, it is genuinely open.
Start a ConversationRelated engagements
Not every situation calls for an ongoing fractional commitment. Some businesses need a defined project first — a governance framework, an architecture review, a platform specification. Others need their technical team led through a build.
Frequently asked questions
What is a fractional CTO? A fractional CTO is a senior technology leader engaged part-time or on-demand, providing CTO-level strategy, architecture, and governance without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. The engagement is defined by accountability and outcomes, not hours worked.
How is a fractional CTO different from a consultant? A consultant delivers a defined piece of work and leaves. A fractional CTO is ongoing — embedded in the leadership structure, accountable for technical direction, and present as the organisation evolves. The accountability structure is different.
How is it different from a part-time CTO? A part-time CTO is typically employed on a fixed schedule. A fractional CTO is engaged around outcomes. The distinction is accountability and structure, not availability.
What industries do you work with? Regulated industries where technical decisions carry governance and compliance weight — financial services, professional services, medical, legal, and engineering. Based in Cyprus, operating globally.
What does a data-first approach mean in practice? Every engagement begins by establishing a clear, correct data model before any architectural or technical decisions are made. Most systemic problems — integration failures, compliance gaps, fragmented reporting — originate in an undefined or inconsistent data model. Fixing the foundation changes everything built on top of it.
How do engagements start? An initial 30-minute conversation to understand the business, the gap, and the outcome required. From there, engagements are structured to scope.
Richard King is CTO at Sixteen Pillars — technical leadership, architecture, and governance for organisations that need it without the overhead of a full-time hire.
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