Need technology leadership?
Fractional Technology Leadership for UK Scaling Businesses
Senior technology executives, part-time. A fractional CTO, CIO, CISO, Chief AI Officer, CPO, IT director or technology board advisor who has done the job before, working to your goals from week one, for a fraction of a full-time salary.
BOOK A CALL
Fractional technology leadership means hiring an experienced technology executive, such as a CTO, CIO or CISO, part-time rather than full-time.
They own strategy, teams and risk for a set number of days a month, often one or two days a week. Boardman places vetted fractional technology leaders into UK scaling businesses, usually within days of the first call.
We are Boardman.
We place fractional technology leaders with decades of experience into UK scaling businesses.
Our leaders have grown companies from 40 employees to 8,000, led IPOs, shipped millions of products, and hired thousands of engineers and leaders. They are real operators, not career consultants.
Sound familiar?
- Are you making big technology decisions with no one senior to call them?
- Is your tech holding back growth instead of driving it?
- Are security questionnaires, compliance or AI questions landing on your desk with no one to own them?
- Is your board or your investor asking technology questions you cannot confidently answer?
- Do you need C-suite technology judgement, but not a C-suite salary?
...we can help.
What is fractional technology leadership?
A fractional technology leader is an experienced executive who works with your business part-time, with the same seniority and accountability as a full-time hire, scaled to the time you actually need. It is the technology corner of the wider fractional executive model, the fractional C-suite that has become normal for finance and marketing, applied to the roles that decide how your technology is built, run and protected.
The work is hands-on. A fractional leader sets direction, owns the roadmap or the risk, leads and hires the team, holds suppliers to account, and translates technical reality into business decisions you can act on. That is the difference from a consultant, who advises and leaves.
For most UK scaling businesses it is the sweet spot. A full-time technology executive is one person, one salary and one set of experiences. A fractional leader brings the same seniority for a few days a month, often with a deeper track record than you could afford to hire outright.
Which technology leader do you need?
Every business hits a different wall first.Â
Find the one that sounds like yours.
Fractional CTO
Bring one in when: Your product and engineering need senior direction to scale.
They own: Technology direction, the product roadmap, architecture, and hiring and leading the engineering team.
Fractional CIO
Bring one in when: Your systems, data and internal IT have outgrown ad-hoc decisions.
They own: IT strategy, business systems, data, suppliers and technology spend.
Fractional CISO
Bring one in when: You are losing deals to security questionnaires or chasing ISO 27001 or SOC 2.
They own: Security strategy, risk, governance, compliance and certification.
Fractional Chief AI Officer
Bring one in when: Your board wants an AI strategy and no one owns it.
They own: AI strategy, use-case prioritisation, governance and adoption.Â
Fractional IT Director
Bring one in when: IT has grown into something nobody fully owns.
They own: The IT function day to day: infrastructure, operations, suppliers, cost and the team.Â
Technology Board Advisor
Bring one in when: Your board needs independent technology counsel at the top table.
They own: Board-level oversight of technology strategy, cyber and AI risk, and major decisions.Â
Not sure which fits? Book a call and we will help you work it out.
How much does a fractional CTO cost?
A fractional CTO costs a fraction of a full-time CTO salary, which in the UK typically runs well into six figures once you add equity and benefits. You pay for the days you use, and you scale the commitment to your stage and budget.
Cost depends on a few things: how many days a month you need, the seniority and track record you are hiring for, and how hands-on the engagement is. A founder steadying a small team will pay very differently from one driving a full rebuild.
The point is you get CTO-level judgement at a fraction of the cost, with none of the long-term overhead.Â
See our fractional CTO cost guide for detail, or book a call for a figure specific to your situation.
Fractional, interim, virtual, outsourced, or full-time?
The terms get used loosely. Here is how they differ in practice.
| Model | Time commitment | Best for | Cost shape |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fractional CTO | Ongoing, part-time (days per week or month) | Scaling businesses needing senior leadership without a full-time hire | A fraction of a full-time salary |
| Interim CTO | Full-time, fixed term | Covering a gap, a departure, or a specific transition | Full-time rate, short duration |
| Virtual CTO | Light-touch, remote, advisory | Early-stage companies needing occasional guidance | Low, often retainer-based |
| Outsourced CTO | Delivered through an external provider | Companies wanting leadership bundled with delivery | Varies by scope |
| Full-time CTO | Permanent, full-time | Larger companies where technology is the core of the business | Full salary, equity, benefits |
Â
For most UK scaling businesses, fractional is the sweet spot. You get top-tier leadership, you only pay for the time you need, and you can scale it as you grow.
How Boardman delivers
We do not send you a CV pile and wish you luck.Â
- We match you to a CTO from our vetted bench, then stay involved to make sure it works.
- Every CTO on our bench is a practitioner who has led at scale, not a career consultant.
- We focus on the UK mid-market, so the people we place understand the stage you are at and the pressures you face.
- You get top-tier talent, matched fast, working to your goals from week one. On time, every time.
How to hire a fractional CTO
Here’s what our collaboration could look like:
- Book a short intro call and tell us where you are.
- We match you to the right CTO from our bench.
- You meet them and check the fit yourself.
- They run a deep dive into your company and goals.
- You get a customised plan with clear milestones.
- They execute alongside your team, with ongoing support.
Book a no-pressure intro meet below.
Questions? Check out our FAQs.
Why should I hire a fractional CTO?
What exactly does a fractional CTO do?
Is hiring a fractional CTO the right move for us?
How do we start working together?
What industries do you specialize in?
What’s the difference between a fractional CTO and a consultant?
How much does it cost to hire a fractional CTO?
We need help with funding & technical due diligence - can you help?
The Boardman Newsletter
Actionable advice for mid-market leaders. Every Saturday.
Join 3,267 CEOs, CFOs and COOs.
By submitting, I agree to receive emails from Boardman and understand I can unsubscribe any time via the unsubscribe link at the bottom of all emails.