How is a fractional CIO different from an MSP account manager?
A fractional CIO sits with leadership. They own strategy, budget, risk, and vendor decisions. Managed IT keeps the environment running. We offer both under one firm, and the same model on the growth side with fractional CMO plus managed marketing.
What is a fractional CIO/CISO?
Part-time executive IT leadership with real authority over strategy, budget, vendors, and risk. The seat sits with your leadership team; day-to-day operations stay with Managed IT or your operators.
Do we still need a full-time CIO?
Many organizations between roughly 20 and a few hundred employees need CIO-level thinking without a full-time executive seat. That is the usual medium business brief. Fractional leadership covers the role until scale, complexity, or regulation truly requires a dedicated hire. We can help you make that call honestly.
Can you serve as CISO as well as CIO?
Yes. Engagements are scoped to the authority you need: CIO, CISO, or both. Security strategy, audit readiness, and incident leadership are part of the CISO seat, not a slide in a quarterly report. Healthcare and regulated environments are common for the CISO seat.
What does the first 30 to 90 days look like?
We start with an inventory of systems, vendors, spend, and open risks, then set a short decision agenda for leadership. Early weeks fix the highest-leverage gaps (access, backup, contracts, reporting). By 90 days you should have a clear roadmap, a budget story you can defend, and a cadence that does not depend on fire drills.
How do you work with our existing IT staff or MSP?
Common patterns: we lead and your staff execute day-to-day; we co-manage with an MSP you keep; or we bring Managed IT in-house under the same firm. The fractional seat owns the agenda either way. If your current operators are solid, we work with them.
Do you decide whether Microsoft Copilot belongs in production?
Yes. License spend, readiness, and whether Copilot should go live are CIO/CISO judgment calls. Delivery of readiness, rollout, coaching, and hardening sits under Microsoft Copilot. Broader governed AI beyond the Microsoft seat stays under Enterprise AI.
How is the engagement priced?
Fractional CIO/CISO is a monthly retainer scoped to meeting cadence, decision authority, and depth (CIO, CISO, or both). It is not billed by the hour for every email. If you also need operations or deeper security, those are separate lines under Managed IT or Cybersecurity. Call (513) 657-1800 or use Become a Client to scope it.
