Fractional Chief AI Officer — without the full-time hire.
A senior AI executive embedded into your leadership team on a monthly retainer. Owning AI strategy, vendor evaluation, and board-ready guidance.
A full-time Chief AI Officer commands $300K–$400K+ in total compensation. Most growing companies need that level of strategic AI leadership but can't justify — or find — the hire. The Fractional Chief AI Officer cost reflects the depth of the engagement: senior executive leadership at a fraction of the full-time salary.
I embed directly into your leadership team as a Fractional Chief AI Officer: owning your AI roadmap, evaluating vendors, pressure-testing decisions, and ensuring implementation drives measurable return within 90 days.
Choosing the right operational path.
Hire full-time
$300K–$400K+ in compensation, recruiter fees, and 3–6 months search. More capacity than most growing companies actually need.
Do nothing
Tools get bought piecemeal, nobody owns integration, budget burns on software nobody adopts, and security risks accumulate.
Fractional AI leadership
Senior executive guidance on retainer. Objective vendor evaluation, 90-day roadmap, and board-level reporting at 20% of the cost.
Two rungs. One clear path.
The Strategy Intensive is the front door — the full fee credits toward your first month if you move to a retainer.
Strategy Intensive
One high-stakes AI decision, worked through with a senior operator who has spent two decades making high-consequence calls in regulated operations. Written assessment in 24 hours. Full credit toward your first retainer month.
Fractional CAIO Retainer
A senior AI executive embedded into your leadership team. Owning strategy, evaluating every vendor, establishing governance, and delivering board-ready guidance month over month.
What the first 90 days look like.
Assessment & Roadmap
Evaluate existing workflows, tools, and vendor contracts. Establish governance baseline, audit readiness, and prioritize 90-day ROI initiatives.
Architecture & Governance
Deploy one-page AI usage policy. Evaluate build-vs-buy decisions. Supervise first automation deployment without platform sprawl.
Measurement & Scale
Measure cost recovery against baseline. Deliver board-ready update with four numbers and zero adjectives. Set next quarter priorities.
The Comparison
| Dimension | Full-Time CAIO | AI Consultant | Fractional CAIO (JC Burrows) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $300K–$450K+ / yr | $15K–$40K per project | [PRICE] / mo retainer |
| Commitment | Multi-year employment | Fixed scope (4–8 weeks) | [X]-month minimum |
| Seat at the Table | Executive team | External advisor | Embedded C-suite seat |
| Accountability | Internal leadership | Deliverable handoff | Ongoing ROI & decision ownership |
| Vendor Evaluation & Oversight | Yes | Recommendations only | Active oversight on software spend |
| Operational Depth | Varies by hire | Frameworks & decks | 20+ yrs VP operations + AI since 2018 |
| Ramp-Up Time | 3–6 months | 2–4 weeks discovery | Day 1 immersion, 90-day target |
| Availability | Dedicated single company | Multiple project clients | Capped at [N] active partners |
Why this operator.
Most fractional AI executives are either strategists who can't build or operators who've never touched AI systems. I spent two decades making high-consequence decisions in regulated operations, and I've been building AI systems since 2018. I do both.
What this engagement does not include.
- • Implementation: Hands-on custom code builds (handled by your team or ZenAgentic as a separate scope).
- • Unlimited on-call access: Structured cadence and async channels, not unscheduled ad-hoc interruptions.
- • Vendor reselling: Zero commission or kickbacks from software vendors — 100% objective recommendations.
Common Questions
What size company is this built for?
Growing companies typically between [$1M and $30M] in revenue facing critical AI tool and workflow decisions.
How is this different from an AI consultant?
A consultant delivers a report and exits. A fractional CAIO is accountable month-over-month for operational outcomes.
How does the Strategy Intensive credit work?
100% of the [PRICE] fee is credited toward your first month's retainer invoice if initiated within 30 days.
Do you take vendor referral commissions?
No. I accept zero referral fees or vendor kickbacks to ensure total objectivity in technology evaluation.