Direct answers to the questions CEOs, boards and HR leaders ask before engaging.
What does a fractional CAIO actually do?
Three things at C-suite level: own the AI strategy across departments, deploy and run production-grade AI systems, and carry executive accountability for EU AI Act and adjacent regulatory compliance. The engagement runs in three phases: Month 1 audit and strategy, Month 2 to 3 deployment and integration, ongoing partnership thereafter.
How is this different from an AI consulting retainer?
A consulting retainer delivers slides, frameworks and recommendations. The fractional CAIO delivers all of that plus the deployed systems, the compliance documentation, the team training, the vendor management and the executive presence in your leadership meetings. The fractional CAIO is an embedded executive, not an external advisor.
What does the cost compare to?
A full-time CAIO in Western Europe costs 250,000 to 400,000 EUR per year base salary, plus equity, plus team. The fractional engagement is a fraction of that cost with the same leadership and compliance ownership. We share specific pricing during the discovery call.
Who handles the actual deployment work?
The fractional CAIO leads, our internal engineering team and our 40+ specialist network execute. You do not need to hire a separate AI team. Specialist scope is included in the engagement; we draw on the network as the deployment roadmap requires.
How do you own EU AI Act compliance?
Month 1 produces the AI inventory, risk classification under the EU AI Act framework, and the gap analysis. Month 2 to 3 closes the highest-priority gaps and produces the Annex IV technical documentation for High-Risk systems. Ongoing partnership maintains the inventory, updates the documentation as systems change, monitors regulatory updates, and presents the compliance posture to the board quarterly. We carry executive accountability through August 2, 2026 and beyond.
Are you vendor-neutral?
Yes. We do not resell AI tools and we do not earn commission from vendor selections. Recommendations are based on fit, cost, compliance and security. This matters because the wrong tool selection produces years of switching cost.
Can you handle DORA and NIS2 alongside the EU AI Act?
Yes. For financial-sector clients we align with DORA (Regulation EU 2022/2554, enforceable since January 17, 2025) including ICT risk management, incident reporting and third-party ICT provider oversight. For essential and important entities under NIS2 (Directive EU 2022/2555) we cover cybersecurity risk management, 24-hour incident reporting and management body accountability.
How long is the engagement?
The first three months (audit and initial deployment) are scoped as a defined engagement. The ongoing partnership runs on a quarterly renewal cadence with no long-term lock-in. Most engagements continue for multiple years as the deployed systems expand and the regulatory landscape evolves.
How do we get started?
Apply for fCAIO Partnership through the consultation form. We review every application individually. We work with a limited number of clients at any time to maintain depth. Engagements typically begin within two to three weeks of approval.