Senior AI leadership
without the full-time hire.
A full-time Chief AI Officer costs $300K+ per year and takes 6-12 months to hire. ACG embeds an experienced AI executive into your organization in 1-2 weeks, at a fraction of the cost.
The Math Is Simple
Fractional CAIO vs. Full-Time Hire
You get the same strategic AI leadership. Without the recruiting timeline, the equity, the benefits, or the risk.
Fractional CAIO
Recommended- Time to start 1-2 weeks
- Monthly cost $10K-$20K/month
- Annual cost $120K-$240K
- Results in 90 days Yes
- Recruiting timeline None
- Equity required None
- Risk if it doesn't work out Cancel anytime
- Builds internal capability Yes
Full-Time Hire
- Time to start 6-12 months
- Monthly cost $25K-$40K/month
- Annual cost $300K+/year + equity
- Results in 90 days Unlikely
- Recruiting timeline 6+ months
- Equity required 0.5-1.5%
- Risk if it doesn't work out High — severance, rehire costs
- Builds internal capability Yes
Most of our CAIO retainer clients come back with the same observation: "We got more traction in the first 90 days than we expected from a full hire in the first year."
What Your Fractional CAIO Does
This is not advisory. We embed in your organization as an operating AI leader.
AI Strategy & Roadmap
Builds and owns your multi-year AI roadmap, prioritized by ROI and business impact.
Executive Alignment
Presents AI strategy to your board, CEO, and department heads. Speaks the language of business outcomes, not tech specs.
Governance & Policy
Establishes AI acceptable use policy, data security guidelines, and compliance frameworks from day one.
Implementation Oversight
Selects vendors, manages deployments, coordinates with your IT team and external partners. Makes it actually happen.
Team Capability Building
Trains your internal team so they can operate independently. We build capability, not dependency.
Vendor Negotiation
Evaluates, selects, and negotiates with AI vendors on your behalf. No vendor relationships, no hidden incentives.
Who the Fractional CAIO Is For
Companies with $50M-$500M revenue that need AI leadership but can't justify a full-time hire yet
Boards and CEOs who need to show AI progress — not just a slide deck, but real momentum
Organizations that have tried AI tools but haven't seen meaningful business impact
Companies where no single person currently owns AI — it lives in IT, or nowhere
Businesses preparing for a board presentation, investor review, or executive offsite on AI
Companies that want to build internal AI capability over 12-18 months, not create dependency
Looking for a shorter-term engagement to get started?
Ready to add senior AI leadership?
Book a call to discuss your goals. Most clients are up and running within two weeks.