Fractional Chief Data/AI Officer
Hands‑on executive guidance focused on measurable outcomes and board‑ready deliverables. Typical scope includes operating model design, capability maturity, and a 90‑day execution plan with instrumentation.
Tiers & Investment
Standard: $18k–$25k/month
- Time commitment: 8–16 flexible hours/week for strategic workshops, roadmap development, and team collaboration
- Reporting: Monthly status reports
- Communication: Email (2 business days)
- Deliverables: Strategic roadmap with up to 2 rounds of revisions, KPI tree, instrumentation plan
Premium: $25k–$32k/month
- Time commitment: 16–24 flexible hours/week
- Reporting: Bi‑weekly status reports
- Communication: Email (1 business day)
- Deliverables: Includes Standard deliverables plus quarterly board presentation deck
Platinum: $30k–$37k/month
- Time commitment: 16–24 flexible hours/week
- Reporting: Weekly executive sync calls
- Communication: Email/IM 24h SLA
- Deliverables: Includes Premium deliverables plus quarterly board meeting attendance (virtual)
Price Variance Factors:
Within each tier, final pricing depends on:
- Geography: Bay Area/NYC +20%; international +15%
- Regulatory complexity: Healthcare/Finance +15–20% for compliance overhead
- Organization scale: >5,000 employees +10% for stakeholder complexity
- Urgency: Start <2 weeks +20% for scheduling premium
- Data maturity: Greenfield/pre-seed environments +10% for foundational work
Price quote provided after 30-minute fit call based on specific situation.
Engagement Terms
- Minimum commitment: 90 days to allow meaningful progress on strategic initiatives
- Renewal: Quarterly basis with 30-day notice for planning continuity
- Scope: Defined in Statement of Work to ensure mutual clarity on priorities and deliverables
- Work cadence: Hours allocated to strategic workshops, roadmap development, stakeholder sessions, and capability transfer based on your priorities
- Flexibility: Either party may conclude the engagement with 30-day notice after the initial 90 days to ensure continued mutual fit
- Organizational change: Major transitions (acquisition, leadership change, strategic pivot) create natural re-evaluation points; we can pause or adjust with 14-day mutual agreement to protect your investment
Intellectual Property
- Work product: All deliverables created specifically for client (roadmaps, operating models, board decks) are client property
- Methodologies: Blue Fermion retains ownership of general frameworks, templates, and approaches (e.g., Mirror Analysis, capability maturity models)
- Pre-existing IP: Client acknowledges that advisory draws on consultant's accumulated knowledge and general frameworks developed across multiple engagements
- Client modifications: Client may modify deliverables for internal use; derivative works for external distribution require attribution
- Joint inventions: New methodologies co-developed during engagement default to 50/50 ownership; specific allocation defined in SOW if needed
- Confidentiality: Mutual NDA standard; client-specific insights and data remain confidential
- Recordings: Client may record sessions for internal use only; no external distribution without written permission
- Benchmark data: Blue Fermion may use anonymized aggregate metrics across clients; raw client data requires written permission
- Case studies: Blue Fermion may reference engagement type and outcomes in anonymized case studies; client receives 60-day review window before publication
Core Deliverables
All tiers include:
- 90‑day execution plan with 6/12‑month milestone roadmap (up to 3 revision cycles)
- KPI tree and instrumentation plan (board‑ready format, covering L1/L2 metrics)
- Operating model blueprint aligned to business strategy:
- DAMA-DMBOK or similar framework as foundation
- L1/L2 process definitions (not L3 detailed procedures)
- Roles, responsibilities, and decision rights (RACI)
- Governance structure and escalation paths
- Technology stack recommendations (vendor-agnostic)
- 2–4 capability transfer sessions with documentation and runbooks:
- Session format: 90-minute structured workshops
- Deliverables: written documentation, decision frameworks, templates
- Success criteria: team able to execute defined processes independently
Premium+ adds:
- Quarterly board materials (one deck per quarter with up to 2 revision cycles)
- Presentation rehearsal/preparation support (up to 60 minutes per board meeting)
Platinum adds:
- Virtual attendance at one board meeting per quarter (up to 2 hours per meeting)
- Post-meeting debrief and action item clarification (up to 30 minutes)
Scope Boundaries
In scope:
- Strategic advisory and executive guidance
- Roadmap and operating model development
- KPI design and measurement framework
- Board-ready materials and presentations
- Capability transfer and knowledge documentation
Separate engagement types available:
- Hands-on implementation: Best served through Build Sprints (8–12 weeks)
- Day-to-day operations: Consider hiring full-time or interim management
- Vendor procurement: We advise on selection; procurement managed by your team
- Urgent tactical needs: Power Sessions available for discrete challenges
- In-person meetings: Available with advance notice; travel costs additional
Scope adjustments: As your priorities evolve, we'll update the SOW together to ensure our work remains aligned with your highest-value needs.
Best For
- Series A–B growth-stage companies (Standard)
- Mid-market organizations $50M–$500M ARR (Premium)
- Enterprise organizations $500M+ (Platinum)
- Organizations needing board‑grade leadership, clarity, and velocity on AI/data programs
Next Steps
Book a free 30-minute intro call to discuss your needs and confirm fit: /book?type=advisory