Your Chief AI Officer, by the fraction
RedRock CAIO puts a senior technical architect in your AI leadership seat part-time. One accountable owner for what your AI is for, what it costs and whether it's safe, reporting to your leadership team and board.
The seat most companies haven't filled
Few large companies have a dedicated AI executive yet. Crist|Kolder counted only 10.7% of Fortune 500 and S&P 500 companies with a Chief AI Officer or equivalent title as of mid-2026. Source: Crist|Kolder 2026 Mid-Year Volatility Report, via CFO Dive, Oct 2026
Value is concentrated in the companies that get it right. McKinsey's 2026 survey found 37% of organisations attribute at least some EBIT to AI, and only about 6% qualify as high performers. Source: McKinsey, "The state of AI in 2026", Aug 2026 BCG found only 5% of companies are "future-built" and getting substantial value from AI. Source: BCG Build for the Future 2025, via PR Newswire, Sep 2025
Meanwhile, 64% of CEOs in IBM's study said they invest in some technologies before they understand the value. Source: IBM IBV and Oxford Economics CEO study, May 2025
Many companies don't need a full-time CAIO yet. They do need someone to own the AI seat now.
What your CAIO owns
Business-aligned AI strategy
Every initiative gets an owner, a success measure and a run-cost estimate before it's funded. We decide what to build, buy or stop.
AI cost control, designed in
AI spend reporting tied to outcomes, with cost levers applied as we go. 98% of FinOps teams now manage AI spend, up from 31% two years earlier. Source: FinOps Foundation, State of FinOps 2026
Well-architected AI, not agent sprawl
Architecture review of every new AI initiative before it is funded, against published frameworks.
Running through all three: secure AI use and training, so adoption grows without shadow-AI risk.
What's included
- Ownership of the AI roadmap and portfolio, kept current
- Architecture review before funding, for every new AI initiative
- AI spend reporting tied to business outcomes
- Vendor and platform decisions made on fit, not on partner incentives
- Governance and secure-use policies, kept current as tools and rules change
- Regular reporting to your leadership team and board
Who leads your seat
Erico Cardelli, technical architect and founder of RedRock Systems, leads every CAIO engagement. [confirm: whether to present a senior bench of specialist architects at launch; names, roles and bios]
Three tiers, quoted to your scope
Start small. Scale when it pays. Every engagement is quoted to your scope, with no obligation.
The AI Cost and Architecture Diagnostic. A fixed-scope assessment over about [diagnostic length, e.g. 3–4 weeks]. We map where AI is used, what it costs, what it returns and what to do first. You leave with a board-ready 90-day plan.
Your CAIO seat, part-time. About [time commitment, e.g. one day a week]. Your CAIO owns the plan from the Baseline and sees it through.
More time in the seat. For platform build-outs, multi-team rollouts and heavier board reporting. About [time commitment, e.g. two days a week].
Questions boards and CEOs ask first
Why not hire a full-time Chief AI Officer?
You may need one eventually. Many companies don't yet. Full-time AI leadership is expensive: Heidrick & Struggles' compensation survey shows large cash packages plus substantial equity and long-term incentives for US AI officers. Source: Heidrick & Struggles, 2025 Data, Analytics and AI Officers Compensation Survey A fractional seat gives you senior ownership now and a clear decision later. If the role should become permanent, we help define it and hand over cleanly.
We already have a CTO or CIO. Why do we need you?
Your CTO or CIO runs the whole technology estate. We work with them, not around them. Most of our recommendations land in their roadmap.
How is this different from an AI agency?
An agency is paid to build, so the answer tends to be "build more." As your CAIO, our job is to decide what is worth building and hold whoever builds it to that standard, your team, an integrator or us. If we recommend our own Custom Development work, we say so up front and scope it separately. [confirm disclosure, e.g. "We take no reseller, referral or partner fees."]
Do you work remotely?
Remote-first, board-ready. Your CAIO presents to the board live on video by default, and in person when it matters. It's a normal way to buy this role: on GoFractional's marketplace, 60% of fractional Chief AI Officer roles are remote, 20% hybrid and 20% on-site, from a small sample. Source: GoFractional, "Fractional Chief AI Officer Cost & Rates", checked 12 Oct 2026
Can you guarantee a specific saving?
No. Anyone who quotes a fixed percentage before seeing your workloads is guessing. We apply the published levers that fit and measure against your baseline.
Is sustainability part of this?
As a supporting point, yes. Data-centre electricity use grew 17% in 2025 to about 485 TWh. Source: IEA, "Key Questions on Energy and AI", 2026 Fewer tokens on right-sized models usually means lower cost and less energy. We don't claim local AI is automatically greener.
Put one owner in the AI seat
Start with a Baseline. In a few weeks you'll have a costed plan and a clear view of your AI spend and risk.
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How can we help?
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