Fractional CTO · Digital Agencies
Fractional CTO
for Digital Agencies
Senior technical leadership for agencies that deliver web platforms, apps, and digital experiences.
Digital agencies deliver real technical complexity — headless CMS builds, API integrations, multi-environment deployments, performance-critical platforms. But most agency MDs don't have the technical depth to lead those decisions themselves, and a full-time CTO at £150k+ isn't justified for the volume of work. A fractional CTO gives you the same strategic and architectural thinking at a fraction of the cost, for exactly the time you need it.
Where I help most
The problems digital agencies hire a fractional CTO to solve.
Winning complex technical briefs
Clients are asking about headless architecture, composable platforms, and AI-assisted delivery. You can shape the creative response, but you need someone who can walk into a room and own the architecture conversation — and back it up in writing.
Delivery risk on large builds
Platform integrations, third-party APIs, and multi-environment deployments all carry late-stage risk. Without senior technical oversight, problems surface during UAT — not during planning. A fractional CTO reviews architecture before the build, not after.
Building a repeatable tech practice
Every project reinvents the wheel. Standards, toolchain, and delivery process that actually stick across projects require a senior technical voice — not just a good tech lead on each individual job.
Background
26 years building and leading digital at agency level.
I've spent the bulk of my career at digital agencies — AKQA, Critical Mass, Digitas, Wunderman — and more recently as fractional CTO for Great State, one of the UK's leading digital experience agencies.
Full background →How I work with agencies
Fractional CTO Retainer
Ongoing technical leadership — strategy, architecture, team oversight — typically 2–4 days per week.
Fixed-Scope Project
Tech audits, architecture reviews, and specific deliverables with a defined timeline and fixed price.
AI Development Workshop
Two-day in-person workshop where your team builds AI agents for your development lifecycle.
Technical Due Diligence
Independent assessment of a codebase, team, or platform — for investors, acquirers, or founders.
Ready to talk?
Book a free 30-minute discovery call. We'll talk through your agency's technical situation and I'll tell you honestly whether I can help.