CTO Advisory Services

Strategic technology leadership, when and how you need it.

Your Board has questions. Your systems are underperforming. Your budget is under scrutiny. StableLogic gives you the senior, independent expertise to answer all three — and fix what’s holding your technology back.

30 yearsof independent technology experience
Europe & North Americamid-market & enterprise clients
From £1,200/daytransparent day-rate pricing

The technology challenges that bring clients to StableLogic

“My systems keep failing and my team can’t deliver fast enough”

The business has lost confidence in IT. Projects stall. The same problems recur. And nobody has an honest, independent view of why — because every internal team has a different explanation.

“My Board wants an AI strategy — and I don’t yet have one I’m confident in”

Your team is already using AI without controls. The CEO is asking. The CFO wants a business case. And the governance and risk framework hasn’t kept pace with any of it.

“My IT budget keeps growing but the CFO is asking me to justify every line”

Vendor contracts have accumulated. Cloud costs have drifted. The IT budget is treated as a black box — and when Finance asks for justification, the answer isn’t good enough.

Our seven CTO advisory service areas

Combine service areas based on your priorities, or engage across the full agenda. Every engagement is tailored to what your organisation actually needs.

Sorting Out the Mess

Why are systems unreliable and slow to change?

  • Independent root cause assessment
  • Technical debt mapping and remediation plan
  • Reliability improvement — incident patterns and systemic fixes
  • Development velocity analysis
  • Senior oversight through implementation
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Technology Delivery Assessment & Improvement

When delivery is too slow or services are unreliable

  • Delivery capability assessment and root cause diagnosis
  • Architecture and technical debt review
  • Development process and team effectiveness
  • Improvement roadmap with funded milestones
  • Senior programme oversight through to delivery
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IT Governance & Risk Management

Risks understood, prioritised, and managed

  • Technology risk assessment (cyber, operational, compliance)
  • Governance framework design and implementation
  • ISO 27001 alignment and compliance advisory
  • Board-level risk reporting and technology assurance
  • Interim CTO / fractional technology leadership
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Strategic Technology Roadmap Planning

Aligning technology investment with commercial strategy

  • Business objectives to technology priorities mapping
  • Current state assessment and gap analysis
  • Strategic roadmap (12, 24, 36-month horizons)
  • Emerging technology assessment
  • Roadmap communication for Board and investor audiences
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Vendor Management & Technology Sourcing

Independent assessment and commercial leverage

  • Vendor portfolio assessment and rationalisation
  • Independent technology sourcing support
  • Contract benchmarking against market rates
  • Negotiation support and commercial framework design
  • Ongoing vendor performance governance
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IT Cost Management & Budgeting

Defend every pound of technology investment

  • IT spend audit and cost allocation analysis
  • Cloud, SaaS, and licence optimisation
  • IT budget governance framework
  • Business case development for major investments
  • Cost reduction roadmap and implementation support
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We answer to you. Not to any vendor.

Completely independent

No vendor affiliations, no platform to sell, no managed service to upsell. Our only interest is your outcome. That’s a different conversation from most technology advisors.

Senior practitioners, doing the work

The person you meet is the person doing the work. You’re not paying for a partner to oversee a team of analysts — you’re getting 30 years of direct experience, accountable for the outcome.

30 years of market knowledge

We’ve seen this problem before. Across sectors, across geographies, across technology stacks. That depth of insight — and the pattern recognition that comes with it — is what makes our advice different.

We don’t just diagnose — we stay until it’s fixed

Most consultants hand over a report. StableLogic takes accountability for the outcome. We stay involved through implementation, through the blockers, and through to the result. The engagement doesn’t close until the problem is solved.

How a CTO Advisory engagement works

Engagements are structured in three phases, though clients can engage at any point. All work is delivered on a transparent day-rate basis — so you only ever pay for what you actually need.

Phase 1

Assessment

Typically 3–10 days

A rapid, independent assessment of your technology, risks, and priorities. Produces a clear, prioritised action plan the business can fund and execute. A low-risk, high-value starting point.

Phase 2

Advisory Programme

Typically 2–5 days/month

A structured programme of advisory support across agreed service areas. Day-rate based. Scales up or down as your priorities evolve. Clients typically see results within 30 days.

Phase 3

Ongoing Governance

Quarterly retainer

A retained advisory relationship providing ongoing governance, risk oversight, and strategic input as the technology landscape evolves and business priorities shift.

Not sure which phase to start with? Most clients begin with a short assessment — typically 3–5 days. Book a free advisory call and we’ll guide you through it.

Client Results

Recent CTO advisory engagements — independent assessment, governance, and strategic direction for executive leadership.

Telecoms — Firstcom Europe

Delivery Turnaround & Governance

ChallengeSystems failing, delivery stalling, and security posture at risk — business confidence in technology lost.

SolutionIndependent assessment, restructured priorities, and delivery governance established; security addressed in parallel.

OutcomeStalled programmes completed, delivery confidence restored, and security posture hardened.

Read the case study →
Language Services & AI — Argos Multilingual

AI Strategy & Governance

ChallengeBoard AI mandate but no strategy, no governance, and a development team not equipped to work with AI tooling.

SolutionDefining the AI tooling strategy, designing the governance and controls framework, and AI-equipping the development team end-to-end.

OutcomeAI embedded into day-to-day development safely and sustainably — mandate moving from vision to operational reality.

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Public Sector — Companies House

Digital Modernisation Advisory

ChallengeLegacy systems and unresolved architectural decisions holding back a digital-first operating model.

SolutionStableLogic shaped the modernisation roadmap and validated architectural decisions alongside executive leadership.

OutcomeCompanies House moving from legacy platforms toward a digital-first operating model with clear architectural direction.

Read the case study →
See all our CTO advisory case studies →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a CTO Advisory service and who is it for?

Our CTO Advisory service provides senior technology leadership and strategic guidance — whether you have an existing CTO who needs independent support, or you’re a growing organisation that doesn’t yet have that capability in-house. We work with mid-size businesses through to large multinationals and public sector organisations.

How is StableLogic different from hiring a fractional CTO?

Unlike a single fractional hire, you get access to a full team with 30 years of collective experience across strategy, procurement, risk, and implementation. We’re also completely independent, so our advice is never influenced by vendor relationships.

Can you work alongside our existing IT leadership team?

Yes. We commonly work as an extension of existing IT teams, providing independent challenge, additional capacity, or specialist expertise on specific initiatives — without disrupting day-to-day operations.

Do you only provide advice, or can you help with delivery too?

Both. StableLogic can support you from strategy through to full programme delivery — including project management, technology procurement, and implementation oversight. We stay with you for the whole journey if needed.

What size of organisation do you typically work with?

Our sweet spot is mid-market to large enterprise — typically organisations with a turnover of £30m to £500m, where technology is strategically important but the internal leadership capacity to manage it is stretched or needs independent challenge. We also work with larger public sector and regulated organisations.

What triggers most CTO Advisory engagements?

The most common triggers are: technology delivery failure that has reached Board attention; a CTO departure or leadership gap; a Board or CEO mandate to develop an AI strategy; CFO scrutiny of IT spend; an ISO 27001 or compliance programme; or a merger, acquisition, or platform migration. In almost every case, the trigger is that the problem has escalated beyond what internal teams can resolve alone.

Do you cover AI strategy and governance?

Yes — this is one of our most in-demand service areas right now. We help organisations build a structured AI strategy covering tool selection, data governance, access controls, and ISO 27001 alignment. We also quantify the realistic productivity opportunity and build the business case that Finance and the Board need to invest with confidence. Shadow AI risk identification and remediation is included as standard.

Which geographies do you cover?

We serve clients across Europe (primary markets: UK, Ireland, Nordics, DACH, Benelux) and North America (USA and Canada). Engagements are delivered in-person where senior presence adds value and remotely where appropriate — with no reduction in quality or accountability.

Trusted By

Transparent, flexible pricing

Clear day-rate pricing with no hidden fees, no platform licences, and no managed service lock-in. You only pay for what you need.

Advisory Programme

£1,200/day

Typical scope: 2–5 days/month

Total range: £2,400–£6,000/month

Structured monthly advisory support across agreed service areas. Scales up or down. Can flex around your priorities as they evolve.

Discuss a programme

Retained Advisory

£1,200/day

Quarterly retainer

Volume discounts available

Ongoing governance, strategic oversight, and ad-hoc advisory as your technology landscape evolves. Volume discounts available for 3- or 6-month commitments.

Talk to us about a retainer

A permanent CTO costs £120,000–£200,000+ per year fully loaded. At £1,200/day, StableLogic delivers equivalent strategic input at a fraction of the cost — with no fixed overhead and no risk if priorities change.

GET IN TOUCH

Book a free advisory call

Tell us a little about your organisation and we’ll be in touch to arrange a time.

Ready to get an independent view of your technology?

Book a free 30-minute advisory call. No obligation. No sales pitch. Just a straightforward conversation about your technology challenges — and whether StableLogic can help.

Book a free advisory call