How much does a fractional CDO cost and what do you get in 90 days?

1. The engagement model and cadence

A fractional CDO is not a full‑time hire. The standard cadence is 1–2 days per week, focused on executive decision‑making rather than day‑to‑day delivery. This model is designed to align strategy, governance, and ROI capture without the overhead of a permanent executive role.

In practice, the first two weeks are diagnosis and alignment: stakeholder interviews, baseline KPIs, and inventory of data and AI usage. Weeks 3–6 convert priorities into decision packs. Weeks 7–10 deploy governance controls and validate the first use cases. Weeks 11–12 deliver the 12‑month roadmap and handover.

This cadence is designed to fit executive time constraints. The fractional CDO is present in steering meetings, not in every delivery stand‑up. The focus is decision quality, not delivery management. That makes the model scalable across mid‑market teams.

The cadence is deliberate: it allows senior leadership input without stalling delivery teams. It also ensures the board sees tangible outputs in the first quarter.

2. What you get in the first 90 days

The output is not a slide deck. A 90‑day fractional engagement produces operational artifacts that the board can approve: decision packs with owners and KPIs, an AI risk register, a policy pack for acceptable use, and a roadmap with a 12‑month horizon.

The typical package includes three decision packs linked to P&L, a prioritized use‑case backlog, and governance controls aligned to AI Act and GDPR expectations. These artifacts become the foundation for execution by internal teams.

If you already have delivery leads, the fractional CDO does not replace them. Instead, it provides the executive framing, the governance decisions, and the ROI narrative they can execute.

Most teams also add a lightweight cadence: a weekly steering touchpoint and a monthly value review with finance. This is enough to keep momentum without creating executive overhead.

The goal is credibility: the board can see what decisions were made, who owns them, and how ROI will be measured.

3. How ROI is measured

ROI is defined upfront. Each decision pack includes a baseline, a counterfactual, and a capture KPI. Finance validates the measurement window and agrees on how value will be counted.

In a 90‑day sprint, the most realistic target is a 2–5% margin uplift or equivalent cost avoidance, typically across 1–3 use cases. The fractional CDO does not promise ROI without a measurement plan; it enforces one.

This discipline is what boards expect. When ROI is defined upfront, the conversation shifts from “should we invest?” to “can we execute?”.

This is what separates fractional leadership from advisory consulting: the outcome is owned and measurable, not just recommended.

4. What drives the price range

The range (€10,000–€28,000 per month) depends on scope and velocity. Adding AI governance, risk controls, or FinOps work increases effort. Weekly steering cycles also increase cost compared to bi‑weekly cadence.

Vendor selection, procurement alignment, and cross‑border governance can also raise complexity, particularly in multi‑entity groups. The price is justified when decision value is clear and the board is actively involved.

The engagement should always include a planned exit at day 90. Renewals are optional and based on delivered artifacts and KPIs.

When fractional beats a full‑time hire

Fractional CDOs work best when you need board‑grade decisions quickly but do not yet have the scale to justify a permanent executive role. It is also effective when the organization needs urgent governance for AI or data risk, while delivery teams already exist.

• You need a 90‑day reset with decision packs and governance controls.
• You have delivery leads but lack executive alignment and ROI ownership.
• You want a clear exit point before committing to a full‑time hire.
• You need procurement‑friendly scope and measurable outcomes.

If your organization requires daily executive management of large delivery teams, a full‑time CDO is a better fit. Fractional is a catalyst; it is not a substitute for full‑time leadership at enterprise scale.