vCAIO
Strategic + operational AI department. Full governance, risk management, and AI leadership — without the full-time hire.
Virtual Chief AI Officer
AI Leadership. Without the C-Suite Salary.
Your company needs someone who owns AI — strategy, governance, risk, compliance. But at 50–250 employees, a full-time CAIO doesn’t pencil out. vCAIO gives you that leadership on retainer: a governing authority for every AI decision your business makes.
What you get
- Governance Framework: NIS2-compliant AI policies, decision protocols, risk registers — built for your industry and enforced from day one
- AI Strategy Roadmap: quarterly prioritization of AI initiatives, tool evaluations, build-vs-buy decisions, and budget allocation
- Quarterly Business Reviews: structured reviews covering adoption metrics, risk posture, compliance status, and next-quarter objectives
- Risk Assessment: continuous AI risk identification — model bias, data sovereignty, vendor lock-in, operational dependencies
- Team Enablement: workshops and training for your leadership and staff — not “AI literacy” fluff, but hands-on operational competence
Why not hire a CAIO?
| vCAIO Retainer | Full-time CAIO | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | €5,000 | €15,000–25,000 (salary + overhead) |
| Time to value | Days | 3–6 months onboarding |
| Governance breadth | Cross-industry experience | Single-company lens |
| Coverage | Strategy + operations + compliance | Depends on background |
| Commitment | Monthly, cancel anytime | 12–24 month contract |
A mid-market DACH company doesn’t need AI leadership 40 hours a week. It needs it consistently, at the right moments, with accountability. That’s the retainer model.
How it works
Month one: audit your current AI stack, policies (or absence thereof), and risk exposure. Deliver a governance framework and 90-day roadmap.
Ongoing: monthly operational cadence — strategy adjustments, risk reviews, compliance checks, vendor decisions. Quarterly board-ready reviews included.
The agent-ops layer handles execution. vCAIO handles direction. Together: a complete AI department for a fraction of the cost.
For whom
DACH SMEs in regulated industries — financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics — where AI adoption without governance is a liability. If you’re deploying AI tools but have no formal policy, no risk register, and no one accountable, you’re already exposed.
Get started
Full governance from €5,000/month. See pricing details → or book a consultation — included in your retainer.
Let's find the fix.
30 minutes. No pitch. We'll look at one workflow and tell you what to fix first.