20+ years
Enterprise CIO, CISO and delivery leadership
ISO 27001 & 42001
Certification-grade advisory, not templates
Owner-led
You work with the senior operator, every session
NSW + remote
Sydney, Central Coast, Newcastle and Australia-wide
What is a fractional CIO?
It is a senior technology leader you share instead of hire. You get the judgement of a chief information officer — technology strategy, cyber risk, compliance and AI decisions — for a fraction of the cost and commitment of a full-time executive.
Most of our clients are small and medium Australian businesses with 10 to 200 people: too large to run technology on instinct, too small to justify a permanent executive.
Start with a review
A free 30-minute Technology & Risk Review. You leave with a one-page priority list — no obligation.
Then a light cadence
Most small businesses run one to two days a month, scaled up only when a project needs it.
One accountable leader
No junior bench, no handover. The person in your executive meeting is the person doing the work.
Fractional CIO leadership,
accountable for the decision.
Cybersecurity strategy, compliance across ISO 27001 and ISO 42001, and AI consulting — delivered inside one engagement by the operator who sits in your leadership meetings.
Governance before acceleration.
Evidence before hype.
We begin with operating reality and risk. Technology enters once the value, ownership, data and control questions are explicit.
Frame value first
Define the business outcome, baseline and decision owner before discussing tools.
Expose constraints
Test process, data, security, compliance, people and delivery capacity.
Prove the path
Pilot a bounded change, measure net benefit and keep a defensible evidence trail.
Scale with control
Build ownership, governance and an operating rhythm your team can sustain.
AI and cyber,
designed as one operating system.
ISO 27001 secures the information system. ISO 42001 governs the AI system. We connect both to business outcomes, supplier decisions and executive accountability — scaled to what a smaller business can realistically sustain.
ISO 27001
Information risk, controls and assurance
ISO 42001
AI governance, impact and oversight
Operating model
Owners, approvals and evidence
Net benefit
Value after cost, effort and risk
A senior technology leader,
without the full-time appointment.
Fractional CIO is the core engagement. It creates a consistent leadership cadence across technology strategy, investment, cyber risk, compliance, AI adoption, vendors and board reporting.
The artefacts behind the advice.
Explore the three deliverables that anchor every engagement. Hover or select any element to see how we read it with your executive team.
Where each initiative actually sits
Every candidate initiative is plotted on net benefit against residual risk, so investment conversations start from evidence rather than enthusiasm.
Copilot rollout
Strong productivity case, but data over-sharing must be remediated before the licence spend is justified. Treat permissions clean-up as a precondition, not a follow-up.
AI governance and riskBook your Technology & Risk Review
Tell us what is on your plate. You get a 30-minute call and a one-page priority list — a senior advisor replies within one business day.
NSW on-site, Australia-wide remote
We work on-site with organisations in Sydney, Newcastle and on the Central Coast, and remotely with leaders across Australia.
Newcastle
NSW
Central Coast
NSW
Australia-wide
Remote delivery
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What does FORTE/CYBERx consulting cover?+
FORTE/CYBERx is a Fractional CIO practice. One accountable technology leader delivers three capabilities: cybersecurity strategy, compliance across ISO 27001 and ISO 42001, and AI consulting.
Is a fractional CIO worth it for a small business?+
For most Australian businesses between roughly 10 and 200 people, yes. You get executive-level technology judgement one or two days a month for a fraction of a permanent salary, and you only scale the cadence up when a project or audit demands it.
How much does an engagement cost?+
Pricing is consultative and scoped to the outcome, not sold as a fixed package. Engagements typically start with a small monthly cadence and expand only when there is a defined piece of work. We confirm scope and commercials in writing before anything starts.
What happens on the free Technology & Risk Review?+
A 30-minute call with a senior advisor. We work through your current technology, risk and compliance pressures and send you a one-page priority list afterwards. There is no obligation and no sales pitch.
How quickly will someone respond to my enquiry?+
A senior advisor replies within one business day. Enquiries go to the person who would run your engagement, not a call centre or junior qualifier.
Where does FORTE/CYBERx provide consulting services?+
We operate from Sydney and work on-site across Greater Sydney, the Central Coast and Newcastle, with remote delivery for organisations anywhere in Australia.
Do we need to buy the Platform to work with you?+
No. Consulting and Platform credits are commercially separate. Consultants use the Platform only where it materially strengthens governance, decision records or execution planning.
Sydney, Central Coast and Newcastle in person — Australia-wide remotely.
Pressure-test two decisions free in the Platform.
Consulting and Platform credits remain separate. No credit card required.
Talk to a senior advisor
Tell us the decision, constraint or opportunity. A senior advisor responds within one business day — and your first 30-minute Technology & Risk Review is free.
Free 30-minute review
Senior advisor replies in one business day