Fractional CIO | IT Strategy for High-Stakes M&A | Faster M&A, Smoother Exits | De-risking IT & unlocking value | Author

Most technology integrations miss their synergy targets. Not because the technology is wrong, but because the right leadership wasn't in place early enough.

That's where I come in.

I'm an Interim / Fractional CIO specialising in Transformation & Resilience. I work with CEOs and boards of multi-site, acquisition-led businesses, typically PE-backed, 500–10,000 employees, to turn technology from a source of risk into a source of value.

When integration timelines slip, cyber posture is unclear, or the estate has grown faster than the team can manage, I step in to stabilise delivery, simplify complexity, and build a roadmap the board can trust.
Recent engagement:

VetPartners (BC Partners-backed, £1B revenue, 14,000 staff, 9 countries). Built the Group IT Strategy from scratch. Created acquisition integration blueprints. Accelerated new practice onboarding by 30%. Simultaneously ran IT operations for 540 UK practices.

Career outcomes:

£700M+ M&A technology integration across the platform and bolt-on acquisitions
£15M+ annual EBITDA contribution through operational excellence and cost optimisation
Technology leadership across automotive retail, consumer goods, and veterinary services

Clients call me when:

→ Integration is off-track, and synergies are at risk
→ The board wants cyber confidence before exit, audit, or due diligence
→ Technology is a red flag in the data room
→ They need senior leadership fast—without permanent headcount

I also serve as NED (Digital & Technology) at Age UK, and I've published on AI governance, IT leadership, and board-level technology strategy.

Available for select interim and fractional mandates.

Let's talk: DJ@Starkhorn.co.uk

Daniel J. Jacobs

💊 Data Doctor 📅 AI & Automation Expert 🙋‍♂️The Worlds 1st Chief Generative AI Officer 🗣️ Key Note Speaker 🏆 9x Global Award Winner 🏆 7x LinkedIn Top Voice 📕 Author 🍿 44k+ LinkedIn Connections

I am a highly accomplished CEO, board advisor and thought leader with decades of experience as a practitioner, educator and consultant for global brands on leadership, AI, intelligent automation, data analytics, strategy and digital technology.

I am the winner of multiple awards and accolades. I have been recognised as a World's Top 200 Business and Technology Innovators and a Top 14 people to follow in data. I  was also named as a Top 25 Thought Leader Generative AI 2025,  a Top 50 Global Thought Leader and Influencer on Agentic AI 2025.

My numerous awards and recognitions attest to my outstanding contributions to the fields of AI, digital technology, data analytics, leadership and innovation. I am widely respected as a thought leader, consultant, speaker and innovator. 

I have authored four influential books and hundreds of articles that have shaped industry perspectives on digital transformation, data analytics, intelligent automation, leadership and artificial intelligence.

My company, Kieran Gilmurray and Company, helps businesses get huge value from AI, data, automation, their leadership teams and digital technologies. My team is fluent in both technology and business outcomes – a rare combination in a noisy market.  

Over the past 30 plus years, my team and I have:

  •	Scaled enterprise AI, automation, and analytics for FTSE 100 and S&P 500 organisations
  •	Delivered multi-million-pound gains in operational efficiency 
  •	Trained over 3000 business leaders in leadership, data analytics, digital tech, AI strategy and delivery
  •	Scaled and restructured businesses 
  •	Coached boards, c-suites and executives teams to win
  •	Delivered research, advisory and message amplification to get you the MQLs and SQLs you need

Our approach is practical, and relentlessly results-focused - we deliver what we promise.

What others say:

• Kieran’s market and technical expertise are outstanding. Deep insight, absolute clarity, backed by real world experience you can trust.
• A true authority who delivers confidence and results. 
• Outstanding to work with. A once in a lifetime opportunity to learn from someone truly extraordinary.
• Exceptional. Brilliant. A rare chance to meet and work with someone at this level.

If your business wants a partner with real-world strategy to implementation experience then let’s talk.
📅 Book a call: https://calendly.com/kierangilmurray/introductory-call-linkedin

🕵️‍♂️ Find Kieran's books on Amazon - https://tinyurl.com/MyBooksOnAmazonUK 
🌍 Company Website: https://KieranGilmurray.com
📩 Email - kieran@gilmurray.co.uk

Kieran Gilmurray

I have just released a preview of Chapter 9 of my new book.

This is the fourth book in my Masterclass Series on AI.

Chapter 9 explains why the real risk in AI is not model performance, but weak governance.

This chapter moves the conversation from experimentation to accountable deployment. Systems that withstand board scrutiny, regulatory standards, and enterprise risk discipline.

Instead of abstract ethics debates, this chapter sets out three governance pillars: Safety Guardrails, Brand and Compliance, and Quality Control. It shows how to apply guardrails, design human oversight, and operationalise compliance under the EU AI Act and GDPR.

The focus is simple. Innovation must flow. Risk must stay within appetite. Governance is the operating system that makes both possible.

The full book is now live on #Amazon and #Audible.

You can read the Chapter 9 preview and access free chapters here:
https://lnkd.in/ea_Runq3

Repost to help someone in your network ♻️

#ArtificialIntelligence #AIGovernance #EnterpriseAI

I help C suite leaders and boards drive ROI from AI by improving their revenue, cost, and decision quality - see KieranGilmurray.com.

Introduction: The High Cost of Ungoverned AI and Weak Governance The difference between a celebrated AI launch and a reputational crisis is rarely the

Open article: Chapter 9: Governance, Guardrails, and Ethics by Kieran Gilmurray • 3 min read

Chapter 9: Governance, Guardrails, and Ethics

The C suite is being redefined.

This article explores the rise of Fractional Executives and why embedded, part time leadership is reshaping access to senior capability, with LinkedIn mentions rising from around 2,000 in 2022 to over 110,000 by 2024.

It examines what fractional leadership actually means, how it differs from interim roles and consulting, and why CFO, CMO, and CTO positions are increasingly going fractional.

The piece also looks at the commercial logic, cost efficiency, faster onboarding, and access to deep expertise, while also addressing the risks of unclear scope and weak integration, making governance and defined decision rights essential.

♻️ Share this to help someone in your network

#Leadership #Strategy #FractionalExecutive #BusinessGrowth #FutureOfWork

TLDR / At a Glance Fractional executives work part-time or on defined engagements with operational authority, not as external advisers or consultants.

Open article: The Rise of Fractional Executives: Trends & Strategic Insights by Kieran Gilmurray • 7 min read

The Rise of Fractional Executives: Trends & Strategic Insights

I have just released a preview of Chapter 8 of my new book.

This is the fourth book in my Masterclass Series on AI.

Chapter 8 explains why most AI initiatives stall at the demo stage, and why real value only appears when architecture is built to scale.

This chapter shifts the conversation from “working prototype” to production ready asset. Systems that survive cost benefit scrutiny, risk review, security audits, and CFO level financial discipline.

Instead of experimentation alone, this chapter focuses on the four pillars that turn AI into an enterprise asset: reliability, scalability, security, and maintainability, and how to design architectures that stay secure, stay online, and scale without financial shock.

The full book is now live on Amazon.

You can read the Chapter 8 preview and access free chapters here:
https://lnkd.in/ea_Runq3

Repost to help someone in your network ♻️

#ArtificialIntelligence #EnterpriseAI #AgenticAI

Executives rarely reject good business ideas. They reject ideas that cannot survive a cost-benefit analysis, a risk review, or those that can’t scale.

Open article: Chapter 8: Architecture That Scales by Kieran Gilmurray • 2 min read

Conversational AI has quietly become a place where people disclose suicidal thoughts.

This article explores how chatbots are now part of life and death conversations, with reports suggesting over one million users discuss suicide with ChatGPT each week.

It examines why people turn to chatbots in moments of crisis, where some users describe genuine support and survival, but also where documented harms include unsafe validation, reinforcement of delusions, and encouragement of harmful thinking.

A central risk is sycophancy, where a system designed to affirm users may unintentionally strengthen beliefs that require careful challenge.

The article looks at what early studies suggest, what lawsuits and reported cases reveal, and why accountability, safeguards, and human oversight remain essential even if no system will prevent every tragedy.

♻️ Share this to help someone in your network

#AIethics #MentalHealth #ResponsibleAI #DigitalSafety #FutureOfAI

TLDR / At a Glance Over 1 million users reportedly discuss suicide with ChatGPT each week, marking a major shift in disclosure. Some people say chatbo

Open article: Chatbots and Suicide: Hope, Harm, and Urgent Questions by Kieran Gilmurray • 6 min read

Chatbots and Suicide: Hope, Harm, and Urgent Questions

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The Battle

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Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Kieran Gilmurray's LinkedIn Performance

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