Best Fractional Chief Information Officer Services in Australia

Australia Outsourced Chief Information Officer Agencies

In Australia’s dynamic innovation economy, IT leadership is no longer a back-office function—it’s a frontline enabler of growth. Whether you’re a Series A tech company scaling infrastructure or a mature enterprise modernising legacy systems, a fractional Chief Information Officer (CIO) offers a strategic edge without the cost or commitment of a full-time exec.

From Sydney to Brisbane, startups and mid-market companies are leveraging part-time, virtual, and outsourced CIOs to build secure, scalable, and compliant tech environments. These aren't just advisory roles. The best vCIOs step into the mess, clarify priorities, and lead delivery. They’re especially critical for companies in regulated sectors like finance, health, SaaS, and defence where poor IT governance can kill momentum.

Why fractional now? Australian firms are navigating globalisation, data privacy laws (like the Privacy Act and CPS 234), and digital transformation all at once. But not every business can (or should) hire a full-time CIO at $300k+. That’s where CIOs-for-hire step in: strategic, sector-savvy, and ready to move fast.

At Digital Reference, we care deeply about radical authenticity, the kind that shows up in plain English, real case studies, and public leadership. These aren’t ghost consultants. These are visible operators who publish their thoughts, build in public, and invite accountability.

How We Selected These Providers

This list was assembled by Digital Reference’s editorial team based on public research, client reviews, and our own visibility-first framework. We prioritised those who demonstrate thought leadership and verifiable impact—not just sleek websites.

We used the following criteria:

📅 Verifiable Client Results – Clear commercial or technical outcomes
💼 Founder-Led Models – Built and led by operators, not just advisors
📍 Regional Focus – Deep roots in the Australian business ecosystem
📢 Visible Leadership – Publicly active founders (LinkedIn, media, or content)

All companies below have an active website and a public LinkedIn profile for their founder.

Silver Lining Cyber Pty Ltd

🔗 Website: https://silverliningcyber.com

Silver Lining Cyber delivers fractional CISO and CIO services, helping SMBs and mid-tier organisations navigate risk, governance, and transformation. They specialise in sectors where compliance and trust are critical: legal, health, finance, and tech.

Their model is consultative but grounded they’ll conduct risk reviews, set strategy, and embed with internal teams to execute it.

💡 Why they stand out:

• Clear frameworks for ISO 27001, Essential Eight, and data privacy
• Proven ability to scale security governance for SMEs
• Joe’s deep visibility on LinkedIn builds trust with boards and founders

Joe Cozzupoli, Founder, Silver Lining Cyber

🔗 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jcozzupoliciso

Joe is a cyber and IT governance veteran with over two decades of experience across risk, compliance, and operations. Known for making security accessible, he shares tips on how founders can meet compliance goals without bureaucracy. His posts and workshops are plainspoken, useful, and widely followed in the Australian tech community.

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Three Are One

🔗 Website: https://threeareone.com

Three Are One is a boutique provider of fractional technology leadership, offering virtual CIO and CTO support to early-stage ventures and growth companies. They focus on simplifying tech roadmaps for non-technical founders.

Their clients include SaaS startups, NFPs, and mission-driven organisations looking for IT strategy without jargon.

💡 Why they stand out:

• Specialises in aligning IT roadmaps with business goals
• Flexible engagements: monthly, project-based, or embedded
• Brendan is transparent, responsive, and people-first

Brendan Collogan, Founder, Three Are One

🔗 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/bcollogan

Brendan combines technical know-how with a collaborative style. With a background in digital transformation and enterprise tech, he helps startups avoid costly missteps. His LinkedIn content focuses on empathetic leadership and how to build lean IT functions that scale.

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Insicon – Executive Cyber Leadership

🔗 Website: https://insicon.com.au

Insicon offers executive cyber and IT leadership, helping Australian businesses strengthen security postures while advancing tech strategy. Their services span vCIO, vCISO, and governance audits for finance, government, defence, and critical infrastructure.

Insicon’s style is methodical, standards-based, and executive-aligned.

💡 Why they stand out:

• Strong understanding of regulatory frameworks (CPS 234, ISO)
• Dual focus on cyber risk and digital enablement
• Matt is active in industry forums and policy circles

Matt Miller, Founder, Insicon

🔗 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/matt-m-1392141

Matt is a recognised cyber leader with experience in military, critical infrastructure, and commercial tech. He’s respected for translating complex compliance needs into board-level decisions. His leadership style is precise, calm, and built on accountability.

MaltIQ

🔗 Website: http://www.maltiq.au

MaltIQ delivers IT and data strategy services, helping organisations modernise their operations with cloud, analytics, and transformation initiatives. They serve education, healthcare, and not-for-profit sectors with a strong regional presence.

Their engagements often start with an audit and evolve into fractional leadership roles.

💡 Why they stand out:

• Clear methodologies for data governance and digital maturity
• Mark's hands-on advisory style builds internal capability
• Track record with NFPs and public sector clients

Mark Calleja, Founder, MaltIQ

🔗 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/markcalleja

Mark brings decades of IT leadership experience across higher education and public sector bodies. He’s passionate about data as a strategic asset and advocates for ethical digital transformation. Mark often mentors internal teams to build long-term tech competency.

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Intuity Consulting

🔗 Website: http://www.intuityconsulting.com.au

Intuity Consulting provides CIO advisory, governance audits, and transformation leadership to mid-market and enterprise clients. Their focus is on sustainable digital change—not quick fixes.

Their clients include local councils, education providers, and health networks needing strategic IT oversight.

💡 Why they stand out:

• Long-term transformation engagements with public sector bodies
• Jacob leads with clarity, especially in politically complex orgs
• Clear IT governance and reporting structures

Jacob Dudzinski, Founder, Intuity Consulting

🔗 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jacobdudzinski

Jacob is a respected figure in the Australian digital strategy space. His expertise spans infrastructure, change leadership, and governance. On LinkedIn, he shares insights on leading IT change in complex stakeholder environments—especially where funding and politics intersect.

Allura Partners

🔗 Website: http://www.allurapartners.com.au

Allura Partners is a search and advisory firm, but through Adrian Belle, they offer fractional CIO services to private equity and high-growth ventures. Adrian’s model blends strategic advice with interim leadership—especially in turnaround and scale-up scenarios.

💡 Why they stand out:

• Strong network within PE-backed portfolios
• Tech due diligence and digital transformation experience
  Adrian is known for creating calm in tech chaos
  
  

Adrian Belle, Partner, Allura Partners

🔗 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/adrian-belle

Adrian’s background in enterprise IT and consulting gives him a strategic lens on IT growth. He’s especially skilled in working with executive teams during transition periods—whether post-acquisition or during digital turnarounds. On LinkedIn, he shares practical reflections on team structure, systems, and change.

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Fractl

🔗 Website: https://fractl.au/

Fractl offers on-demand CIO and CTO advisory, helping scaling startups and mid-market businesses manage technical debt, hiring, and product infrastructure. With a startup-native mindset, they support software businesses at critical inflection points.

💡 Why they stand out:

• CTO-grade advice without the full-time overhead
• Brett helps founders separate tech noise from business needs
• Strong track record in SaaS and digital marketplaces

Brett Randall, Founder, Fractl

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bprandall/

Brett has scaled multiple engineering teams and helped SaaS businesses de-risk product delivery. He’s known for pragmatic views on when to hire vs. outsource, and how to build a resilient IT backbone. His public posts offer tech guidance in plain language.

Matrix Solutions

🔗 Website: https://www.matrixsolutions.com.au/ 

What they do:
Matrix Solutions specializes in enterprise-scale data warehousing, cloud data migrations, and business intelligence (BI) modernisation, particularly for organisations grappling with legacy complexity. They bring structure and scalability to fragmented data ecosystems—rearchitecting outdated systems, consolidating siloed information, and enabling self-service analytics. Their work supports not just technical uplift but organisational transformation, helping institutions unlock insights that were previously buried in incompatible systems.

Clients they serve:
Matrix Solutions partners with government departments, higher education institutions, energy providers, and infrastructure organisations all of which face unique challenges around regulatory oversight, data lineage, and cross-system interoperability. These are long-cycle, high-accountability sectors, and Matrix is trusted to deliver with precision, resilience, and deep domain awareness.

💡 Why they stand out:

• Deliver data platform upgrades without disrupting core operations.
• Offer vendor-agnostic planning across AWS, Azure, on-prem, and hybrid.
• Often lead long-term transformation roadmaps with executive alignment.

Anthony Ridley-Smith, Managing Director, Matrix Solutions

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyridleysmith/

Anthony has 30+ years leading government and commercial data transformation programs. He’s often called in to turn around delayed or over-scoped BI projects. His philosophy is grounded in one idea: data transformation succeeds when it's planned like infrastructure, not apps.   

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Final Thoughts

Australia’s business leaders are embracing fractional CIOs as a smarter way to lead tech without going all-in on a permanent hire. From data governance to product scaling, these operators bring clarity, calm, and credibility to complex IT environments.

What sets them apart isn’t just their expertise, it's their visibility. These founders show their thinking, share their results, and make their work accessible to founders, execs, and boards. That’s radical authenticity, and it’s what Digital Reference is all about.

Explore more:

🔗 Learn how Digital Reference supports fractional leaders
🔗 Get your video resume built
🔗 Discover visibility tools for tech operators

At Digital Reference, we don’t just profile standout leaders—we help them become visible.

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