Best Fractional CTOs for Hire

Fractional CTO Services for Hire

In cities across the globe—from Chicago and Cape Town to Melbourne and Manila—small and mid-sized companies are reshaping industries with bold ideas. But scaling a great product takes more than just code. It takes leadership at the engineering level: someone who can architect scalable systems, guide developer teams, manage infrastructure risks, and align your tech with your business roadmap. Hiring a full-time CTO isn’t always feasible, and that’s where fractional CTOs come in.

At Digital Reference, we’ve built a platform that helps businesses find the right leadership at the right time. We’re excited to introduce a carefully vetted list of Fractional CTOs for hire, spanning industries, time zones, and specialties.

Our methodology is designed for trust and impact:

• We dive into LinkedIn profiles, company websites, case studies, and references.
• We evaluate engineering impact, not just resume items—what they’ve built, led, and shipped.
• We include independent operators, freelancers, and consultants working inside firms, making the list accessible no matter your location or hiring structure.

🌟 Meet the Featured Fractional CTOs Open to New Projects

🔴 Andrew Bush

Fractional CTO, MA Operating System
🔗 LinkedIn

Andrew Bush is the founder of MA Operating System, where he helps organizations build the “internal operating system” behind their product and technical strategy. With a background that spans deep systems thinking and executive technology leadership, Andrew partners with businesses to align technical decisions to business goals without bloated org charts or overbuilt architecture. 

☄️ Strategic architecture & systems thinking
☄️ Fractional engagement model designed for fast-moving companies
☄️ Deep focus on business–tech alignment at growth and transition stages

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🔴 Justin Dawson, credentials

Fractional CTO
🔗 LinkedIn

Justin Dawson works at the intersection of technology, creative production, and strategic operations. He’s supported startups and growing businesses as a fractional CTO by bringing order to technical chaos and clarity to engineering direction. Justin is particularly skilled in managing cross-functional teams, leading vendor integrations, and advising business owners on sustainable technology investments.

☄️ Practical CTO-level strategy for lean and cross-functional teams
☄️ Strong media, creative, and operations alignment
☄️ Hands-on roadmap and execution planning

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🔴 Irena Miziolek, credentials

Fractional CTO
🔗 LinkedIn

Irena Miziolek helps small- to mid-sized businesses turn ad hoc engineering into disciplined, high-output teams. With a focus on engineering leadership, process improvement, and architectural clarity, she’s the kind of fractional CTO that brings both order and innovation to early-stage technical teams.

☄️ Engineering process design and quality standards
☄️ Strategic roadmap development aligned with product goals
☄️ Transitional support for scaling teams and maturing organizations

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🔴 Ben Cook, credentials

Fractional CTO
🔗 LinkedIn

Ben Cook offers CTO-as-a-service support to startups and scaling companies looking for technology strategy and leadership without the long-term overhead. He excels at evaluating codebases, building engineering hiring plans, and setting a clear course for scalable product development. Known for being direct, decisive, and founder-aligned, Ben helps small companies think big with their tech.

☄️ Architecture evaluations and codebase audits
☄️ Engineering hiring plans and leadership setup
☄️ Fractional guidance through high-growth inflection points

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🔴 Daryl Sawyer, credentials

Fractional CTO,  Sawyer Consulting
🔗 LinkedIn

Daryl Sawyer leads Sawyer Consulting, offering fractional CTO and strategic technology services to companies aiming for rapid yet controlled growth. With a pragmatic, systems-led approach, Daryl partners with CEOs and founders to ensure their tech teams don’t just build—but build well. He has extensive experience helping startups move from founder-led development to scalable engineering processes.

☄️ Technical strategy and founder/tech-lead transitions
☄️ Team structuring and delivery process improvement
☄️ Architecture advising and operational scaling

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🔴 Chris Clarke, credentials

Fractional CTO,  Scaleup CTO
🔗 LinkedIn

Chris Clarke runs Scaleup CTO, where he helps startups and founder-led businesses navigate their most critical technical inflection points. With over two decades of engineering leadership, Chris specializes in turning early-stage scrappy builds into scalable, production-grade platforms. His clients range from SaaS startups to growth-stage B2B companies, and he’s known for his ability to embed quickly and provide calm, strategic oversight.

☄️ Technical scaling for post-MVP and Series A companies
☄️ Building and mentoring internal engineering teams
☄️ Translating business vision into sound product architecture

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🔴 Krystal Briggs, credentials

Fractional CTO
🔗 LinkedIn

Krystal Briggs brings a people-first approach to technical leadership. Her background spans cybersecurity, infrastructure, and agile development, making her a powerful addition to startups that need technical expertise and team culture guidance. As a fractional CTO, Krystal is known for building reliable systems, reducing technical debt, and developing trust across engineering and business teams.

☄️ Tech team culture transformation and leadership coaching
☄️ Cybersecurity strategy and infrastructure planning
☄️ Process improvement for long-term stability

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🔴 Aaron Xavier, credentials

Fractional CTO
  🔗 LinkedIn

Aaron Xavier is a fractional CTO with a strong foundation in systems engineering, IT operations, and startup leadership. Known for his ability to move fast while keeping systems stable, Aaron partners with small teams to implement processes that prepare them for growth. He’s particularly skilled at working with technical co-founders and helping them transition into broader leadership roles.

☄️ Scalable infrastructure implementation for startups
☄️ Founders' technical coaching and succession planning
☄️ Systems architecture and DevOps optimization

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🔴 Ross Boardman, credentials

Fractional CTO, Ross Boardman Consulting
🔗 LinkedIn

Ross Boardman helps businesses simplify complex systems. With a background in both enterprise architecture and nimble startup execution, Ross thrives in environments that require clarity, quick decision-making, and scalable strategy. His CTO engagements often focus on reducing system sprawl, improving architecture design, and coaching emerging engineering leaders.

☄️ Technical debt reduction and modernization strategy
☄️ Mentorship for junior CTOs and new engineering leaders
☄️ Streamlined architecture planning for scale

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🔴 John Austin (MBA) Graham

Fractional CTO,  Guildmaster Consulting
🔗 LinkedIn

John Graham offers CTO-level consulting through Guildmaster Consulting, where he brings business-first technology thinking to software organizations. With a combination of MBA training and technical experience, John is especially effective at aligning development teams with overall company strategy. He’s worked across eCommerce, logistics, SaaS, and more—often coming in to stabilize chaotic product cycles and implement clearer team workflows.

☄️ CTO support for product-led organizations
☄️ Cross-departmental alignment and communication
☄️ Scalable workflows and release planning

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🔴 Mark Thomas Marcantano, credentials

Fractional CTO
  🔗 LinkedIn

Mark Marcantano brings over 25 years of experience leading digital product, data, and cloud transformation for startups and enterprise clients alike. His specialty lies in connecting architecture, engineering, and data strategy to accelerate business growth. Mark works well with CEOs who need clear, jargon-free assessments and actionable plans to scale their platforms and teams.

☄️ Data-driven architecture for modern software ecosystems
☄️ Cloud-first development strategy and migration
☄️ Executive communication for non-technical stakeholders

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🔴 Chris Marcus, credentials

Fractional CTO
🔗 LinkedIn

Chris Marcus supports product-led companies as a hands-on CTO, combining startup empathy with strategic depth. He has built and led engineering teams from the ground up, helped transition organizations through growth stages, and designed backend systems that stand the test of scale. His current work involves advising on technical due diligence, product strategy, and software lifecycle planning.

☄️ Startup-scale system architecture
☄️ Engineering hiring and team structure design
☄️ Due diligence and product roadmap advising

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🔴 Angela Milash, credentials

Fractional CTO
🔗 LinkedIn

Angela Milash is a product-savvy engineering leader with a strong track record in SaaS, eCommerce, and mobile platforms. She has served as both a full-time and fractional CTO, helping growing teams develop engineering maturity without sacrificing agility. Angela is especially known for her clear process design, product–tech alignment, and focus on reducing time-to-market.

☄️ Product-centric development planning
☄️ Agile systems for engineering operations
☄️ Process design and velocity optimization

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🔴 Jamie Thompson, credentials

Fractional CTO,  Jamie Thompson Tech
🔗 LinkedIn

Jamie Thompson offers CTO-level leadership to companies navigating technical complexity, growth plateaus, or architectural chaos. He brings a calming, structured approach to software development, with deep experience in backend systems, legacy modernization, and team transformation. Jamie often steps in as a stabilizing force when engineering teams lose focus or direction.

☄️ Legacy system modernization and infrastructure cleanup
☄️ Team restructuring for sustainable velocity
☄️ Engineering clarity and long-term roadmap planning

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🔴 Victor Demin, credentials

Fractional CTO
🔗 LinkedIn

Victor Demin specializes in helping early-stage startups and bootstrapped tech companies get to product-market fit without overengineering. With a background in full-stack development, technical coaching, and lean startup practices, Victor is a go-to partner for founders who want to stay close to their product but need a technical co-pilot.

☄️ Lean architecture and MVP roadmapping
☄️ Technical coaching for non-technical founders
☄️ Smart scaling and early infrastructure setup

Wrapping Up: Why Fractional CTOs Are Reshaping the Engineering Stack

The professionals featured above are not just consultants—they are technology architects, team builders, and trusted advisors. Each brings a unique lens to how software gets built, deployed, and scaled in small to mid-sized companies. Whether you’re facing technical debt, hiring challenges, infrastructure messes, or just want better tech strategy—fractional CTOs offer flexible, strategic firepower.

At Digital Reference, we don’t just list providers—we curate based on real-world impact, deep research, and what growing businesses actually need. From early MVP teams to companies scaling past Series A, our platform is your gateway to the right engineering leadership.

🧭 Looking for more? Explore:

• Find Fractional CTOs Near Me
• Best Fractional CTOs in Melbourne
• Best Fractional Chief Data Officer Services in the United Kingdom
  

Let Digital Reference help you hire with confidence. Whether you're searching for strategic oversight or interim tech leadership, our network is designed to grow with you—from pre-seed to enterprise.‍