Interim AI Executive
Executive ownership of the AI agenda — quarter over quarter.
A senior interim mandate for the moments when the AI agenda can't wait for a permanent hire. I take executive accountability for product and growth AI work, unblock the team, set the cadence, and hand the operating model to your permanent hire when they arrive.
When it fits
- Between CPOs / CAIOs — you need senior cover while you search.
- The AI mandate has to land this quarter, not next year.
- A transformation or acceleration programme needs an accountable executive owner.
- The board has tasked leadership with AI but no one internal owns it.
What you get
- 01Full executive ownership of the AI agenda
- 02Direct leadership of product and growth teams on AI work
- 03Board-ready execution story each quarter
- 04Hiring and onboarding of the permanent replacement
- 05Shipped milestones and a working operating cadence by exit
- 06Onsite presence baked into the engagement rhythm
How it works
- 01
Month 1 — Own the agenda
Stakeholder alignment, quarterly milestones locked, team and vendor reality check, first wins identified.
- 02
Month 2–5 — Ship & build
Execute the plan. Iterate. Build team capability. Run the board / exec cadence. Hire and onboard the permanent replacement in parallel.
- 03
Month 6 — Transition
Handover to the permanent hire. Knowledge transfer. Operating cadence and documentation left running.
Pricing
Priced per engagement based on duration, depth of mandate, and onsite cadence. Interim engagements typically run 3–6 months at near full-time executive economics.
A 20-minute fit call is the fastest way to scope the engagement and land on a number that makes sense for both sides.
Questions leaders ask
- Should we hire a Chief AI Officer? →
Only if it fixes a real gap. If AI is central to your revenue or risk and nobody can make AI decisions stick, you need an accountable owner with a mandate and a budget. Strategic ownership still stays with the CEO and the executive team.
- How do we govern AI risk and use AI responsibly? →
Use a proportionate, risk-tiered approach: light rules for low-risk uses, stronger controls where decisions affect customers, money or safety. Set clear decision rights, monitor what runs in production, keep an incident process, and treat governance as what lets you move faster.
- How do I work with the board on AI? →
Agree a simple board-level AI story covering strategy, value, risk and people, and report a small set of AI measures regularly. Clarify whether oversight sits with the full board or a committee, and invest in director education so the conversation goes beyond demos and headlines.
All AI leadership principles and guides · 100 AI use cases by function
See if Interim AI Executive is the right fit.
A 20–30 minute call. You share the pressure; I tell you whether this engagement solves it, or another one on this site fits better.