A fractional CAIO, sourced and governed by Lightbridge.
A vetted, part-time AI executive takes the Chief AI Officer seat on an ongoing Lightbridge retainer, owning AI strategy, governance, and use-case prioritization. Lightbridge sources and vets the candidate against the client's requirements first, then continues program governance for as long as the engagement runs.
What a Lightbridge fractional CAIO owns
AI strategy and roadmap
The AI roadmap and its sequencing, tied to measurable business outcomes rather than scattered pilots.
Use-case prioritization
Evaluation and prioritization of AI use cases against cost, risk, and expected return.
AI governance and risk
Responsible-AI policy and governance, coordinated with Lightbridge Automation AI-governance resources.
Vendor and model evaluation
Independent evaluation of AI vendors, platforms, and models against the company requirements.
Team enablement
AI literacy and enablement across the organization, drawing on Lightbridge Automation training programs where useful.
AI narrative for the board and investors
Board materials and investor conversations get a builder who can speak to the roadmap directly, not a summary relayed secondhand.
A fractional CAIO alongside Lightbridge Automation
AI governance and training resources at Lightbridge Automation, including its ISO 42001 and AI-governance content and its AI/ML training programs, inform how a placed fractional CAIO builds policy and enables the organization. The seat and the practice work together rather than duplicating each other.
Sourced and vetted fresh for each engagement
Lightbridge keeps no bench of AI executives on standby, and no candidate is pre-selected before a mandate exists. Each search begins with the AI maturity, time commitment, and reporting line set out in that mandate, and Lightbridge then works its AI-leadership contacts to identify and vet someone who fits that specific brief. As with ERP and Cloud placements, nothing about who gets put forward is shaped by a referral fee or standing arrangement, only whether the candidate fits what the mandate calls for.
Frequently asked questions
What is a fractional CAIO?
A fractional Chief AI Officer, or CAIO, is a part-time, ongoing executive who owns AI strategy, use-case prioritization, AI governance, and the tools and vendors a company adopts for AI, rather than a full-time hire or a one-time advisor. Each candidate has to clear Lightbridge vetting against the client brief before placement, and Lightbridge stays on to run program oversight while the retainer continues.
How is a fractional CAIO different from a fractional CTO?
A fractional CTO typically owns the broader technology function. A fractional CAIO owns AI specifically: strategy, governance, use-case selection, and vendor and model evaluation. Some companies need only one role; Lightbridge scopes each mandate on its own rather than assuming AI oversight belongs automatically inside a CTO seat.
Who is placed as a fractional CAIO?
The person in the seat varies by client; what stays fixed is the process. Each fractional CAIO is matched to the AI maturity, use cases, and risk posture specific to that company, and vetted against those specifics rather than assigned off a shared roster.
Does a fractional CAIO handle AI governance and risk?
Yes. AI governance, including responsible-AI policy and risk oversight, sits inside the seat. Lightbridge Automation AI/ML training programs and AI-governance content inform that oversight, and a placed fractional CAIO can draw on those resources directly.
When should a company engage a fractional CAIO?
AI initiatives that have outgrown ad-hoc ownership are the most common trigger, alongside governance and risk questions that need one accountable executive, or a company wanting a structured use-case roadmap instead of scattered pilots. Lightbridge scopes the actual mandate before naming anyone, and will say directly if a project engagement fits the need better than an ongoing seat.
Scope a fractional CAIO placement.
Explain where AI stands today and the time commitment planned for the seat. Lightbridge scopes the requirements, then finds the right candidate.