Where Stellar Horn fits best
Fractional CIO leadership is not one-size-fits-all. These are the five industries where the model has the strongest fit and where most Stellar Horn engagements live. Each one has its own version of the same problem: senior technology decisions piling up faster than the business can absorb them.
The sweet spot
Mid-Market Businesses
50 to 1,000 employees. Outgrown a part-time IT manager, can't justify a full-time CIO.
First-time executive IT need, IT manager hitting the ceiling, growth outpacing the stack, board pressure on cyber and AI. Stellar Horn fills the gap with executive judgment, governance, and roadmap ownership.
Portfolio leadership
Private Equity
Portfolio company IT leadership across the hold period.
Technology diligence pre-close, integration playbooks post-close, value creation across the portfolio. Fractional CIO leadership for the companies that don't yet have an executive IT seat at the table.
CTO partner
SaaS Companies
Internal IT and corporate technology so your CTO can stay focused on product.
SOC 2 ownership, vendor governance, company-wide AI strategy, board reporting, and M&A readiness. Stellar Horn runs alongside the CTO so engineering stays on the product roadmap.
Compliance-first
Healthcare
HIPAA-aware technology leadership for clinical, payer, and digital health.
Privacy and security posture, vendor risk, AI governance for clinical workflows, modernization without disrupting care delivery. Executive IT judgment that respects the regulatory weight of the work.
OT meets IT
Manufacturing
OT, IT, ERP, and shop floor security under one leadership lens.
Production system reliability, OT security, ERP modernization, vendor consolidation, and AI for operations. Stellar Horn brings the executive layer that bridges the plant floor and the C-suite.
Don't see your industry?
The Fractional CIO model fits most organizations between 50 and 1,000 employees that have outgrown ad-hoc IT but don't need a full-time C-level hire. Best way to find out is a short conversation.