Fractional CTO & CIO Services
LìonDao Consulting
LìonDao — derived from Scottish Gaelic “Lion Daoine,” meaning “Network of People.”
Led by Monte Murdock — 20+ years of experience spanning enterprise platforms, regulated industries, AI automation, cloud modernization, and engineering team leadership.
The Problem We Solve
The technology leadership gap is expensive — and avoidable.
Organizations need senior technology guidance to move quickly, stay compliant, and protect growth. LìonDao delivers that leadership without the full-time overhead.
The Technology Leadership Gap
- −Growing companies need senior technology leadership to scale effectively.
- −Full-time CTO/CIO costs $300K–$500K+/yr in salary alone.
- −Interim hires take months to source — you can't afford to wait.
- −Wrong hire = derailed roadmaps & missed market windows.
- −Regulated industries face unique compliance + speed tensions.
The LìonDao Consulting Advantage
- ✓Board-ready technology executive available now — no search lag.
- ✓Embedded part-time at 20–30% of full-time cost.
- ✓Deep regulated financial services expertise — mortgage, banking, FinTech (FFIEC, SOX, GLBA, CFPB).
- ✓AI, cloud, and platform strategy from day one — no ramp time.
- ✓Seamlessly scales up or down with your business needs.
Core Competencies
Six pillars of enterprise technology excellence.
From strategic planning to execution, LìonDao aligns technology investments to business outcomes while helping teams scale safely and intelligently.
Enterprise Platform Strategy
Cloud architecture, SaaS/PaaS evaluation, and technology stack modernization aligned to business goals.
AI & Automation
Intelligent workflow design, ML integration, data strategy, and responsible AI governance for regulated environments.
Regulated Industry Expertise
FFIEC, SOX, GLBA, CFPB; financial services risk & audit frameworks; compliance-ready architecture.
Engineering Leadership
Team building, SDLC transformation, DevSecOps culture, and strategic vendor management at every stage.
Executive Technology Strategy
Board presentations, M&A technology due diligence, and investor-ready roadmaps with executive authority.
Cloud Modernization
AWS, Azure, and GCP migration, hybrid architecture design, and FinOps cost optimization for measurable savings.
Who We Work With
Built for scaling organizations. Rooted in financial services.
Deep roots in regulated financial services create a strategic advantage across any organization navigating complexity, growth, or transformation.
Regulated Financial Services
Mortgage, banking, and FinTech navigating FFIEC, SOX, GLBA, CFPB compliance.
Growth-Stage Companies
Scaling organizations that need senior tech leadership without full-time exec overhead.
Digital Transformation Programs
Replacing legacy systems, migrating to cloud, and modernizing stack and delivery.
AI-First Initiatives
Moving from AI curiosity to deployment with agents, automation, and real business value.
Mid-Market Enterprises
Organizations with $50M–$1B+ revenue that have outgrown informal technology leadership.
M&A & PE Portfolio Companies
Rapid technology assessment, integration leadership, and interim CTO coverage.
Engagement Models
Flexible engagements built around your needs.
Whether you need strategic guidance, embedded leadership, or executive coverage, the model flexes with your pace and stage.
Advisory
4–8 hrs/month
Strategic technology counsel. Board & investor advisory. M&A technology due diligence. CTO on-call support.
Part-Time Fractional
Up to 40 hrs/month
Embedded technology leadership. Roadmap development & execution. Engineering team mentorship. Vendor & platform negotiations.
Full Fractional
Up to 80 hrs/month
Day-to-day CTO/CIO presence. Full transformation program ownership. Team building & hiring. Technology P&L oversight.
The LìonDao Framework
How we deliver results.
Each engagement is designed to create continuity, momentum, and long-term capability building — not just short-term advice.
Discovery & Alignment
Week 1–2
Technology audit & current-state mapping; team assessment & stakeholder interviews.
Strategy & Roadmap
Week 2–4
90-day quick wins & 12-month roadmap; risk register & prioritization framework.
Embedded Leadership
Ongoing
Leadership meetings, sprint reviews, board updates; vendor negotiations & executive representation.
Execution & Acceleration
Months 2–6
Drive roadmap delivery & platform decisions; team capability building & velocity gains.
Transition & Scale
Month 6+
Knowledge transfer & hiring support; succession planning & long-term continuity.
AI Practice
Six core AI capabilities — what LìonDao delivers across the AI lifecycle.
AI should create measurable business value, not just buzz. We build the strategy, governance, and implementation muscle to make transformation real.
AI Readiness Assessment & Roadmap
Identifying high-value automation opportunities across the enterprise with a prioritized roadmap.
Intelligent Process Automation
RPA, agentic AI, and LLM-powered workflows that reduce operational overhead at scale.
Data Platform & ML Infrastructure
Building the foundational data architectures and pipelines AI models depend on to perform reliably.
Responsible AI Governance
Bias auditing, model risk management, and AI policy frameworks for regulated industries.
AI Vendor & Platform Selection
Objective evaluation of Azure OpenAI, AWS Bedrock, Google Vertex, and open-source alternatives.
Measurable AI ROI
Connecting automation initiatives directly to business KPIs and executive reporting.
Cloud Modernization
From legacy to cloud-native.
Modernization is not a lift-and-shift exercise — it is a phased transformation that improves speed, security, and cost efficiency over time.
Modernization Journey
Phased progression from technical debt to fully optimized cloud operations. Each stage unlocks greater agility, security, and cost efficiency.
Why Fractional
The value equation is clear.
An executive hire brings strategic value — but it also comes with salary, bonuses, benefits, recruiting fees, and an extended ramp. Fractional leadership avoids the fixed overhead while preserving executive impact.
Engagement Process
From first call to embedded leadership.
Our process is designed for speed, clarity, and continuity — so momentum begins quickly and scales with your business.
Discovery Call
30-minute complimentary session to understand your technology challenges and fit.
Proposal & Scope
Custom engagement proposal with defined deliverables and a flexible start date.
Kickoff & Onboarding
Technology and team orientation with immediate quick wins and stakeholder alignment.
Ongoing Partnership
Regular cadence, monthly executive reporting, and continuous strategic alignment.
Ready to build your network of possibility?