Avihay ZanettiFractional Chief AI Officer
Fractional Chief AI Officer
A part-time Chief AI Officer for companies with AI experiments and no owner.
I set the roadmap, the guardrails and the first production use cases with your leadership, and I help you hire an internal lead when you are ready. It starts with a scoped assessment conversation.
Private. 30 minute call to scope it. No deck. Read how it works
Founded the digital agency Jonnyweb in 2014
Built digital and CRM systems for Milgam Group, the largest government services company in Israel. Platform work, not a result of this service.
I can introduce you to a client who agrees to speak with you, once we have talked.
More on the background and the work behind it: Proof and About.
What the role covers
What a fractional CAIO owns
Part-time AI leadership with one person accountable for the whole picture, so that experiments stop being everyone's side project.
The roadmap
A prioritized plan for where AI belongs in the business and in what order, agreed with your leadership team.
The guardrails
Policies for data, privacy and acceptable use that fit your company, written in plain language.
The first use cases
I work alongside your people on the first production use cases, so they run inside your own systems and stay with you.
Tools and vendors
I help you evaluate and choose tools and vendors, with no bias and no kickbacks.
Team enablement
Training for the people who will use the tools, matched to their roles rather than a single course for everyone.
Leadership and the board
I join your leadership meeting and prepare the board's AI questions with you.
This describes what the role covers. It is not a promise of an outcome, and the exact scope is set in the assessment conversation. When you are ready, I help you hire an internal lead and hand over.
Two offers
How it differs from coaching
Coaching is about you. A fractional CAIO is about the company.
| Question | Executive AI coaching | Fractional CAIO |
|---|---|---|
| Who it serves | One executive, privately | The company and its leadership team |
| What we work on | Your own documents, inbox and decisions | The roadmap, guardrails, first use cases and tools |
| What you keep | A routine or assistant you can run yourself | A plan, policies and shipped use cases your team owns |
| How it starts | A fit call | A scoped assessment conversation |
| How it is scoped | Agreed after the fit call | 90-day cycles |
How it runs
Ninety-day cycles
Engagements are scoped in 90-day cycles. This is what a first cycle typically covers. The assessment conversation sets the real scope.
Assess
A review of your current processes, tools, team skills and data, so we start from what is true today.
Plan
A prioritized roadmap and the guardrails that go with it, agreed with your leadership team.
Choose
Tool and vendor choices, made against your own criteria and your confidentiality rules.
Build and train
The first use cases built alongside your people, with training for the team that will use them.
- At the end of each cycle we review what shipped and decide together whether to continue, change the scope or hand over.
- I work with your existing technical team, not instead of it.
Entry
It starts with a scoped assessment conversation
Before any engagement is agreed we talk. I ask what AI work is already running, who owns what, which rules apply to your data and what you would want owned. We agree whether a fractional role fits and what scope it would need. If it does not fit, I will say so.
Everything you share stays confidential, and NDAs are available on request. The details are on the confidentiality page.
Engagement
What it costs
I price Fractional CAIO engagements at $15,000 to $35,000 per month depending on scope and term.
How much of my time the role takes also depends on scope. We agree both in the assessment conversation and confirm them before anything starts.
How much does a fractional CAIO cost in 2026? compares the market tiers with a full-time hire.
Fit
Who this fits, and who it does not
A good fit
- You lead a company of roughly 10 to 500 people, or a larger firm piloting AI in one division.
- A few AI experiments are running, and nobody owns them.
- You want a roadmap and guardrails before you commit to a full-time hire.
- You can name someone inside the company to work with me.
Not a fit
- You want a developer or an implementation shop and nothing else.
- You need a promised return figure before any work starts.
- You want the whole topic handed off, with no one on your side involved.
- You need enterprise procurement or security certification before a first conversation.
- You are looking for one-to-one learning for yourself. That is coaching.
Further reading
Questions buyers ask before they call
Do you need a fractional CAIO?
The signs, and a hiring playbook.
What does a fractional CAIO cost?
Market tiers and the full-time comparison.
Fractional CAIO, consultant or agency?
Three ways to buy AI help and what each is for.
What is a fractional Chief AI Officer?
The role, the model and how it is usually scoped.
Questions
Before you book
Do I need a Chief AI Officer?
Not always. It tends to fit when a few AI experiments are running, nobody owns them, and decisions about data, vendors and policy are being made by default. If you have one clear use case and a capable internal lead, you may not need one. A short call is enough to tell.
Should I hire a full-time AI leader or bring in a fractional one?
A fractional role fits when you need senior direction before you can justify or find a full-time hire. It can also prepare the ground: I help you hire an internal lead when you are ready, and then hand over.
How is a fractional CAIO different from an AI consultant?
A consultant typically delivers a recommendation and leaves. In this role I stay for the cycle, own the roadmap together with your leadership, and work alongside your people on what ships. I work with your existing technical team, not instead of it.
How long does an engagement run?
Engagements are scoped in 90-day cycles. At the end of each cycle we review what shipped and decide together whether to continue, change the scope or hand over to an internal lead.
What does it cost?
My fee is stated in the section on this page called What it costs. It depends on scope and term, and we fit both to your company in the assessment conversation.
Do you work with US companies from Israel?
Yes. I am based in Tel Aviv and work with US teams on video. I schedule meetings in US time zones, and we agree the working pattern in the assessment conversation.
Talk it through
A 30 minute call to scope whether a fractional role fits. No deck and no pitch.
Not ready to talk yet?
Take the five minute AI leadership snapshot: eight plain questions and a short written result.
Want to start with yourself?
If the first need is your own fluency rather than a company roadmap, private one-to-one coaching is the place to begin.