Fractional CIO Leadership for
Growth Stage
Organizations

Technology strategy, execution and accountability that helps your business scale — without the cost of a full-time executive.

Aeolus matches growth-stage companies with experienced fractional CIOs who deliver real outcomes: systems that work, technology that scales, and leadership your team can count on.

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The Challenge

When companies grow, their technology strategy must grow with them.

Most organizations reach a stage where the systems, tools and infrastructure built for an earlier phase begin to create friction instead of momentum. Without senior technology leadership, decisions get made in isolation — and the cost compounds quietly.

AI That Never Leaves the Pilot Phase

Your team is experimenting with AI, but without leadership and infrastructure alignment they never move into production or deliver measurable value.

Systems Built for a Smaller Company

The technology stack that supported your early growth now creates bottlenecks, inefficiencies and duplicated work across the organization.

Technology Without Executive Leadership

Important decisions are being made, but there is no strategic owner connecting them to your long-term business goals.

Security and Compliance Lag Behind Growth

As companies scale, expectations from investors, insurers and partners around security and compliance increase. Reactive practices create unnecessary risk.

Technology Investments Aren't Driving Growth

Infrastructure, vendor and architecture decisions are happening in isolation instead of supporting revenue, operations and competitive advantage.

This is exactly where fractional CIO leadership creates clarity.

Aeolus connects growth-stage companies with experienced technology executives who align systems, strategy and execution — so infrastructure becomes a driver of growth, not a source of friction.

Our Approach

Strategy first. Execution always.

We don't hand you a roadmap and disappear. Aeolus fractional CIOs embed in your organization, align technology to business outcomes, and stay accountable to results.

1

Assess

Understand your current systems, team, goals and gaps

Identify what's working, what's blocking growth, and what decisions need to be made.

2

Align

Build a technology strategy connected to your business objectives

Not a generic IT plan. Define the outcomes that matter and the path to get there.

3

Execute

Lead the work

Manage vendors, projects and teams. Make decisions and stay accountable to timelines and results.

4

Expand

As your organization grows, your CIO engagement grows with it

We bring the network, the marketplace and the expertise to scale with you.

What We Do

Outcomes, not deliverables.

Aeolus provides experienced CIO leadership focused on five core outcomes. Every engagement is scoped around what your organization needs to accomplish — not what software to buy.

Foundation

Get your organization onto a modern, secure, AI-ready technology foundation. Aeolus takes a Google Workspace-first approach — identity in Google, collaboration in Workspace, security built on Google's infrastructure. If you're already on Google, we optimize and expand. If you're on Microsoft, we build a practical path forward.

Continuity

Backup, business continuity, compliance and security baselines that meet the expectations of your investors, insurers and partners.

AI Readiness

Build the data foundation, workflows and governance needed to actually deploy AI in your organization — not just pilot it.

Growth Systems

ERP, CRM, HRIS, HCM, solution roadmapping and the integrations that connect your systems to your revenue, operations and people.

Ongoing Management

Identity and access management, device management, EDR/MDR, vendor management and the ongoing leadership that keeps everything running and evolving.

What fractional CIO leadership includes:

Vendor evaluation and selection · Technology roadmapping · Project leadership · Team and infrastructure alignment · Security and compliance oversight · Marketplace access for recommended solutions

Who We Work With

Built for companies between $1M and $100M.

Growth Stage Companies

10–1,000 employees. Revenue between $1M and $100M. Technology decisions are becoming too important to manage without executive leadership.

Technology at a Turning Point

Your current systems were built for a smaller company. AI, security and compliance decisions now affect your ability to grow and win.

PE-Backed and Investor-Ready

Portfolio companies and investor-backed organizations that need technology leadership aligned with growth targets and exit readiness.

Right Leadership Match

Aeolus fractional CIOs are matched to your industry, stage and objectives. You get a leader who has done this before — for companies like yours.

When companies usually engage Aeolus:

Growth is outpacing their systems · AI initiatives are stuck in pilot mode · Security or compliance expectations are increasing · Technology decisions lack executive oversight · A new investor or board wants technology accountability

When Companies Bring in a Fractional CIO

You don't need a $400K executive. You need the right leader, when you need them.

Growth Is Outpacing Your Systems

Your tools and infrastructure were built for an earlier stage. They're starting to slow down operations.

AI Initiatives Aren't Delivering Value

Your team is exploring AI, but pilots and experiments haven't translated into measurable business impact.

Technology Decisions Lack Strategic Ownership

Important infrastructure and vendor decisions are being made, but there is no executive leader aligning them with business goals.

Security Expectations Are Increasing

Investors, insurers and partners are asking harder questions about security and compliance.

You Need CIO Leadership, But Not Full Time

Your organization needs experienced technology leadership, but hiring a full-time CIO isn't yet practical.

Fractional CIO leadership provides clarity and direction. Aeolus helps organizations align technology, infrastructure and strategy — so systems become a driver of growth, rather than a source of friction.

Recognize these challenges in your organization?

Schedule a CIO Strategy Call

The Aeolus Marketplace

We're Google-first. We work with what you have.

Google Workspace is the foundation of every Aeolus engagement — modern identity, built-in AI, zero-trust security architecture and collaboration tools that work the way your team actually works. If your organization runs on Microsoft today, that doesn't disqualify you. Most of our customers have Microsoft somewhere in their stack. We build a Google-first path forward without requiring you to rip everything out overnight. Our marketplace covers every category — vetted solutions, strategic guidance, and the network to find, evaluate and buy what your organization actually needs.

Google-ready means:

Identity in Google · Collaboration in Workspace · Security built on Google's infrastructure · AI-native from day one

We work with:

Microsoft 365 · Azure AD · SharePoint · Teams — and build a practical migration or coexistence strategy around your timeline and budget.

Collaboration

Security & Compliance

Backup & Continuity

AI & Automation

CRM & ERP

HRIS & HCM

Identity & Access

Device Management

Aeolus earns referral commissions on recommended solutions. We only recommend what we'd stake our reputation on.

Google-first organizations → Currently on Microsoft? →
Van Murray — Founder, Aeolus

The person behind the platform

Built by a CIO who has done this work.

Van Murray founded Aeolus after years of leading technology strategy for growth-stage organizations. The platform, the methodology and the marketplace are all built around what actually works — not what looks good in a deck.

Aeolus is the practice Van wished existed when he was doing this work alone.

  • TBJ Top 40 Under 40 — Class of 2017
  • 11 technology M&A deals completed
  • Based in Raleigh, NC — serving organizations nationally

Want to talk through your technology challenges directly?

Schedule a Conversation

Ready to Get Started?

Schedule a CIO Strategy Call.

A focused conversation about your systems, growth plans and technology challenges. No pitch deck. No retainer commitment. Just practical insight from an experienced technology executive.

Aeolus engagements begin at $2,500 per day, with a three month minimum engagement. As organizations grow, engagement levels often expand. Companies in the $1M–$5M range may require one day per week, while organizations in the $50M–$100M range frequently engage up to three days per week of CIO leadership.

Join the Network

Are you a fractional CIO or technology executive?

Aeolus is building a network of experienced technology leaders for placement with growth-stage companies. If you lead technology strategy for SMBs — or want to — we want to talk. Our platform gives fractional executives visibility into customer objectives, project status and sales opportunities, with a commission structure for solution referrals.

Apply to Join the Aeolus Network Learn more about the fractional CIO program →