Fractional CIO & AI Transformation
I help organisations move from strategy to delivery on AI, digital platforms, and enterprise transformation — with the commercial rigour to make it stick.
David Viney — fractional CIO based in Esher, Surrey. Working across London and nationally, with international engagements by agreement.
David Viney · CITP · ACA
About
I am David Viney – a Fractional CIO and AI Transformation Director with over 30 years of experience leading technology strategy and delivery at the highest level. I have built and run global technology functions at WPP, Heathrow Airport, BSI, Arup, and the BBC, and consulted for some of the world's most recognised organisations.
Most recently, I built WPP Open – the world's first agentic AI operating platform for E2E Marketing – in partnership with Star, NVIDIA, Google Gemini, and IBM Watson. Deployed to 70,000 practitioners across 110 countries, it generated $40m in documented commercial value in its first year.
Both Chartered Accountant (ACA) & Chartered IT Professional (CITP), I bring genuine financial rigour alongside deep technical capability. I build business cases that hold up, and I deliver programmes that generate the outcomes they promised.
Through Alchemy Consulting Services, I work fractionally and on advisory retainer with organisations that are serious about transformation – not just talking about it.
What I Do
Senior CIO and Interim IT Director capability — on retainer, in transition, or covering a sudden vacancy — without the overhead of a full-time executive hire.
Find out more →Independent technology counsel for Founders, CEOs and Chairs — covering AI governance, cyber risk, M&A due diligence, and the investment decisions that carry board-level consequence.
Find out more →Developing the technology leaders already in your organisation — from the Head of IT who is not yet ready for the C-suite, to the CIO who needs a trusted peer.
Find out more →Technology transformation across ERP, CRM, and enterprise platforms — with a Chartered Accountant's eye on the business case and a programme director's grip on delivery.
Find out more →From AI readiness and the MASTER-AI ™ governance framework through to agentic platform delivery — grounded in ISO 42001 and the EU AI Act.
Find out more →Board-level cyber risk in plain English. Fractional CISO, independent security assurance, and cyber strategy — aligned to the regulatory environments that matter to your sector.
Find out more →How I Work
I am not a theorist. I have built the things I advise on, at scale, with real accountability for commercial outcomes.
Every engagement is framed by a deep understanding of your needs — not just the symptom, but an instinct on the possible root causes, based on long experience and pattern recognition.
This instinct is then tested in a Technology MOT. A fixed price, tight scope piece of work across six domains — resulting in a clear set of options and recommendations. For organisations with meaningful technology spend, the savings identified almost always cover the investment. The MOT pays for itself.
What follows is normally an assignment-based piece of work or an ongoing, retainer-based role on your board or in the business.
A practical framework for AI governance across six interconnected domains. Not process theatre. Actionable steps, based on ISO42001 standard.
Find out more →10 questions. 3 minutes. Then an honest picture of where you stand across strategy, culture, data, use cases, and momentum.
Begin →Fully align all aspects of your AI Programme to the benefits it will deliver; during both the business case and delivery phases.
Find out more →How to manage the inevitable, temporary dip in performance following the introduction of AI. Practical business change management tools.
Find out more →Get in Touch
I work with a small number of clients at any one time, so I can give each engagement the attention it deserves. If you are looking for fractional technology leadership, board advisory, or transformation support, I would be glad to have a conversation.
Give me just a week in your business, and I'll deliver a technology health check to immediately unlock greater value in your business.
Alchemy is the vehicle for my interim, fractional, and freelance consulting work. The name is inspired by the ancient alchemists and their transmutation of base metals into pure gold ☉ — which is precisely what good technology leadership does: it takes raw ambition and turns it into something genuinely valuable.
I also maintain a trusted network of senior associates who can support larger transformation programmes. These are experienced professionals I have worked with previously and whose judgement I trust. Where needed, I can introduce or assemble a small, high-calibre delivery team aligned to the needs of the engagement. Typical roles within my associate network include: