Fractional CIO & Technology Advisor  ▪  Dubai

The technology
leadership your
firm already needs.

Cybersecurity, AI governance, and operational resilience for regulated firms in Dubai - without the cost and commitment of a full-time executive hire.

20 years in regulated financial services  |  FCA → DFSA  |  DIFC, ADGM, CBUAE

Daniel Young, Fractional CIO and technology advisor, Dubai

Built for firms that have outgrown their setup

Most firms at this stage have outgrown their current technology setup but are not yet ready for a full-time executive hire. Headcount is a rough guide - the situation matters more than the number.

  • DFSA- and FSRA-regulated firms in DIFC and ADGMWithout a dedicated technology leader.
  • Wealth managers, asset managers, family offices, and advisory firmsCompliance obligations, no dedicated technology function.
  • PE-backed or founder-led businessesScaling beyond informal IT.
  • Professional services firmsHandling sensitive client data, facing rising cyber exposure.
  • FintechsMoving from product build into regulated operations.

The conversations that usually start this engagement

  • "Our DFSA exam is approaching and we haven't documented our cyber controls."
  • "We had a security incident and realised we had no response plan."
  • "We're using AI tools across the business but nobody owns the governance."
  • "The board keeps asking about technology risk and we don't have a credible answer."
  • "We're growing fast but our IT setup is still what it was when we had 20 people."
  • "We need someone senior who can talk to the regulator, not just the IT team."

Four areas. One point of accountability.

From a fixed-fee diagnostic through to ongoing fractional leadership, scoped to the firm's stage, risk exposure, and regulatory pressure.

01

IT Leadership & Fractional CIO

Board-level technology governance on a part-time basis.

02

Cybersecurity Advisory

Control gap analysis, SOC readiness, incident response.

03

Operational Resilience

Service mapping, impact tolerances, supplier continuity.

04

AI Governance & Policy

Acceptable use policy, data classification, oversight.

Results from 20 years in regulated financial services

Delivered at Killik & Co, an FCA-regulated wealth management firm operating across 11 UK locations.

70%

Reduction in Critical Downtime

Infrastructure overhaul and SD-WAN rollout across 11 locations.

50%

Reduction in Phishing Incidents

MFA deployment, awareness training, managed SOC.

AED 20M+

Annual IT Budget Managed

10% annual savings through vendor consolidation and renegotiation.

10+yrs

Clean Audit Record

Clean FCA audit record, controls relevant to DFSA expectations.

Start with a conversation

A 30-minute call is enough to establish whether there is a fit and what the right starting point looks like for your firm.

Typical first steps: a Technology Risk Review, a cyber posture assessment, a resilience review, or an AI governance framework.