Fractional CIO & Chief AI Officer · Raleigh, NC · US and EU
Senior IT and AI leadership for manufacturers and PE-backed companies, without the full-time executive.
I’m Gabor Szentivanyi. I have held the CIO seat for 25 years across the US and Europe. I help mid-sized companies reduce technology risk, decide where to invest, and put AI to work in a way that shows up in EBITDA, not just in slide decks.
30 minutes. No sales pitch. You leave with two or three concrete next steps whether or not we work together.
25 years
running enterprise IT in manufacturing, specialty materials, consumer goods, higher education, and life sciences.
20+ deals
M&A integrations and carve-outs led, from pre-deal IT due diligence to post-close consolidation.
11 ERPs → 1 data platform
at a 16-site manufacturer, which made an 80%-accurate AI sales forecast possible for the first time.
+150 NIST points
cybersecurity score improvement in nine months, alongside the data work, not instead of it.
Results from my executive roles. Read the case studies to see what was done and what it took.
Three ways to work with me
Each engagement has a defined scope, a defined output, and a clear price or pricing basis. Most clients start with the assessment.
AI Opportunity Assessment
4–6 weeks · fixed fee
from $18,000
For: leadership teams whose board is asking for AI and who want an honest answer before spending money.
You receive: a review of your processes and data, a ranked list of use cases with expected payback, a readiness gap list, and a 12-month roadmap with one pilot ready to start.
Fractional CIO / Chief AI Officer
Monthly retainer · 2–6 days per month · 3-month minimum
from $4,800/month
For: companies of roughly 100–1,000 people that have outgrown “the IT guy” or the MSP but are not ready for a $300K+ executive.
You receive: a named senior leader who owns technology strategy, budget, vendors, security, and AI governance, reports to your CEO or board monthly, and delivers a defined first-90-day plan.
M&A IT Due Diligence
2–4 weeks pre-deal · fixed fee sized to the target
from $12,000
For: PE firms, corporate development teams, and owners preparing to buy, sell, or carve out a business.
You receive: an assessment of systems, contracts, security, and key people; a costed list of the IT investment the deal will need; and a day-one and 100-day integration or separation plan.
Not sure which one fits? Book the call and we will work it out in 30 minutes. Interim CIO roles, executive coaching, speaking, and training are also available on request.
Who this is for
A good fit
- Manufacturers with several plants, several systems, and one overworked IT manager.
- PE-backed companies with a value-creation plan that depends on technology working, or a deal closing in the next two quarters.
- Leadership teams where AI tools are spreading and nobody owns the risk.
- Companies with 100–1,000 employees in the US or the EU.
Probably not a fit
- You need help desk, device management, or a network install. That is MSP work; I can help you choose and govern one.
- You want a chatbot built this month with no interest in the data underneath it.
- You are looking for a full-time employee. I can act as interim CIO while you recruit one.
What the work looks like
Eleven ERPs, one forecast
First CIO at a specialty materials manufacturer with 16 sites on three continents. Consolidated 11 ERP data sources into one warehouse, replaced a hand-built monthly forecast, and made predictive yield and sales forecasting possible. Read the case study
Security as the foundation for AI
Raised the NIST cybersecurity score by more than 150 points in nine months at the same company, because you cannot share data, or trust an AI model, on infrastructure you do not trust. Read the case study
AI that 25 consultants actually use
A coaching firm: AI training built around real client work for 25 consultants, and an AI agent that qualifies and routes inbound leads with a person still in the loop. Read the case study
Who you would be working with
Gabor Szentivanyi. CIO and senior IT leader at Coty, Element Solutions, Kymera International, and Bonduelle. Engineer by training, MBA, MIT-certified in AI for business strategy, IWAI Certified AI Consultant. Hungarian by birth; has run IT teams in Germany, France, and the US and works in English, German, French, and Hungarian.
Operating philosophy: think as an engineer, deliver as a senior business leader, and remain human during the entire process.
How it starts
- A 30-minute call. You describe where you are. I tell you what I see, where the risk is, and whether an engagement makes sense. You leave with two or three next steps either way.
- A short scoping conversation and a one-page proposal. Scope, output, timeline, price. No 40-page statement of work.
- Work begins within two weeks. Fixed-scope projects end with a written result; retainers are month-to-month after the first three.
From the blog
Practical thinking on AI, IT, and leadership from someone who has done the work. Start with The First 90 Days Tell You Everything and Algorithmic Complacency.
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Building an AI Practice Inside an IT Services Company: The Playbook Nobody Wrote
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The First 90 Days Tell You Everything
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What’s the difference between someone who is good at prompting AI and someone who is qualified to lead AI?
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