Fractional CIO | IT Strategy for High-Stakes M&A | Faster M&A, Smoother Exits | De-risking IT & unlocking value | Author

Most technology integrations miss their synergy targets. Not because the technology is wrong, but because the right leadership wasn't in place early enough.

That's where I come in.

I'm an Interim / Fractional CIO specialising in Transformation & Resilience. I work with CEOs and boards of multi-site, acquisition-led businesses, typically PE-backed, 500–10,000 employees, to turn technology from a source of risk into a source of value.

When integration timelines slip, cyber posture is unclear, or the estate has grown faster than the team can manage, I step in to stabilise delivery, simplify complexity, and build a roadmap the board can trust.
Recent engagement:

VetPartners (BC Partners-backed, £1B revenue, 14,000 staff, 9 countries). Built the Group IT Strategy from scratch. Created acquisition integration blueprints. Accelerated new practice onboarding by 30%. Simultaneously ran IT operations for 540 UK practices.

Career outcomes:

£700M+ M&A technology integration across the platform and bolt-on acquisitions
£15M+ annual EBITDA contribution through operational excellence and cost optimisation
Technology leadership across automotive retail, consumer goods, and veterinary services

Clients call me when:

→ Integration is off-track, and synergies are at risk
→ The board wants cyber confidence before exit, audit, or due diligence
→ Technology is a red flag in the data room
→ They need senior leadership fast—without permanent headcount

I also serve as NED (Digital & Technology) at Age UK, and I've published on AI governance, IT leadership, and board-level technology strategy.

Available for select interim and fractional mandates.

Let's talk: DJ@Starkhorn.co.uk

Daniel J. Jacobs

The AI didn’t fail. It did exactly what we asked, just not what we meant.
We built an agent that ran flawlessly… until everything around it started quietly breaking.

 If you're leading AI deployments or planning to, this reflection might save you some heartache.

👇 Read it here: Reflections on Agentic AI, Human Trust, and the Space 

Between Promise and Reality

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned deploying AI in the real world?

Interim / Fractional CIO (Transformation & Resilience) | Board-level clarity on Technology (Risk • Cost • Delivery) | Multi-site & acquisition-led businesses | M&A integration • Cyber resilience • Operating model

View newsletter: Digital Disruption Digest

The system did what we asked. It just didn’t do what we meant, and we didn’t realise the difference until something subtle broke. Reflections on Agent

Open article: The AI didn’t fail. It did exactly what we asked — just not what we meant. by Daniel J. Jacobs • 7 min read

The AI didn’t fail. It did exactly what we asked — just not what we meant.

“We won’t fix the legacy stack, it’s too complex and too expensive. Let’s add AI and show progress.”

That move can create a short-term win.

The short-term gain

➡️ Nicer dashboards and “insight” layers
➡️ A quick story for the board: “We’re doing AI”
➡️ Lower upfront disruption than a proper rebuild
➡️ Faster cycle times in a few workflows (support, sales ops, reporting)

It feels like momentum because some metrics will move.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 (𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭)

If the core systems are brittle, AI becomes a high-gloss layer sitting on low-trust data and fragile processes.

You end up with:

➡️ Automation of mess (you scale inconsistency, not performance)
➡️ Rising change cost (each “quick win” increases architectural debt)
➡️ Hidden operational risk (every new model relies on unstable integrations)
➡️ A strategy trap (it looks modern, so the real modernisation never happens)
➡️ AI outputs nobody trusts (because the underlying data is wrong or incomplete)

AI on broken foundations doesn’t transform the business; it amplifies whatever the business already is.

𝐀 𝐂𝐄𝐎-𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭

Don’t ask, “Where can we deploy AI?”

Ask, “Where do we have clean ownership, stable data, and a repeatable process so AI can compound value instead of compounding risk?”

𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐛:

If a process can’t be measured, governed, and explained without AI… Adding AI won’t fix it. It will just make it faster and harder to debug.

𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Where in your business is AI used to modernise, and what would fixing the foundation unlock instead?

Kicking off 2026 with renewed energy and big goals, but what I’m hearing from leadership teams isn’t “new year, new me”.

It’s urgency.

After months of planning in 2025, 2026 is shaping up as the year of decisive execution. The “nice-to-have” transformation work is becoming “must-have” modernisation, and the question has changed:

𝐍𝐨𝐭: “Should we modernise?”
𝐁𝐮𝐭: “How fast can we move without breaking what already works?”

The companies that win this year will treat technology as a strategic lever, not a support function:

➔ IT optimisation as a weapon, not a cost centre
➔ M&A integration as value creation, not operational admin
➔ Cybersecurity as business enablement, not just risk management

If 2026 is the year you’re aiming to reduce complexity, strengthen resilience, or become acquisition-ready, I’m happy to compare notes.

What’s your biggest technology challenge heading into 2026?

#ITStrategy #DigitalTransformation #Cybersecurity #BusinessGrowth #2026Goals

New IT strategy question for 2026:
How fast can you change your mind—without breaking the business?

That confession will sound familiar to anyone who has watched organisations cycle through enthusiasm and quiet disappointment. Project NANDA’s prelimi

Open article: New IT strategy question for 2026:
How fast can you change your mind—without breaking the business? by Daniel J. Jacobs • 7 min read

70% of digital transformations fall short. It's not because the technology fails, but rather because the operating model remains unchanged. (McKinsey/BCG)

After years spent guiding transformations and saving millions across PE-backed businesses, one truth is impossible to ignore:

“Technology rarely breaks a transformation.
Behaviour, capability, and ownership do.”

Because if the organisation doesn’t change how it works, the tooling becomes nothing more than expensive wallpaper.

Here’s how this destroys EBITDA:

𝟏. 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞

If leaders don’t change how they work, new systems become old habits wrapped in a new interface.

Commercial impact:
→ £300k–£700k in unrealised value for a mid-market portfolio company.

𝟐. 𝐋𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲

You can’t scale with a workforce that doesn’t believe in the new system—or lacks the skills to use it.

The hard truth:

- 60% of work can be automated
- 70% of teams fear the capability gap
- 80% of leaders mistake resistance for stubbornness (instead of upskilling)

Commercial impact:
→ 10–15% rise in operating costs (often £500k+ annually)

𝟑. 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

When nobody owns decisions, transformations collapse under their own weight:

- No clear accountabilities
- No single owner for platforms
- No clarity on “who delivers what, by when”

Commercial impact:
→ £5M–£10M wiped off the exit valuation due to poor execution discipline

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐛:

Spend your first 30 days on:
✓ Shifting behaviour
✓ Upskilling teams and rebuilding capability
✓ Establishing clear ownership and decision rights

When behaviour, capability, and ownership move in tandem, PE-backed companies typically see a 1–4% annual improvement in EBITDA.

Because successful transformations were never about technology —
They’re about disciplined execution.

Repost ♻️ if you’re tired of seeing transformations fail for the same avoidable reasons.

P.S. CIOs, which mistake (1–3) do you see most often in the field?

Early in my career, I measured myself by how much I was needed.

Every escalation that landed on my desk felt like proof I was valuable.
Every decision that required my sign-off confirmed I was essential.

Then I took two weeks off. And the wheels came off.

Not because my team wasn’t capable.
Because I’d built a system that required me to function. I’d confused being needed with being effective.

That was a hard lesson. And it shows up fast in boardrooms and due diligence.

When investors assess a business, they’re not only looking at EBITDA.
They’re quietly asking: what happens if this person leaves?

If the honest answer is “things slow down” or “decisions stall”, that risk gets priced in, even if performance looks fine today.

The harsh reality for technology leaders is that being indispensable isn’t a sign of strength; it's a sign of vulnerability masked as importance.

The shift that changed how I lead:

𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, “How do we perform when I’m here?”
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, “How do we perform when I’m not?”

Design decision rights so choices don’t bottleneck.
Build operating rhythms that run without you in the room.
Create clarity so your team doesn’t need to check with you; they already know.

That’s operational maturity: not a leader holding things together, but a system that doesn’t need holding.

What’s one thing you’ve deliberately built to work without you?

PE firms don’t buy technology.
They buy better EBITDA.

This is the non-negotiable truth of Private Equity.

Most CIOs still believe PE wants:
• New platforms
• AI implementation
• Modern tech stacks
• Big transformation programmes

This is “technology theatre”.

After delivering £1.5M in savings across multiple PE-backed businesses in 10+ countries, one pattern is consistent: 𝐏𝐄 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬.

Here's the brutal truth. PE partners aren't interested in shiny tech. They need commercial clarity.

They priorities:

𝟏. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧:
Reducing operational cost through vendor optimisation, licence rationalisation, and system consolidation.

𝟐: 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
Eliminating technical and vendor debt (including the £500k penalties and £3M true-ups we routinely uncover) that can erode exit value.

𝟑. 𝐀 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲:
Building a simple, scalable platform that guarantees growth. Allows the next buyer to pay a higher multiple (as seen in the 10x outcome achieved for one of our clients).

This requires the CIO to become the Chief Value Officer.

Every transformational decision (from renewing a Salesforce contract to integrating a new acquisition) must be tied around its direct commercial outcome— otherwise it's noise.

P.S. What is the single biggest "tech for optics" investment you’ve seen that failed to deliver a measurable EBITDA-level return? Comment ↓

AI in growth planning has moved from experiment to operating system. Five evidence-backed patterns, and what actually changes in your next planning cycle

The shift isn't about faster spreadsheets. It's about fundamentally rethinking how organisations sense, decide, and adapt. Something quiet but profoun

Open article: 5 Ways AI Is Reshaping Growth Planning in 2026 by Daniel J. Jacobs • 5 min read

5 Ways AI Is Reshaping Growth Planning in 2026

Your M&A integration strategy should do one thing above all: protect EBITDA.

Most integrations fail because leaders start with systems rather than commercial reality.

They obsess over:
- Buying new tools
- Implementing platforms
- Rebuilding CRMs
- Chasing “transformation theatre.”
- Forcing teams to adapt before they’re ready

And the consequences are predictable.
Here’s how EBITDA leaks when leaders ignore commercial reality:

𝟏. 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:
Misaligned teams delay integration by 30–60 days, resulting in £500k+ in EBITDA leakage.

𝟐. 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬:
Each delay increases deal costs by 10–15%, often adding £500k–£1M in extra operating spend.

𝟑. 𝐒𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬:
A 60–90-day delay can reduce valuation by 0.5x–1.2x EBITA multiples, wiping £5M–£12M from the exit story of a mid-market portfolio company.

And once EBITDA leaks, you almost never get it back.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬:
Protecting EBITDA is unrelated to technology.

It begins with stabilising people, contracts, and processes in the first 90 days (long before systems are touched).

Because if teams aren’t aligned, contracts aren’t secured, and processes aren’t controlled, the exit clock is already ticking. Every month of delay permanently erodes value.

This is why the best CIOs ruthlessly remove duplication, noise, and complexity.
They lead with clarity, disciplined sequencing, and clean commercial execution.

The result?

𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 £𝟐𝟓𝟎𝐤–£𝟓𝟎𝟎𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝟗𝟎 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 (as we’ve seen repeatedly across multiple PE-backed businesses).

Commercial stability comes first.
Systems come last.

Repost ♻️ if you’re tired of watching the same integration failures repeated across the industry.

P.S. What’s the most expensive integration mistake you’ve seen CIOs make? Comment below ↓

Alt text for the Image: M&A Integration Strategy Fix

Most execs don’t realise it… 
Every time employees use public AI tools for sensitive work, they could be training their competitors’ systems.

After Samsung’s $100M wake-up call, and seeing similar risks across industries. I built a framework to help leaders turn AI governance into a competitive edge.

Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eDRYMFFt

Helping Companies & CxO to Multiply Revenue via CRM | Salesforce Expert

From Employee's Burnout to 1M€ in Revenue. 

Tripled my income without any ads. 
This Changed My Life!

I help mid-sized and enterprise companies turn their CRM into a real growth engine.

I work with Salesforce, HubSpot, and enterprise-grade CRM ecosystems, integrating them with complex processes and systems to improve:

> Conversion Rate
> Retention Rate
> Customer Experience

I design strategies, architectures, and automations that deliver results — not slides.

I’m recognized in Italy as one of the leading voices in CRM for both B2B and B2C.

I taught CRM, Retention, and Loyalty at Talent Garden, AdWorld and Learnn, and contributed to launching the digital Loyalty Program for Pampers.

Today, I support companies that want to stop burning budget on slow system integrators or junior consultants — and finally generate real value through data, automation, and communication.

Previously, I worked as a Marketing Cloud Solution Engineer at Salesforce, developing strong executive expertise and closing multi-million-euro deals with top brands.

I hold 4 Salesforce certifications (3 SFMC + Admin), 2 HubSpot certifications, and 3 in Data & SEO.
My experience spans multiple industries: 
- Automotive, 
- Fashion, 
- Retail, 
- Consumer Goods, 
- Health Care, 
- Finance, 
- B2B environments.

Across 15 years, I’ve trained 500+ salespeople on CRM, marketing automation, and the sales process.

I’ve also managed teams of up to 25 people in 1 company across 
Marketing, 
Customer Care, 
Pre-Sales, 
CRM Specialists.

I’ve supported agencies and System Integrators in improving their positioning, selling Salesforce & other CRMs more effectively, and delivering better demos and solutioning.

Alongside my corporate career, I run a premium consulting practice (€100–150k/year) focused on:

- CRM & Marketing Automation strategy and delivery
- Process and workflow design
- Lead nurturing & retention programs
- Platform governance and team training

I specialize in advanced automations built on n8n, Salesforce, and Agent AI, helping companies scale operations, lead generation, nurturing, and sales enablement.

My philosophy is simple: no wasted money on advertising.
Only retention, customer value, SEO, and smart automation.

This mindset also helped me scale a dental clinic from zero to €600–650k/year in 5 years — fully bootstrapped.

Today, I work with companies looking for an executive partner who can bring together:
vision, execution, and deep technical expertise in CRM.

If you want a CRM that actually drives growth, I’m here.

Giorgio Gnoli

My welcome to 2026.

Everyone wants to start the year strong.

New messages.
New pitches.
New urgency.


But being strong doesn’t always mean doing more.

Sometimes it means knowing what to ignore.

Focus is rare.

And when you have it, everything becomes clearer.

Before running after new goals, 
it helps to stop and ask:
what really deserves my time and attention?

Everyone has a different answer.

But those who know theirs usually move first,
and go further.

The next months won’t reward noise.

They’ll reward focus.

Helping companies to multiply conversion via CRM, Sales, and Marketing Automation | Top 20 Sales Expert Italy | Salesforce Expert (4x cert) | Public Speaker | Teacher.

🫂 that HUG isn’t small, 
it’s where a DAD feels SAFE.

Il tuo CRM è inutile se non lavori di RETENTION

Nel mio bellissimo lavoro nel CRM,
vedo spesso lo stesso errore:

CRM costruito per vendere.
Non per non perdere clienti.

E che succede?
Fatturato che entra da una porta ed esce dall'altra.

La metrica che conta più di tutte
(e molti CRM manager nemmeno sanno che vuol dire):
NRR (Net Revenue Retention)

Tranqui. Te la spiego
Se oggi 100 clienti ti pagano €100k/anno, 
quanto ti pagano tra un anno?
• €110k → NRR 110% → cresci senza nuovi clienti
• €85k → NRR 85% → stai affondando

Il CRM deve proteggere questo numero.
Non contare le demo.

Se metti vendita e post-vendita su una persona sai che succede?

Vende. 
E i clienti se ne vanno in silenzio.

Ecco i dati che TI SERVONO 
(non quelli "belli da avere"):

> Contratto: quanto paga, quando scade
> Cosa ha comprato: moduli, seat, crediti
> NPS, segnali deboli, segnali forti...

Da queste liste esci con:
• Recovery plan
• Re-onboarding
• Expansion naturale (non forzata)


TL;TR:
Il tuo CRM deve dirti:
Chi sta per andarsene (e come fermarlo)
Chi ha comprato ma non usa (e come aiutarlo)
Chi è pronto per comprare di più (e come proporglielo)

Non risponde a queste 3 domande?
Non hai un CRM.
Hai un foglio Excel mascherato.

3 grandi verità su Salesforce 
che ho imparato dopo 47 implementazioni

La maggior parte delle aziende compra Salesforce per le ragioni sbagliate.

E quando il progetto fallisce, incolpano 
- chi gliel'ha venduta
- il system integrator


Dopo anni di implementazioni, 
ecco 3 verità che nessuno ti dice:

>>> Verità 1. 
Il reporting non risolve disallineamenti organizzativi

Ho visto team passare mesi a costruire dashboard perfette.
E poi 6 mesi a litigare su cosa significano i numeri.

Il problema non è mai la tecnologia.

È che il Sales pensa che un "Lead qualificato" significhi una cosa. 
Marketing ne invece gli dà un'altra definizione. 
E Finance... 
non si spiega come faccia a costare così tanto un software.

Salesforce non risolve il problema dei silos. 
Lo espone.

Se non concordate definizioni e processi PRIMA del kickoff, 
avrete report che nessuno si fiderà di usare.



>>> Verità 2. 

L'AI senza data quality è peggio che inutile

Il tuo Account Executive ti mostrerà demo incredibili.

Einstein che prevede quali deal chiuderete. 
Agentforce che risponde ai clienti da solo. 
AI che scrive email personalizzate.

Poi attiverete Einstein sui vostri dati reali.
Ed ecco che arrivano:
- Lead duplicati
- 40% di campi non popolati 
- Processi non documentati (e non seguiti)

L'AI amplifica la qualità dei vostri dati. 
Se i dati sono spazzatura, l'AI la farà puzzare prima.

Data hygiene prima. 
AI dopo. 
Sempre.


>>> Verità 3. 
La più dura di tutte.
E che nessuno ha il coraggio di dire.

Moltiplica ogni preventivo per 1.7x
Se il System Integrator dice: "Vi costerà €300K e si farà in 6 mesi."
Tradotto, significa che 12 mesi dopo avrete: 
€520K spesi, e ancora non siete live.

Questo non è perché vi hanno fregato.
Anche se a volte può succedere.

È perché:
- I VOSTRI requisiti cambiano durante l'implementazione.
(del resto, chi in azienda ha esperienza nel preparare i requisiti???)

- Le integrazioni sono sempre più complesse del previsto.
- Il training richiede più tempo del previsto.
- Servono customizzazioni che nessuno aveva considerato all'inzio.

In 10 anni che faccio questo mestiere 
non ho mai visto un'implementazione finire on-time e on-budget.
Mai.

Per cui, metti a budget 1.7x il preventivo iniziale. 
Se avanza, fantastico. 
Ma probabilmente non avanzerà.


Ecco ora il barbatrucco per far funzionare il progetto CRM:
1- Risolvete i problemi politici prima del kickoff.
2- Iniziate con Sales/Service Cloud base, non con lo stack completo.
3- Assumete un Architect interno. Non solo consulenti. 
4- Assumete anche un consulente, vi conviene.
5- Budgetate realisticamente.

Salesforce può davvero trasformare la tua azienda.
Molto più di Odoo, Brevo o altri tool all-in-one che si vendono come CRM.

Ma solo se smetti di credere che la tecnologia risolva problemi organizzativi.

Quale di queste (mie) verità ti colpito di più?
(Scommetto la #3)

PS: Se stai per implementare Salesforce in azienda, 
salvati questo post. 
Ti ringrazierai tra 12 mesi.

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