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

Ready to take your content from drab to fab? Just drop me a "DM," and let's make your online presence look sizzling with impactful designs. Personal branding expert

Ever notice how your online presence can be your golden ticket to connecting with your ideal customers? 

In a world full of copy-paste, just being yourself is your secret weapon. Show your true self, and you're already way ahead of the game.

I'm your go-to expert for turning your ideas into eye-catching designs that make a real impact. Want to stand out from the crowd online? I've got you covered!

→ When you've got a killer online image:

- People find it a breeze to buy from you.
- Folks know you're the real deal.
- Trust? You've got it in spades.

→ But here's the scoop: If you're not sure how to:

- Keep your vibe consistent.
- Let your personality shine.
- Nail the right tone.
- Craft messages that hit the mark.

You might just be throwing time and money down the LinkedIn drain.

That's where I come in, helping creators and business owners turn their personal brands into something truly awesome with some seriously cool designs.

I've been crafting content for top-notch business folks, leaders, and coaches for a good while now. And here's what I can do for you:

- More customers lining up to buy.
- More eyeballs on your stuff.
- More attention from the right peeps.
- More trust all around.

Ready to take your content from drab to fab? Just drop me a "DM," and let's make your online presence look sizzling with impactful design!

Muneeba Mehmood

In 2025, I picked up a habit I had been delaying for years.

Reading books.

Just to slow down and think better.

That habit quietly followed me into 2026.

Last year, I read books from all over the place.

Business, self-improvement, self-reflection. 

I didn’t restrict myself to one category. 

If something felt relevant to life or work, I read it.

This year, I’m keeping the goal simple:
12 books. One book a month.

With client work, I usually get just one hour a day to read. 

Sometimes even less. 

I’ll share proper recommendations at the end of the year, In sha ALLAH.

But if I had to recommend just two books right now,

books I have personally read and genuinely liked,  these would be them:

1. Atomic Habits
It’s simple, practical, and honestly hard not to apply once you read it.

2. Think and Grow Rich
It changes how you think about money, mindset, and long-term vision.

Reading didn’t magically change my life overnight.

But it changed how I think. And that changes everything else slowly.

If you’re planning to build better habits this year, maybe start here.

DM me or drop a comment if you’re ready to level up.

See how I design for conversion → leadwithmuneeba.com

For the last year, I have been designing cheat sheets

for my clients on LinkedIn.

And I’m 100% sure about one thing now.

The audience wants clarity.

Everyone is posting and trying to sound smart.

But most people are just overwhelmed.

Cheat sheets work because they slow things down.

They help people understand the content better.

You can save them and can come back to them later.

And that’s exactly why they perform.

I have seen it again and again with my clients.

Cheat sheets build authority faster than any other content format.

That’s why I still design them.
And that’s why I’ll keep doing it.

Because clarity always wins.

DM me or drop a comment if you’re ready to level up.

See how I design for conversion → leadwithmuneeba.com

People ask me how I decide what to post.

Or how I decide what will work for my clients before we post it.

Honestly, it’s not some secret framework.

It comes from repetition.

When you’ve been working on the same LinkedIn profile for months, patterns start showing up on their own.

I have been managing some client profiles for 6–7 months now.

By that point, I already know:
Which topics their audience saves
Which angles bring profile visits
Which designs people pause on

So before posting anything, I ask myself a few simple things:

Have we talked about this topic before?
If yes, did it get attention or get ignored?

Does this topic match what people already associate this profile with?

Or am I forcing something “new” just to be different?

Has this design format worked for this profile before?

If yes, I reuse it. I don’t fight what already works.

For me content is more about memory.

That’s why sometimes you’ll see me 
reuse the same topic with a slightly better angle.

If something works once, I don’t move on quickly.

I stay with it. I refine it. I let it compound.

That’s how you grow without burning out.

You just need to listen to what your own data is already telling you.

DM me or drop a comment if you’re ready to level up.

See how I design for conversion → leadwithmuneeba.com

For a long time, I relied only on inbound.

Posting. Engaging. Waiting.

It worked, but mostly brought low-paying, local leads.

Outbound changed everything for me.

It gave me control, better clients, and the ability to scale without burning out.

Now I use both but intentionally.

That balance is what actually grows a business on LinkedIn.

There’s one thing people don’t talk about enough when it comes to freelancing:

How much discipline it actually takes.

I work 8-9 hours almost every single day.

And I still don’t close my laptop unless I have learned something new.

I have been like this since school.
I don’t remember ever being late.
I don’t remember skipping work because “I didn’t feel like it.”

And honestly, these habits followed me into freelancing.

I didn’t get into the university I wanted.
I don’t have a shiny degree.

But I have been consistent on LinkedIn for more than three years now.

And this platform has rewarded me more than any degree probably could.

People ask me why I still don’t have a team.
Because working by myself has taught me everything.

Design, strategy, communication, writing, client management.
I learned it all by doing the work.

Sometimes I outsource when needed, but most days it’s just me and my laptop, learning something new again.

If I look at my career right now, one thing is very clear:

Up-skilling changed everything.

Just discipline + consistency + learning.
Every single day.

So if you’re building a freelancing career, 
don’t underestimate the habits you build today.

They follow you everywhere and they shape your entire journey.

DM me or drop a comment if you’re ready to level up.
See how I design for conversion → leadwithmuneeba.com

The cheat sheet that explains in 30 seconds what Pros do differently.

I started freelancing 3.5 years ago and my first project paid me 6,000 PKR ($21).

At the time I thought If I just keep getting more projects,

I will make more money.

So I took on everything that came my way.

I had more clients, more work but more deadlines 
and did not have time for myself.

Honestly there was no work freedom.

For two years I followed the same approach.
But to be honest I was exhausted.

I was always looking for the next client 
and still not making what I wanted.

So finally 13 months ago, I made one change:

I started charging what I’m actually worth.

Now I have fewer clients but they pay me well.

I’m just doing quality work for quality clients.

The best thing is that nothing changed except my mindset.

So my advice is if you are stuck working too much for too little, question yourself:

Are you undercharging or are you undervaluing yourself?

Because the clients who get it, they won’t haggle. They will pay.

DM me or drop a comment if you’re ready to level up.

See how I design for conversion → leadwithmuneeba.com

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The Battle

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The Battle

Daniel J. Jacobs

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Engagements

Likes

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