Case Studies

Fractional CTO case studies

Real projects, real outcomes. AI operations, enterprise delivery, blockchain platforms, and fintech systems — led and shipped as a fractional CTO.

If you are comparing fractional CTO options, these case studies show the kind of work I lead: AI consulting engagements, operating-rhythm installs, recovery of stuck delivery, and hands-on technical execution. For scope and pricing, see fractional CTO pricing.

Trusted by enterprise leaders

Bank of EnglandDeutsche BankBPRBSE.ONThe Global Fund

Operational Leadership

Credit Suisse — Global Programme Delivery

Operational leadership at scale in investment banking

Challenge

A global programme spanning multiple regions and business lines needed coherent delivery without the usual coordination tax. Stakeholders expected senior ownership of outcomes, not just status reports.

Solution

I led delivery with a clear operating rhythm: governance that matched the scale of the programme, prioritization tied to business impact, and direct resolution of blockers instead of escalation loops. Technical and operational decisions were aligned so that "done" meant business outcome, not just milestone. Teams had one point of contact who could see the whole board and make calls that stuck.

On track

to plan

Cross-region

alignment

P&L-aware

delivery

Programme ManagementCross-border DeliveryStakeholder AlignmentRisk & Governance

Operational Leadership

Bank of England — Central Banking Risk Assessment

Operational transformation at the UK central bank

Challenge

The UK central bank needed its Critical Banking Risk Assessment Systems delivered on a fixed timeline with zero tolerance for budget overruns. Stakeholders spanned multiple departments and regulatory requirements were stringent.

Solution

As Programme Manager, I installed operating rhythm across cross-functional teams: clear governance, weekly progress cadences, and risk-driven prioritization. I aligned technical delivery with business outcomes — not just "did we build it" but "did it meet the operational need." When blockers appeared, I resolved them at the source rather than escalating.

On time

delivery

under budget

£6.3M

project value

Programme ManagementRisk AssessmentRegulatory ComplianceCross-functional Leadership

Methodology & Operational Rigor

Icebox — Enterprise Process Governance

Open-source framework for gate-driven delivery and agentic transformation

Challenge

Teams adopting agentic delivery (AI writing code, running tests, proposing releases) need auditability and compliance without sacrificing speed. Open source and startups often lack a process framework that satisfies both rigor and execution.

Solution

I designed and open-sourced Icebox: a process framework with a gate-driven lifecycle from intake through release — six steps, five gates, explicit exit criteria at every transition. The model supports the evolution from CI/CD to AI/CD to AI/AD while preserving accountability. At Rewired we wove AI agents into our own pipelines first; the framework documents what we learned and makes it adoptable by other teams and auditors. Traceability is built in: every gate links to commits, PRs, or issue evidence.

6 steps

5 gates

Traceable

audit-ready

Open source

adoptable

AI/CDAI/ADGate-driven deliveryTraceabilityOpen source

View the process framework

Enterprise AI

Digital Speed AI Chat

Enterprise AI chat with real-time streaming

Challenge

Project was behind schedule with slow AI response times. The client needed enterprise-grade real-time AI chat across iOS and Android.

Solution

Took technical leadership, rebuilt the streaming architecture, and shipped a cross-platform solution that met every business objective.

60%

faster response time

platforms shipped (iOS + Android)

100%

business objectives met

React NativeExpoAI StreamingCross-PlatformReal-time

“Took leadership when the project was behind and turned it around to meet business objectives. Strong communication and stakeholder management.”

Jonny

Product Manager, Digital Speed

Web3 / Blockchain

TrustPoll

Blockchain voting for transparent elections

Challenge

No trusted mechanism existed for transparent, verifiable polling. The founder needed a cross-platform app with on-chain verification.

Solution

Built the full platform from smart contracts to mobile UI with Flutter/Dart, delivering real-time results backed by blockchain immutability.

100%

transparent on-chain voting

platforms (iOS + Android)

Real-time

result updates

FlutterDartBlockchainSmart ContractsMobile App

“Deep trust and an unbiased approach that prioritized our needs from day one. Torben's work ethos was exactly what we needed.”

Dan Mora

Founder & CEO, TrustPoll

FinTech

FinTech Payment Hub

Secure payment processing platform

Challenge

The client needed a PCI DSS compliant payment platform with real-time analytics and fraud detection — built fast without a full engineering team.

Solution

Designed and built the full payment infrastructure with Next.js, integrating payment APIs, compliance monitoring, and real-time fraud detection.

99.9%

uptime

PCI DSS

compliant

Real-time

fraud detection

Next.jsTypeScriptFinTechPayment APIsSecurity

Web3 / DeFi

Web3 DeFi Dashboard

Portfolio management across DeFi protocols

Challenge

DeFi investors needed a unified view of positions across multiple protocols, with yield optimization and gas fee management.

Solution

Built a React-based dashboard with Web3 integration for real-time portfolio tracking, yield farming analytics, and automated staking strategies.

40%

lower gas fees

Multi-protocol

portfolio tracking

Automated

yield optimization

ReactTypeScriptWeb3DeFiEthereum

Your Project Next

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