Fractional CDAO & Fractional CDO — Senior Data Leadership, Without the Full-Time Cost

Our Fractional CDAO and Fractional CDO services give growing businesses access to senior data and analytics leadership on a part-time, retainer, or project basis. Get a Chief Data Officer's strategic perspective — measurement planning, analytics team oversight, and executive data reporting — without the full-time salary.

Who Needs a Fractional CDAO?

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Growing Brands ($2M–$50M USD)

You've outgrown ad-hoc analytics but aren't ready to hire a full-time data executive. You need senior guidance without the $200K+ USD overhead.

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Complex Marketing Stacks

Multiple platforms, disconnected data, and no clear owner. You need someone to own the measurement architecture and make it all work together.

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Data-Driven Ambitions

Leadership wants to make better decisions from data but the internal team lacks the strategic experience to build the right foundations.

Fractional CDAO & CDO Services

Measurement Strategy

Define how your business measures success — KPIs, attribution models, measurement frameworks, and the data infrastructure to support them.

Analytics Roadmap & Prioritization

Build and prioritize a 12-month data roadmap — sequencing projects by business impact and aligning them to strategic objectives.

Data Governance

Establish standards for data quality, taxonomy, naming conventions, access controls, and documentation across your analytics stack.

Leadership Reporting & Insight Delivery

Regular data reviews with leadership, translating analytics findings into strategic recommendations and business context.

Analytics Team Mentorship

Guide and upskill your internal analysts, marketers, and data team — building internal capability alongside external support.

Vendor & Tool Evaluation

Evaluate analytics tools, BI platforms, and data vendors on your behalf — making unbiased recommendations based on your actual needs.

Project Oversight

Oversee analytics implementation projects — ensuring they're delivered accurately, on time, and aligned to the broader measurement strategy.

Data Culture Building

Drive adoption of data across your organization — making analytics accessible, trusted, and used by every team, not just data specialists.

Brady Hancock — Data Strategist & Analytics Leader

With 7+ years of experience building analytics systems for 150+ businesses, Brady brings both strategic depth and hands-on technical expertise. He's not just a consultant who delivers a deck — he becomes embedded in your business and owns the outcomes.

  • 7+ years building analytics for brands across industries
  • 300+ completed analytics projects
  • 100% Job Success · Top Rated Plus on Upwork
  • GA4, GTM, BigQuery, Looker Studio specialist
  • Experience with eCommerce, SaaS, lead gen, and media
Learn More About Brady →

Fractional CDAO Engagement Options

Engagements are tailored to your business stage and needs.

  • Audit & Strategy — One-time measurement assessment and roadmap
  • Fractional Retainer — Ongoing monthly engagement with defined hours and deliverables
  • Project-Based — Defined scope for specific strategic initiatives
  • Discuss Engagement Options

    Turning Your Data Into an AI-Ready Foundation

    AI is only as good as the data behind it. As your Fractional CDAO, we build the measurement infrastructure, data pipelines, and governance frameworks that make AI tools actually work — and actually trustworthy.

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    AI-Ready Data Infrastructure

    Clean, structured, and well-governed data is the prerequisite for any AI initiative. We audit your current state, close gaps, and build pipelines that feed your AI tools with reliable inputs.

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    Predictive Analytics & AI Integration

    From LTV modeling and churn prediction to AI-powered attribution, we help you identify which AI use cases will move the needle — and connect them to your existing analytics stack.

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    AI Governance & Data Ethics

    Responsible AI starts with clear policies. We establish the governance frameworks, consent models, and data quality standards your organization needs to deploy AI confidently and compliantly.

    "Most companies have the data they need to leverage AI — they just don't have it organized in a way that makes it usable. That's the gap we close."

    — Brady Hancock, Fractional CDAO

    Fractional CDAO vs Fractional CDO — What's the Difference?

    Fractional CDAO vs Fractional CDO — What's the Difference?

    A Fractional CDO (Chief Data Officer) focuses on data strategy, data governance, data infrastructure, and organizational data maturity. A Fractional CDAO (Chief Data & Analytics Officer) combines the CDO role with direct analytics execution — not just strategy, but actively building analytics pipelines, measurement systems, and reporting infrastructure.

    Brady Hancock operates as a Fractional CDAO: equal parts data strategist and hands-on analytics architect. Read more about the difference between a Fractional CDO and CDAO in our detailed breakdown.

    Is a Fractional CDAO Right for Your Stage?

    • You're a Series A–C startup that needs data leadership but not a $300K/yr hire
    • Your marketing analytics and business intelligence are siloed
    • The CEO is making decisions without a reliable data layer underneath them
    • You need someone to own your analytics roadmap, not just execute tasks
    • Your data team needs a leader but you're not ready to hire full-time
    • You want to build toward a full-time CDO hire and need an interim solution
    • Your board or investors are asking for better data visibility
    • You need a fractional executive who can present to leadership

    Fractional CDAO — Frequently Asked Questions

    A Fractional CDAO is an experienced data and analytics executive who works with your business part-time or on a retained basis. They provide the strategic data leadership of a full-time C-suite hire — measurement strategy, governance, roadmapping, team guidance — without the full-time cost and commitment. See Gartner's definition of a Chief Data Officer for more context.
    Fractional CDAO services are ideal for growing brands (typically $2M–$50M USD revenue) that have real data challenges but aren't yet ready for a full-time data executive. It's also a great fit for companies launching a major analytics initiative, replatforming their tech stack, or building out a measurement strategy for the first time.
    Consultants deliver a defined project. A Fractional CDAO is embedded in your business — attending leadership meetings, owning the data roadmap, influencing strategic decisions, and building institutional knowledge over time. The relationship is ongoing, collaborative, and focused on long-term outcomes rather than a one-time deliverable.
    Most engagements start with a measurement audit and strategy session, then move to a monthly retainer covering roadmap prioritization, project oversight, leadership reporting, and ongoing strategic guidance. Scope and hours are defined collaboratively based on your business's needs and stage.
    A Fractional CDO (Chief Data Officer) focuses on data strategy, governance, and infrastructure — setting the direction for how an organization manages and uses data. A Fractional CDAO (Chief Data & Analytics Officer) combines that strategic role with direct analytics execution: building measurement systems, overseeing GA4 and BigQuery implementations, and delivering actionable insights to leadership. If you need someone to both define the data strategy and ensure it gets built correctly, a Fractional CDAO is typically the right fit.

    Ready to Add Fractional CDO or CDAO Expertise?

    Let's discuss whether a Fractional CDAO or CDO engagement is the right fit for your business — no pressure, just a conversation about your data goals.