IT Leadership and Team Development

IT should be part of your company’s growth engine. Your IT team and suppliers should help drive efficiency, service, and innovation.

But we meet many companies frustrated by the IT guys, who appear to talk a different language. They don’t seem to understand what the business is really doing, or they feel inconsistent and unreliable.

We direct IT teams

Many of our clients have an internal IT team who report to a non-IT specialist, for example the CFO.

Sometimes there is also a small web design team, or a team who work on data or processes, and they may report to different execs, so there’s little communication, if any at all.

Often these employees have been around for a long time. The business has grown up around them, and the executive team is becoming increasingly frustrated.

Not surprisingly, we often find the IT team is equally frustrated. A dysfunctional pattern of behavior has taken hold, and the result is going nowhere!

We are digital leaders and AI and systems specialists

All our people have spent their entire careers managing specialists and technical IT staff.

Often the logjam clears quickly when our consultant—we call them “Principals”—arrives, as he or she is a technical expert, and also widely experienced in business.

The IT team feel they finally have someone with their perspective. But our Principal can also offer translation services between the executive team and technical types.

An honest assessment of your situation and needs

Our Principal will make an honest assessment of what the business has and needs in terms of staffing, insourcing, and outsourcing. Our Principal will talk frankly with the executive team and recommend how to move forward.

In some cases, with careful management, the IT team can make progress, regain confidence, and enjoy their work again.

In other cases, they may simply not have the skills or qualities to do the job right. Our Principal will then agree on a plan with you and oversee the necessary steps to deal with this situation.

Below are some relevant briefings, posts, videos and stories from our clients.

All written in plain-English and suitable for CEOs and Board members.

Our Team

Meet the most experienced team of CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, and IT Directors who deliver technology strategies that help mid-markets business...

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Client stories

We are trusted technology strategy providers for CEOs of mid-market businesses. Read our client case studies to find out more...

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Business Insights

We have a wide range of experience in delivering business-focus and mid-market IT strategies that will help your business grow...

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CIO vs CTO: What’s the Difference?

CIO vs CTO: What’s the Difference?

It is easy to assume that a Chief Information Officer (CIO) is the same thing as a Chief Technology Officer...

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Business Insight

Exigent

"Freeman Clarke provided us with the perfect individual to be our CIO. He quickly connected with Exigent’s high-energy culture and helped to get colleagues excited about the possibilities of change" Read more

Client story

CIOs, CTOs & CISOs

When do I need a CIO, CTO, or CISO? And how do I find the right one?

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Knowledge Center
Why CTOs Are Crucial to the Success of Mid-Market Companies

Why CTOs Are Crucial to the Success of Mid-Market Companies

Many of our clients use custom software and digital initiatives to drive sales, increase efficiency or improve service. Sometimes they...

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Business Insight

Sterling

"Freeman Clarke has been instrumental in implementing industry best practices around the management, support and financial management of the IT function" Read more

Client story

Immunocore

"Our Freeman Clarke IT leader's ability to pick up on our industry's complex technology, combined with his capabilities, resulted in Immunocore being in a stronger, more secure IT environment" Read more

Client story
CEO’s Briefing: IT Roadmap for Growth 2024

CEO’s Briefing: IT Roadmap for Growth 2024

It's impossible to run a business without IT and technology. It's also much harder to grow a business unless your...

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Business Insight
COVID-19: Navigating Urgent Operational Challenges

COVID-19: Navigating Urgent Operational Challenges

For every business, the COVID-19 pandemic is a challenge to the wellbeing and safety of their people. For some businesses...

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Business Insight
The Entrepreneurs’ Club – Manhattan

The Entrepreneurs’ Club – Manhattan

After many successful London events, we brought our exclusive networking evening for mid-market CEOs to New York. With inspiring stories...

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Business Insight
What Do We Do at Freeman Clarke?

What Do We Do at Freeman Clarke?

We are the largest and most experienced team of part-time, or fractional, CIOs and CTOs and work exclusively in the...

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Business Insight
How to Make It Work When They Work from Home

How to Make It Work When They Work from Home

Many of our clients want to explore opportunities for their employees to work from home. They have two main drivers:...

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Business Insight
The Benefits of Working with a Great Team of CIOs, CTOs, and IT Directors

The Benefits of Working with a Great Team of CIOs, CTOs, and IT Directors

During our recent Freeman Clarke conference, we talked to our Principals and Regional Directors about the benefits of being part...

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Business Insight
How Mid-Market Businesses Can Recruit a Quality CTO

How Mid-Market Businesses Can Recruit a Quality CTO

IT leaders who focus on software development and digital are often called Chief Technology Officers, or CTOs. You’ll also hear...

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Business Insight
What Do You Love Most About Your Role at Freeman Clarke?

What Do You Love Most About Your Role at Freeman Clarke?

We get together every six months at our Freeman Clarke Conference to share ideas, experiences and knowledge and to let...

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Business Insight
Who is Freeman Clarke?

Who is Freeman Clarke?

We are the largest and most experienced team of CIOs and CTOs and work exclusively in the mid-market. Our team...

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Business Insight
The 6 Must-Haves for Hiring the Best CTO

The 6 Must-Haves for Hiring the Best CTO

Freeman Clarke has decades of experience in hiring the best CIOs and CTOs. In several years of refining our screening...

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Business Insight

Hybrid Working & Post-Pandemic

Businesses will be facing tough challenges over the months. Here is our best advice on mixing remote with office work...

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Knowledge Center
What Does It Take to Stay at the Top of Our Game?

What Does It Take to Stay at the Top of Our Game?

Staying on top of our game — that was the big question we explored at our last Principals conference. One...

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Business Insight
Can Software Robots Really Eliminate Admin?

Can Software Robots Really Eliminate Admin?

According to McKinsey & Company, 60% of jobs could automate 30% of their tasks. Forrester, a respected technology research company,...

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Business Insight
Cyber, Legal, Compliance … How a CEO Can Sleep Soundly

Cyber, Legal, Compliance … How a CEO Can Sleep Soundly

It is not an exaggeration to say that most days we meet companies who have been hacked, their reputations damaged,...

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Business Insight
Manufacturing Insights — Part 2: Checklist for Successful ERP Projects

Manufacturing Insights — Part 2: Checklist for Successful ERP Projects

This is the second of our three-part series on the future of manufacturing. Check out Part 1: The Impact of...

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Business Insight
Introduction to Office Automation Using Software Robots

Introduction to Office Automation Using Software Robots

Look around an office and you will see plenty of people whose main work is dealing with systems and information....

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Business Insight
Top 10 Tips for Effective IT Supplier Management – Infographic

Top 10 Tips for Effective IT Supplier Management – Infographic

To download, save or print this infographic click here Your IT Suppliers are a critical component to your success. But...

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Business Insight
COVID-19 Delivering Effective Homeworking

COVID-19 Delivering Effective Homeworking

  Visit our Hybrid Working & Post-Pandemic Knowledge Center which includes all content related to this topic. Freeman Clarke is the...

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Business Insight
COVID-19: A Message from Our Co-Founder Graeme Freeman

COVID-19: A Message from Our Co-Founder Graeme Freeman

Visit our Hybrid Working & Post-Pandemic Knowledge Center which includes all content related to this topic. Freeman Clarke is the largest...

Read more
Business Insight
Who is Freeman Clarke?

Who is Freeman Clarke?

For every business, the COVID-19 pandemic is a challenge to the wellbeing and safety of their people. IT, systems and...

Read more
Business Insight
Bagging the benefits of BYOD

Bagging the benefits of BYOD

More and more people are using their own technology routinely for work, a trend that’s called Bring your Own Device...

Read more
Business Insight
A CEO’s Briefing: Solving Systems Integration Problems

A CEO’s Briefing: Solving Systems Integration Problems

IT and Systems Integration problems can make a simple business feel complicated. Whether it's the CRM system, Finance System, a...

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Business Insight

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Knowledge Centers

 

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Graeme Freeman
Co-Founder and Director

Subscribe to our Business Insights

Plain English board-level briefings focused on technology strategies to deliver competitive advantage and business success.

* Please enter an email address
newnewsletterrecipient

You can unsubscribe at any time.

Thank you.

You’ll now receive regular expert business insights.

Call us on 0203 020 1864 with any questions.