Senior IT leadership, without the full-time cost. I help UK SMEs build technology strategies, adopt AI safely, and get their security and compliance in order.
20+ years of IT leadership across healthcare, clinical trials and MSP environments
Your business has grown but your technology strategy hasn't kept up. Every IT decision feels like a gamble, but you're not sure if you're overpaying, under-protected, or heading in the wrong direction.
Clients and partners are asking for Cyber Essentials certification. GDPR obligations are unclear. Your MSP tells you everything is fine, but you're not sure you believe them.
Everyone's talking about AI but your team is using it informally, inconsistently, and possibly in ways that expose your business data. You need a plan, not more hype.
A clear, prioritised technology roadmap aligned to your business goals. Board-ready, jargon-free, and built around where your business is actually going.
Practical guidance on where AI genuinely helps your business, and how to implement it safely, compliantly, and in a way that sticks.
Cyber Essentials Plus, GDPR, and M365 hardening. I make sure your business meets the standards your clients, insurers, and supply chains increasingly demand.
Most businesses pay for M365 and use a fraction of it. I review your licensing, security configuration, and adoption, and make it work properly.
Your trusted technical authority in supplier relationships, making sure you're not overpaying, under-served, or locked into contracts that no longer fit.
Cloud migrations, system implementations, security uplifts. I lead complex IT projects from planning through to delivery, not just advise on them.
30 minutes, no charge
We talk through where your business is, what's working, and where IT is holding you back. No pitch, no obligation.
Focused half-day review
A focused review of your technology estate, security posture, and AI readiness. You get a clear, prioritised action plan, regardless of what happens next.
Monthly retained engagement
Most clients move to a monthly retained engagement, with a defined number of days per month where I act as your embedded IT Director. I attend leadership meetings, own the roadmap, and am available when it matters.
I'm a Fractional IT Director and vCIO with over 20 years of senior IT leadership experience across life sciences, clinical trials, publishing and MSP environments. I've owned seven-figure IT budgets, led global infrastructure programmes, integrated multinational acquisitions, and built security and compliance functions from the ground up.
I hold Cyber Essentials Plus experience across multiple organisations and have delivered HIPAA and GDPR programmes in regulated industries. I'm based in West Sussex and work with businesses across the South East and remotely across the UK.
I work with a small number of clients at any one time. Which means when you engage me, you get my full attention.
20+
Years of IT leadership
£1.8m
IT budgets managed
280+
Staff across global operations
6
Countries of operational scope
Start with a free 30-minute discovery call. No pitch, no obligation, just a straight conversation about where your business is and whether I can help.
Book a Discovery CallOr email directly: mark@markgrout.co.uk
Based in West Sussex · Working across the UK