What Freeman Clarke does

Freeman Clarke is a UK-based professional services firm founded in 2012 by CIOs Graeme Freeman and Steve Clarke. It provides part-time (fractional) IT executive leadership — CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, CAIOs, IT Directors, and Technology Board Advisors — to mid-sized businesses that cannot justify a full-time senior technology executive. The firm has grown to 100+ technology leaders (called "Principals") organised across four UK regional teams (London, North & Scotland, Midlands, South & Home Counties), with additional US operations.

Core offerings are structured in three layers: (1) fractional executive roles (the core engagement); (2) solution services including AI & Automation, Cyber Security, Business Systems & Data, Bespoke Software Leadership, Digital Transformation, and IT Strategy; and (3) challenge-led consulting addressing Cost & Efficiency, Growth & Innovation, Security & Compliance, PE/M&A/Exit, Legacy Systems, and Integration. A small set of assessment tools (IT Assessment for Growth, AI Opportunity Assessment, Transaction Readiness Assessment, 90-Minute Cyber Risk Session) and an "AI Usage Policy 2026" template serve as entry-point products. The firm explicitly positions itself as vendor-independent, with no software or hardware resale.

Revenue is generated through professional-services fees for fractional executive engagements, supplemented by fixed-scope assessments. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quote-based; the firm deliberately avoids long-term contract lock-in. The primary customer segment is UK mid-sized businesses (described as £10M–£500M revenue range), with a secondary practice serving private equity firms and their portfolio companies across the deal lifecycle (pre-deal assessment, due diligence, integration, value creation, and exit preparation).

Name

Freeman Clarke

Legal name

Freeman and Clarke Limited

Website

https://freemanclarke.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Freeman Clarke is a UK-headquartered professional services firm founded in 2012 that supplies fractional CIO, CTO, CISO, and CAIO leadership to mid-sized businesses and private equity portfolio companies across the UK and US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IT Management Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Strategy Advisory (BPAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA), Executive & Leadership Direct Hire (BPACAFAB)

Keywords

• Fractional IT leadership
• Technology advisory services
• CIO consulting
• Cybersecurity consulting
• Digital transformation

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fractional Executive Services: Freeman Clarke provides part-time/interim IT leaders (CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, CAIOs, IT Directors) to mid-sized businesses. Clients pay for experienced senior IT leadership without the cost of a full-time executive. The company does not lock clients into long-term contracts and aims to add value daily.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Freeman Clarke provides fractional IT executive leadership — including CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, CAIOs, IT Directors, Technology Board Advisors, Project Managers, and Business Analysts — on a part-time basis to mid-sized UK businesses. Engagements embed experienced senior leaders into client teams to align IT with commercial goals, strengthen cybersecurity, lead digital transformation and AI adoption, modernise legacy systems, and support M&A and exit readiness. The firm sells advisory services rather than software or hardware products and operates with no vendor affiliations.

Product overview

Freeman Clarke is a professional services firm providing fractional IT leadership to mid-sized businesses. Their offering is a service portfolio rather than a software product, consisting of: (1) Core fractional executive services - offering CIO, CTO, CISO, CAIO, IT Director, Technology Board Advisor, Project Manager, and Business Analyst roles on a part-time basis; (2) Solution services - addressing specific business needs including AI & Automation, Cyber Security & Risk, IT Strategy, Business Systems & Data, Bespoke Software Leadership, Digital Transformation, and Team Leadership; (3) Challenge services - addressing business pain points including Cost & Efficiency, Growth & Innovation, Security & Compliance, M&A/Exit, Legacy Systems, and Integration issues; (4) Products/Tools - assessment and advisory products including IT Assessment for Growth, AI Opportunity Assessment, Transaction Readiness Assessment, 90-Minute Cyber Risk Session, and AI Usage Policy template. The firm positions itself as independent advisors who do not sell software or hardware and have no vendor affiliations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tech Leaders Connect: A platform for technology leaders, led by Freeman Clarke Co-Founder Steve Clarke as CEO. Provides networking and resources for IT executives.

Products and services

• Fractional CIO Services

Quantifiable outcome

• NPS 82 - high client satisfaction
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Emerging players

• Toptal: Global fractional talent marketplace including a network of senior technology executives. Comparable because it offers an alternative channel for sourcing fractional IT leadership, though broader across all roles rather than specialised in C-suite IT.
• Slalom: Global technology and business consulting firm targeting mid-market digital transformation. Comparable because it serves similar mid-market clients on IT strategy, modernisation, and technology leadership work though typically via project teams rather than fractional C-suite executives.

Regional players

• Hays: UK-headquartered global recruitment and workforce solutions firm with strong mid-market IT and technology officer coverage. Comparable because it serves the same UK mid-market clients seeking IT leadership resources, though primarily on a permanent/contract basis rather than fractional.
• Baringa Partners: UK-headquartered independent management and technology consultancy serving mid-market and enterprise clients across energy, financial services, and other sectors. Comparable because it competes for technology strategy and transformation mandates with UK mid-market clients.

Broad incumbents

• Robert Half: Global staffing and consulting firm with dedicated technology and executive practice placing CIOs, CTOs, and IT leaders. Comparable because it competes for the same mid-market IT leadership engagements from a much larger, publicly-listed platform.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with dedicated Global Technology & Services Practice placing CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs. Comparable because it operates in the senior IT leadership talent market serving boards and CEOs that Freeman Clarke also targets.
• Accenture: Global professional services firm with a large technology and strategy practice serving enterprise clients. Comparable because its mid-market push and digital transformation practice overlaps with parts of Freeman Clarke's value proposition, though Accenture is many orders of magnitude larger and broader.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with deep technology officer practice. Comparable because both firms place and advise on senior IT leadership for boards and CEOs, although Russell Reynolds focuses on permanent search rather than ongoing fractional delivery.
• Korn Ferry: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with significant technology officer practice. Comparable because both firms serve organisations seeking senior IT leadership, though Korn Ferry is larger and focuses on permanent placement with advisory services rather than fractional delivery.

Direct peers

• InterimExecs: UK-based fractional executive marketplace placing interim CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, CTOs into SMEs and mid-market businesses. Most directly comparable peer in the fractional C-suite model that Freeman Clarke operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Freeman Clarke