Daniel Jacobs. Fractional CIO and CISO. 20+ years of C-suite technology leadership. £700M+ in M&A integrations. Combined CIO and CISO capability.
Veterinary
Led technology strategy and delivery for a BC Partners-backed veterinary services group operating 700+ practices across Europe.
Managed rapid buy-and-build growth, integrating acquisitions across complex multi-site environments.
Oversaw technology due diligence, systems integration, capability assessment, and post-acquisition technology consolidation.
Jardine Motors Group
Served as CIO and CISO simultaneously across a £2bn automotive retail group operating premium brands across 50+ locations.
Led technology strategy and security governance through major ownership transitions, including the acquisition and disposal of premium retail groups across 50+ locations.
Delivered infrastructure transformation, security hardening, and vendor rationalisation across a highly complex, multi-site estate
Mothercare
Led technology across a global retailer operating physical stores, ecommerce platforms, UK warehousing, and a large international franchise business spanning multiple markets.
Portfolio included the Early Learning Centre brand.
Managed complex multi-channel technology operations across retail, logistics, and franchise systems, including technology continuity through administration and brand transition.
Non-Profit
Served as NED on the board of one of the UK’s largest charities, providing governance oversight of digital transformation and technology strategy at the board table. Shaped technology investment decisions, assessed digital capability maturity, and advised executive leadership on digital roadmap delivery.
Published
Twenty years inside acquisitions and cross-functional teams taught me that the failures which looked like people failures were almost always structural. The Strategy Bridge gives middle managers twelve tools to fix the system around them. No budget. No executive sponsor. No permission required.
Most mid-market businesses structure technology and security as two separate functions reporting to different people. This creates silos, contradictory priorities, and missed opportunities.
Having held both roles simultaneously at Jardine Motors Group, we understand how they should work together. Technology decisions that drive growth are grounded in security governance. Cybersecurity strategy serves the business, not the audit committee. Infrastructure investment is security-first but efficiency-focused.
When you engage Starkhorn, you get one person with deep expertise in both domains. Not a technical architect and a security consultant working against each other. Not a general technology advisor who outsources security thinking. One viewpoint, two disciplines, integrated delivery.
Full Member, Institute of Interim Management
The IIM is the UK’s professional body for interim managers. Full membership requires demonstrated senior leadership experience and professional standards.
Years C-Suite
Transaction Value
C-Suite Appointments
Published Books
Most mid-market businesses don’t need a full time CIO. You need a CIO’s brain: someone with C: suite technology experience who understands acquisition integration, cybersecurity governance, vendor strategy, and board reporting. You just don’t need that person five days a week.
Fractional engagement typically means 2 to 3 days per week of focused, senior technology leadership. You get senior thinking, strategic clarity, and measurable outcomes. You avoid the recruitment timeline, the onboarding lag, and the cost of a full salary.
Most importantly, fractional means accountability. Starkhorn is engaged to deliver specific outcomes, not to stay busy. Every day in your business has to count.
Kick off meeting, stakeholder interviews, vendor contract review, SaaS licence audit.
Systems mapping, cloud spend analysis, cybersecurity posture review, team capability assessment.
Findings synthesis, savings register compilation, roadmap design, board presentation drafting.
Board-ready report presentation, Q&A, priority actions agreed, next steps confirmed.
We work with three to four retained clients at a time. This work requires depth, and depth requires focus.
Not every enquiry leads to an engagement. We commit fully to every client we work with.
This work requires depth, and depth requires focus. We build long-term relationships grounded in your success, not short-term engagements that scratch the surface.
Starkhorn works with three to four retained clients at any one time. This work produces results only when both sides are fully committed. You need to genuinely want to fix your technology. We need to believe that what we deliver will matter. The best engagements start with alignment on that principle.
If you want to understand where your technology stands, there are two ways in.
The Technology Health Check shows where your technology leadership has gaps, scored across eight dimensions with a one-line recommendation for each.
A 15 minute conversation about your situation. We will tell you honestly whether we can help and what the first steps would look like. No pitch. No obligation.
Weekly technology leadership insights.
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