Give every portfolio company a credible AI leader
before the board asks why they don't have one.
We embed a senior AI director inside PE-backed industrial and manufacturing companies. One AI use case in production, a vendor audit, and a board-ready roadmap — within 90 days. Not a consultant. Not advisory hours. Embedded leadership with production accountability.
Your portfolio companies have an AI mandate. They don't have an AI leader.
The board started asking about AI 18 months ago. The CEO ran a search. It failed or it's still open. They hired a consultant. They have a deck. Nothing is in production. The next board meeting is in 60 days.
The board is asking about AI
Every portfolio review has AI on the agenda. The CEO is fielding hard questions without a credible answer.
The full-time search isn't working
Director of AI roles take 97 days to fill on average — and a significant share close without a hire. Your hold period won't wait.
Consultants deliver decks, not results
The company has already spent $50K–$200K on AI consulting. They have a roadmap. Nothing is in production.
The options your portfolio company CEO is looking at — and why they fail.
Big 4
Minimum engagement sizes are $500K+. Designed for enterprise, not PE mid-market. You get a team of analysts and a partner who shows up quarterly.
Solo practitioners
One person cannot serve 8–15 portfolio companies. You cannot standardize across your portfolio on a solo operator. Doesn't scale with you.
Generalist staffing (KORE1, etc.)
Prices at $8K–$12K/month, which signals advisory hours. The board will ask why the company doesn't have a real AI leader.
General AI consultants
They produce roadmaps, governance frameworks, and vendor evaluations. Not embedded leadership with production accountability.
Three deliverables. 90 days. Guaranteed.
The 90-day commitment is not a positioning claim. It is a constraint we use to decide which engagements to take — and which to turn down.
One AI use case in production
Not a prototype. Not a pilot. A production-grade system running against real operational data within 90 days.
Vendor audit
Every AI tool the company is paying for, evaluated. No more subscriptions for tools that aren't being used or don't work.
Board-ready roadmap
A 12-month AI roadmap the CEO can present with confidence. Prioritized by ROI, scoped to operational reality, not aspiration.
Operational AI use cases with documented ROI in manufacturing and industrial services.
These are not experiments. Each use case has a production deployment track record, measurable outcomes, and a 90-day path to results.
Predictive Maintenance
8–15% reduction in unplanned downtime. ROI measurable within the first production cycle.
Production Yield Optimization
Defect pattern detection and process adjustment. Documented ROI in the 8–18% operational cost range.
Demand Forecasting
Reduce inventory overstock and stockout costs. Works with existing ERP data.
Labor Scheduling
Optimize shift coverage against demand signals. Cuts scheduling time and reduces overtime spend.
Quality Control Automation
Vision and sensor-based defect detection. Runs alongside existing QC processes before replacing them.
Document & Compliance Automation
SOPs, audit trails, compliance reporting. High-volume, low-judgment work that occupies skilled operators.
From one conversation to a director embedded in 14 days.
One conversation
We talk for 30 minutes. You tell us which portfolio companies have the most urgent AI mandate. We tell you exactly what a first engagement looks like.
We scope the right fit
We identify the portfolio company where 90-day results are achievable and the CEO is ready to move. We don't start engagements we can't win.
The director embeds in two weeks
A senior AI practitioner with industrial deployment experience is on-site or embedded within 14 days of signing. Not a generalist. Not a junior hire.
You see results at 90 days
We brief you on what shipped, what's in production, and what the roadmap looks like for the next quarter. You have something to show the board.
Let's talk about your portfolio.
Tell us which portfolio companies have the most urgent AI mandate. We'll tell you exactly what a first engagement looks like, what it costs, and what we'll deliver. 30 minutes. No pitch deck.
Happy to connect you with PE sponsors we've already worked with for reference.