Thomas & Co. Systems

Strategic IT Leadership
& Virtual CIO Advisory

We provide senior technology leadership, strategic governance, and cloud architecture for growth-focused SMEs across the United Kingdom. Bridging the gap between executive board objectives and technical execution.

Explore Capabilities
  • 0+ Years leading enterprise IT operations
  • £0M Turnover enterprise IT under management
  • 0 Corporate accounts advised at board level
  • FTSE 100 Financial services security remediation

01 — Services

Core Capabilities

Three interlocking disciplines, delivered as a single fractional engagement.

Board Advisory

Virtual CIO (vCIO) Leadership

  • Technology roadmap design & IT budget alignment
  • Board-level advisory & risk management
  • Vendor selection & contract negotiations
  • Digital transformation & strategic modernisations
View Technical Deliverables

Delivers strategic M&A integration due diligence, multi-year CapEx/OpEx forecasting, and regular Board update reporting tailored to SME growth targets.

Cloud Architecture

Microsoft 365 & Cloud Strategy

  • Enterprise Microsoft 365 tenant deployment & hardening
  • Identity & access governance (Entra ID, SSO, MFA)
  • Secure remote work architecture & device management
  • Exchange Online, SharePoint, & Teams optimisation
View Technical Deliverables

Includes Intune & Apple Business Manager automated endpoint provisioning, Privileged Access Management (PAM), and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) execution.

Security & Compliance

Cybersecurity & Governance

  • ISO 27001 readiness & security framework compliance
  • Cyber Essentials & Cyber Essentials Plus advisory
  • Data protection, backup, & disaster recovery planning
  • Security posture audits & vulnerability mitigation
View Technical Deliverables

Full Information Security Management System (ISMS) construction, vulnerability mitigation, and alignment with UK GDPR regulatory frameworks.

02 — Commercial Case

Interactive Executive Financial Tools

Model the commercial impact before the first conversation. Move the sliders.

1

Fractional vCIO Savings Calculator

Compare hiring a full-time CIO (£140k base salary + NI & overheads) against a tailored Fractional vCIO retainer:

Full-Time CIO£175k/yr
vCIO Retainer£31k/yr
Net Annual Savings £144k

Full-time benchmark holds at £175k/yr fully loaded. Retainer scales with the complexity of the estate you are asking us to govern.

2

Microsoft 365 Waste Estimator

Estimate annual capital wasted on over-provisioned, dormant, or sub-optimised M365 cloud licensing:

Est. Annual Waste £9,000
Monthly Cash Leakage £750
Three-Year Exposure £27,000

Modelled at £15 per seat per month of recoverable licensing waste, the typical finding where tenants have grown without a licence review.

Recovered licensing waste routinely covers the cost of our initial M365 audit within 90 days.

03 — Evidence

Enterprise Track Record

Selected engagements at listed-group and enterprise scale.

Project Lighthouse | FTSE 100 Financial Services Group

Financial Services Security & Privileged Access Remediation

Architected and executed a critical security remediation project reporting directly to the Director of Technology. Modernised Microsoft 365 tenant infrastructure by deploying Privileged Identity Management (PIM) and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) protocols to neutralise elevated access risks.

  • PIM
  • DLP
  • M365 Tenant Hardening
  • Board Reporting

04 — Positioning

Strategic vCIO Advisory vs Traditional MSP

Same industry, fundamentally different incentives.

Strategic Dimension
Thomas & Co. Systems (vCIO)
Traditional IT Managed Service Provider (MSP)
Core Focus
Board alignment, revenue growth, & risk reduction
Helpdesk ticketing & infrastructure uptime
Vendor Independence
Uncompromised client advocacy (no hardware markups)
Reseller commissions & preferred vendor bias
Governance
ISO 27001 ISMS & Cyber Essentials Plus architecture
Basic antivirus & reactive firewall patching
Commercial Model
Predictable fractional advisory retainer
Uncapped hourly project billing & licence reselling

05 — Diagnostic

Executive IT Posture Check

Answer 3 rapid diagnostic questions to assess your organisation's current cybersecurity and governance baseline.

1 Is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) strictly enforced across ALL user accounts and administrative roles?
2 What formal security governance framework does your technology infrastructure align with?
3 Do you have dedicated Virtual CIO or Board-level technology direction guiding your multi-year roadmap?

06 — Leadership

Principal Consultant

A high-impact Technology Executive with a proven track record of transforming Information Technology from a costly operational overhead into a high-margin revenue engine. With over a decade of experience leading enterprise IT operations, Oliver specialises in aligning digital infrastructure with multi-million-pound business growth.

Oliver's background includes advising London Stock Exchange (LSE) listed Boards of Directors on cybersecurity risk and M&A integration, alongside spearheading critical security remediation projects for FTSE 100 Financial Services groups.

Enterprise Background

  • Lead Architect for ISO 27001 & 9001 Certifications
  • Managed IT operations for a £35M manufacturing enterprise
  • Strategic advisory for £30M+ revenue investment groups

Key Accreditations

  • First Class Hons (BSc): Business & Information Systems (University Prize Winner)
  • CMI Level 5 Certificate in Management & Leadership
  • Microsoft 365 Certified & Veeam VMTSP

07 — Engagement

Tailor Your Consultation

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