Technology has become a board-level issue for accountancy firms and wider financial services organisations.
Firms are under pressure to modernise, improve efficiency, protect sensitive client data, adopt AI responsibly and build systems that can support growth. This can be seen as a twin challenge: technology and regulatory change are accelerating, while firms are also trying to improve efficiency, retain talent and meet rising client expectations.
This is where a virtual Chief Technology Officer, Technology Consultant, or vCTO, can make a significant difference.
Dirk Ewer recently joined T-Tech as a Technology Consultant, delivering Virtual CTO services and strategic technology consultancy to clients across the accountancy, asset management and financial services sectors. With more than a decade of experience across managed services, cybersecurity, technical account management and strategic client leadership, Dirk helps organisations connect business goals with the technology decisions that support them.
Dirk joins an established CTO practice at T-Tech. For several years, Daniel Teacher, CEO of T-Tech, and Jacob Benouaich, Technology Consultant, have been working with organisations to align technology strategy with business growth, lead complex transformation projects and help firms navigate the challenges that come with scaling successfully. Dirk now works alongside them, adding further expertise and capacity as demand for strategic technology leadership continues to grow.
Commenting on Dirk's arrival, Daniel Teacher said: "We're thrilled to have Dirk join the team. As more organisations look for strategic technology guidance alongside day-to-day IT support, it's important that we continue to invest in the right people. Dirk brings a wealth of experience and will play a key role in supporting our clients as they scale and evolve. While the CTO service is already a well-established part of what we do, his addition strengthens our ability to deliver even greater value to the businesses we work with."
As Dirk puts it, the role is about "taking business objectives and turning them into technical roadmaps that actually move IT maturity forward, rather than IT sitting as a cost line disconnected from what the business is trying to achieve".
A vCTO gives firms access to senior technology leadership without the commitment of hiring a full-time Chief Technology Officer. Also, providing strategic technology guidance, regular guidance sessions, technology decision support and reporting to leadership.
For Professional Service firms, that means having someone at leadership level who can challenge, advise and guide technology decisions in the context of growth, client service, cyber security, AI adoption and operational efficiency.
Dirk explains the purpose clearly: “The job of the CTO is to make sure that the business is extracting maximum value from the organisation’s technology investments.” That value comes from making IT investment a priority, reducing technical debt, lowering risk and ensuring technology enables the business rather than holding it back.
Many firms still make technology decisions reactively. A system slows down, a department buys a tool, a cyber concern appears, or a client demand creates pressure to act quickly. The result is often a patchwork of applications, processes and workarounds.
A vCTO helps firms move from ad hoc purchasing to a structured roadmap. That roadmap should support the firm’s commercial direction, whether the objective is organic growth, acquisition, sale readiness, service line expansion or better client experience.
Dirk is clear that firms need to start with their business objectives: “Technology leadership needs to align to business objectives.” Without that alignment, it becomes difficult to prioritise investment, understand risk or decide which initiatives should come first.
Senior leaders are expected to make decisions about cyber security, cloud platforms, Microsoft 365, AI, automation, practice management systems and data. Not every firm has the internal capacity or specialist expertise to assess those decisions properly.
A vCTO brings technology knowledge into leadership discussions. This is especially useful for firms without a dedicated in-house IT Director or CTO, or for firms whose internal teams are focused on day-to-day delivery.
Dirk also points to the benefit of a fractional model. Rather than relying on one full-time hire, clients can access technology leadership in a flexible way, often one or two days a week, while also drawing on wider subject matter expertise through T-Tech
Growth creates pressure on technology. New employees need secure access to systems. New offices need connectivity and collaboration tools. Acquisitions need integration planning. New service lines need applications, workflows and reporting that can scale.
T-Tech’s research shows that mid-market firms are focusing on improving current tooling, onboarding tools such as AML and KYC, AI and Microsoft 365, while PE-backed and consolidator firms are focused on integrating acquisitions, standardising technology stacks and common financial platforms
A vCTO helps firms plan for this growth before technology becomes a blocker. That includes roadmaps, budget planning, governance, application selection and technology due diligence, all areas covered within T-Tech’s Consultancy & Strategic Technology services
For accountancy and financial services firms, cyber security is not only an IT issue, it is a client trust, regulatory and reputational issue. Dirk frames technology value in three connected parts: risk, productivity and cost. “Value equals mitigating risk, driving up productivity, and then controlling and optimising cost,” he explains
One of the biggest shifts Dirk sees is identity security. In a cloud and hybrid working world, the old idea of the office firewall protecting everything no longer reflects how people work. “Identity is the new firewall,” Dirk says.
That means firms need to take account security seriously, including identity and access management, conditional access policies and multi-factor authentication. T-Tech’s managed security services also include identity security, conditional access policy management, MFA for Microsoft 365, Microsoft Secure Score reviews and identity management reviews.
Accountancy firms do not necessarily need more technology. Often, they need better use of the technology they already have. T-Tech’s Accountancy Tech Stack Survey found that 72% of firms said routine tasks still were not automated, 61% said their practice management system did not integrate well, and only 17% said their apps worked together effectively.
AI is adding a new layer to this challenge. Dirk sees many firms wanting to adopt AI, but without the strategy, governance or policy needed to do it safely. “They don’t have an AI strategy or a policy,” he says, warning that this can lead to “a lot of shadow AI” and the use of unsanctioned apps or personal accounts for company information.
A vCTO can help firms identify where AI, automation and better data flow can improve productivity, while also putting the right controls in place.
A full-time CTO may not be the right fit for every firm. Some organisations need strategic technology leadership for a particular growth phase, acquisition, transformation project or maturity improvement programme. Others need ongoing support, but not five days a week.
A vCTO gives firms access to senior leadership in a flexible way. Dirk describes the fractional model as more cost efficient, more flexible and more agile for organisations, particularly when they need leadership for a period of change rather than a permanent C-suite hire.
Cost optimisation is also part of the role itself. A vCTO helps firms understand where money is being spent, whether licences are being used properly, whether cloud costs are aligned to future plans, and whether investment is being prioritised in the right areas.
One of the most common ways firms waste time and money is by selecting a solution before they fully understand what they need it to do.
Dirk’s advice is: “You don’t start with the tool, you start with the requirements.” Before choosing a new system, firms need to understand workflows, data flow, departmental needs, user access and how information will be shared
That is where a vCTO can provide structure, challenge and commercial perspective. When evaluating technology, it is important to consider how well it aligns with the firm’s goals, supports productivity, protects data and grows alongside the business.
For accountancy firms and financial services organisations, technology decisions now shape client confidence, employee productivity, risk exposure and future growth. A vCTO gives leadership teams the strategic guidance to make those decisions with clarity.
For firms that know technology needs to play a bigger role in their future, but are unsure where to start, a vCTO can provide the leadership, structure and direction needed to move forward with confidence.
We'd be happy to discuss your challenges and explore how strategic technology leadership could help your organisation move forward, contact T-Tech today.