Current-source comparison · Checked November 3, 2026
A fractional Chief AI Officer from Suede AI is Jason Colapietro owning your AI roadmap, vendor decisions and build leadership on a monthly retainer, with the first working AI system in production within 90 days or the first 90 days of retainer refunded. A full-time Chief AI Officer at a mid-market company carries a $280,000 to $400,000 base salary in 2026 and a retained search of four to six months, according to the recruiting firm KORE1.
Competitor figures are as of November 2026 and link to the page they were read from.
| Dimension | Fractional Chief AI Officer | A full-time Chief AI Officer |
|---|---|---|
| Cost structure | A monthly retainer quoted case by case after a scoping call, starting with a paid AI Roadmap Session whose fee credits in full when a Builder or Embedded retainer starts within 90 days. | KORE1 puts 2026 US base salaries at $280,000 to $650,000, with mid-market roles at $280,000 to $400,000, and says base may be less than half of the full package once equity and bonuses are added. KORE1 Chief AI Officer Salary Guide 2026 (updated August 6, 2026) · Checked November 3, 2026 |
| Recruiting cost | No search fee. You apply or book a call and scope the engagement. | KORE1 says retained executive search fees run 28% to 33% of first-year cash compensation. KORE1 Chief AI Officer Salary Guide 2026 (updated August 6, 2026) · Checked November 3, 2026 |
| Time to start | The AI Roadmap Session is a one-day on-site working session that ends with a written 12-month plan and a ranked opportunity list. | KORE1 says retained searches for the role run four to six months from kickoff to signed offer. KORE1 Chief AI Officer Salary Guide 2026 (updated August 6, 2026) · Checked November 3, 2026 |
Suede AI column: Suede AI fractional Chief AI Officer · Suede AI pricing
Where Suede AI leads
A fractional Chief AI Officer from Suede AI starts with a one-day AI Roadmap Session and leads the first build personally. The first production AI system goes live within 90 days, or the first 90 days of retainer are refunded. Your team gives one to two hours a week from a single internal owner, usually a COO, CFO or VP.
Three retainers. Advisory is strategy and senior judgment. Builder adds hands-on build leadership on up to two active projects, the full AI Roadmap Session, and the Suede AI agent stack. Embedded makes Jason Colapietro your acting Chief AI Officer with a weekly seat at your leadership table. Engagements fit B2B companies with $50 million to $500 million in revenue, and Jason takes three active clients at a time.
KORE1, an executive recruiting firm that discloses it earns placement fees on these hires, puts US base salaries at $280,000 to $650,000 in 2026 and mid-market roles at $280,000 to $400,000. It estimates retained search fees at 28% to 33% of first-year cash compensation and four to six months from kickoff to signed offer.
KORE1 Chief AI Officer Salary Guide 2026 (updated August 6, 2026) · Checked November 3, 2026A fractional retainer runs at a fraction of the fully loaded cost of a full-time AI executive, with no recruiting fee and no long-term compensation commitment. KORE1 puts 2026 mid-market Chief AI Officer base salaries at $280,000 to $400,000 before equity and bonuses.
This month. Engagements open with a one-day AI Roadmap Session, and the first working AI system is in production within 90 days or the first 90 days of retainer are refunded. KORE1 says a retained search for a full-time Chief AI Officer runs four to six months.
Jason Colapietro, founder and CEO of Suede AI, based in West Palm Beach, Florida. He works on site across South Florida and the United States and remotely with companies anywhere.
Yes. The Embedded retainer includes team training and internal capability building, and the written 12-month plan from the AI Roadmap Session is yours to keep.
This comparison reads each provider's public pricing and product pages, checked on the date shown beside every claim. No private account, checkout or review data was used.
