Turn Data Chaos into Profitable Growth
Everything you could ever need to complete your next project on time and within your budget.I’m César Zea, a Fractional CTO who couples 34 years of hands-on coding, planning, bidding, managing, and software design with board-level strategy. Whether building a Data & AI division from scratch for a global consultancy or rescuing high-risk projects for governments and enterprises across Europe and North America, I deliver battle-tested solutions, not theory
AI & Software Divisions Builder
Built and led revenue-driving Data & AI divisions on three continents.
Timeline Rescued High-Stakes Projects
Rescued $MM projects for brands like Hitachi Energy, IDERA & Telepizza, and many others.
34 Years of Proven Tech Leadership
Bridging C-Suite strategy with hands-on software engineering expertise.








Solutions for Your Toughest Challenges
With over 34 years of experience, I transform data chaos into profitable growth and sustainable innovation. My strategic leadership and hands-on engineering ensure comprehensive, successful solutions tailored to your unique challenges. Choose proven expertise to not only architect your technological future but also to build a robust foundation for long-term success.
Audit & Resource
AI Project TurnaroundStabilise failing initiatives in 60 days
Rescue at-risk AI & Software projects. I stabilize failing initiatives, identifying and resolving key issues. Achieve a successful turnaround in just 60 days, securing your investment.
Fractional AI/CTO
Board-Level Tech LeadershipStrategy & execution
Gain strategic, board-level technology leadership for your business. Drive your AI strategy and execution without the burden of a full-time CTO. Access top-tier expertise with confidence.
Technical Due-Diligence
Investor Risk RadarDe-risk deals in under 3 weeks
Minimize investor risk with a comprehensive technical assessment. I identify vulnerabilities and opportunities in technology deals. Gain deep insights and de-risk your investments in under 3 weeks
Featured Case Study
Building a World-Class AI Department From Scratch
The Challenge
Celestial Systems, a global technology consultancy, identified a critical need to establish a world-class Data & AI practice to meet surging market demand and secure a leadership position in the industry. The challenge was immense: to build a completely new, high-growth business unit from scratch. This required a 360-degree leader capable of architecting not just the technology, but the entire commercial, strategic, and operational engine to drive its success.
My Role & The Strategy Applied
As the Principal Architect and single point of accountability for the Data & AI division, I was entrusted with transforming this vision into a profitable reality. My role was unique, blending senior executive strategy with deep, hands-on technical execution. I designed and implemented a multi-pronged strategy:
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Organizational Design & Talent Acquisition: I began by architecting the division's entire organizational blueprint. This involved identifying critical skill gaps and authoring a comprehensive strategic hiring plan that secured executive approval to recruit the professionals. I then led the talent acquisition process, personally interviewing and selecting the talent needed to build multiple high-performance teams from scratch.
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Commercial & Pre-Sales Leadership: I built and drove the division's commercial engine. I actively led the pre-sales pipeline, collaborating daily with the sales team to evangelize our capabilities to clients. I personally architected, wrote, and approved every technical proposal and Statement of Work (SOW), ensuring each engagement was structured for both technical excellence and commercial profitability.
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Technical Enablement & Innovation: To cultivate deep in-house expertise, I established specialized "Centers of Excellence" for key platforms, including Dataiku, Microsoft Fabric, Snowflake, and Databricks. I designed the division's technical training programs, led hands-on workshops, and mentored teams in the development of cutting-edge POCs for RAG, LLMs, and advanced machine learning solutions.
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Executive Alignment & Delivery Ownership: I served as the primary liaison between the engineering division, the commercial teams, and the executive steering committee. Through near-daily collaboration, I ensured our technical roadmap was perfectly aligned with corporate goals. I held full, end-to-end ownership of the delivery pipeline, guaranteeing the successful execution of all production work, maintaining the highest standards of quality, and ensuring complete client satisfaction.
Results & Business Impact
My leadership transformed a strategic directive into one of the company's most valuable assets. The results were clear, measurable, and impactful:
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Established a New High-Growth Business Unit: Successfully built a fully functional and highly profitable Data & AI department. This new division became a primary engine for revenue growth and strategic positioning for the entire company.
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Scaled a Global, High-Performance Team: Recruited, trained, and mentored a world-class, multi-disciplinary team, transforming a group of individual hires into a cohesive, highly effective, and profitable production unit.
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Proven Commercial Success: The division's robust pre-sales and delivery process, which I designed and led, resulted in successfully securing and delivering high-profile, high-margin projects for world-class clients like Hitachi Energy and IDERA, Inc.
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Cultivated Deep In-House Expertise: Built a powerful internal R&D capability and fostered a culture of continuous learning. This enabled the rapid development of sophisticated, cutting-edge solutions that set Celestial Systems apart from its competitors.
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