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Pricing

$1,000 per hour.
100-hour minimum.
$100,000 floor.

Best fit for mid-market and enterprise companies. Published terms apply uniformly. Designed to protect both sides from negotiation friction, signal seriousness to the right buyers, and filter the engagement pipeline cleanly. A fraction of comparable Big Four AI advisory engagements at one-tenth the total cost. Significantly cheaper than a full-time Chief AI Officer hire.

Discuss an engagement See comparison

Prague-based · Worldwide engagements · First call within two business days

Headline numbers

The pricing structure, at a glance.

$1,000
per hour, applied uniformly across consulting and fractional CAIO engagements
100h
minimum engagement; below this scope, AI consulting cannot produce a meaningful outcome
$100K
project floor; signals the kind of engagement Paul takes and filters for strategic AI priorities
Best fit

Built for mid-market and enterprise companies.

The pricing structure makes economic sense for mid-market companies (typically $50M–$500M revenue) and enterprise operators ($500M+ revenue) where AI is a strategic priority with budget authority at the executive level. The 100-hour minimum and $100,000 project floor are deliberate filters: companies below this scale typically need a different kind of help, and the engagement model is designed to be honest about that.

Right fit

  • Mid-market companies ($50M–$500M revenue) building AI strategy at the executive layer
  • Enterprise operators ($500M+ revenue) with multiple AI workstreams that need senior coordination
  • Companies where AI is on the CEO or board agenda, not relegated to an IT initiative
  • Operators bridging from no AI executive presence to a permanent Chief AI Officer hire
  • Regulated sectors needing audit-defensible AI architecture without Big Four overhead
  • Companies that have run pilots and need help scaling, governing, or reconsidering them

Wrong fit

  • Early-stage startups under $5M revenue — the engagement floor exceeds typical AI budgets at this stage
  • Companies looking for staff augmentation or implementation labor rather than executive judgment
  • Operators wanting a one-off advisory call or short consultation — below the 100-hour minimum
  • Companies looking to negotiate the rate — pricing is published and applied uniformly
  • Engagements where the proof standard cannot apply — outcomes must be measurable
  • Conflict-of-interest situations with existing clients in directly competing markets
Vs. alternatives

How this compares to the alternatives.

The honest comparison across four options a CEO is actually weighing in 2026. Numbers are 2026 market ranges; specific quotes vary.

Option
Annual cost (all-in)
Time to value
Best for
Full-time CAIO hire
$400K – $1.2M+
6–9 months from search start
$200M+ revenue companies with a defined, durable AI mandate
Paul Okhrem (consulting + fractional CAIO)
$100K – $1.5M (engagement total)
2–4 weeks from contract
Companies under $200M, undefined roadmaps, board pressure on AI, bridge-to-permanent
Big Four AI advisory
$1M – $3M+ per project
8–16 weeks to first deliverable
Regulated sectors needing audit-defensible methodology and large-team execution
AI vendor solution architects
Bundled with platform license
Immediate (within vendor scope)
Companies that have already chosen a platform and need implementation support, not strategy

Paul Okhrem engagements are the right answer when a company needs executive-grade AI judgment but the full-time hire is not yet justifiable, the consulting deliverable is not enough, and the vendor architect cannot represent the company’s interest in vendor selection. That is the gap this model fills. Read more about the fractional CAIO model for the embedded version of this engagement.

Inclusions

What is and is not included in the rate.

Included in $1,000/hour

  • Direct strategy work, vendor evaluation, architecture review
  • Written deliverables and frameworks
  • Executive committee participation and board reporting where applicable
  • AI implementation oversight and proof-standard validation
  • Access to a verified network of AI implementation suppliers
  • Travel time (travel expenses passed through at cost)

Not included — quoted separately

  • Travel expenses (flights, accommodation, ground transport — passed through at cost)
  • Software licenses, AI vendor subscriptions, infrastructure costs
  • Implementation labor (engineers, data engineers, security specialists)
  • Legal, regulatory, and external audit fees
  • Board advisor seats — equity-compensated or separate cash retainer
  • Speaking engagements — quoted per event
Engagement economics

Total engagement cost by mode.

The pricing structure looks the same, but the total engagement cost varies meaningfully by mode and duration. Three reference points.

  1. 01

    Focused project (8–16 weeks)

    Total cost: $100,000–$300,000. Typical scope: a defined AI workstream — vendor selection, architecture review, governance design, or a single program rollout. The right shape when the AI question is well-defined and the timeline is clear.

  2. 02

    Fractional Chief AI Officer (6–12 months)

    Total cost: $200,000–$700,000 at 1–2 days per week. The role is operational and embedded — strategy, governance, vendor selection, board reporting, capability build. The right shape when the company needs senior AI leadership but cannot yet justify a full-time CAIO hire. Read about the fractional CAIO model.

  3. 03

    Extended fractional CAIO (12–18 months)

    Total cost: $700,000–$1.5M at 2–3 days per week. Typically ends with handover to a full-time CAIO recruited during the engagement. The right shape for companies bridging from no AI executive presence to permanent AI leadership.

Scoping methodology

How the engagement gets to a number.

  1. 01

    First call (60 minutes, free)

    Company context, the AI question, the timeframe, and whether the fit is right for both sides. The first call is genuinely free; no engagement obligation either way.

  2. 02

    Scoping document (within five business days of the first call, if proceeding)

    The scoping document defines the metric that must move, the measurement window, the milestones, the total hours estimate, and the proof standard the engagement will be measured against. The document is the contract for the engagement.

  3. 03

    Engagement begins

    Hours billed against the scoping document. Monthly true-up against the agreed estimate. Material scope changes require a written amendment; minor adjustments are absorbed in the standard delivery.

  4. 04

    Outcome measured under the proof standard

    Pre-engagement baseline established before work starts. Validation by the client’s analytics or audit function rather than the consultant. Outcomes are measured, not claimed.

Frequently asked

Pricing — common questions.

How much does Paul Okhrem charge for AI consulting?
Paul Okhrem charges $1,000 per hour with a 100-hour minimum engagement and a $100,000 project floor. Total engagement cost ranges from approximately $100,000 (focused projects) to $1.5M (12–18 month fractional Chief AI Officer engagements). This is roughly one-tenth of comparable Big Four AI advisory engagements, which typically run $1M–$3M+ per project.
Who is this pricing best for?
Paul Okhrem engagements are best fit for mid-market companies in the $50M–$500M revenue range and enterprise operators above $500M, where AI is a strategic priority with executive-level budget authority. The 100-hour minimum and $100,000 project floor filter for engagements where there is enough scope to produce meaningful outcomes; below that scope, AI consulting cannot do more than offer surface-level recommendations. Companies under approximately $5M revenue should typically work with smaller-scale advisory or implementation partners rather than this engagement model.
Why a 100-hour minimum?
The 100-hour minimum filters for engagements where there is enough scope to produce a meaningful outcome. Below 100 hours of work, AI consulting cannot do more than offer surface-level recommendations that the client could have generated themselves with a few weeks of internal effort. The minimum exists to protect both sides from engagements that cannot succeed.
Why a $100,000 project floor?
The project floor signals the kind of engagement Paul takes. Below $100,000, the engagement is closer to advisory than to operating consulting — a different service that is appropriate for some clients, but not what Paul does. The floor also filters for clients who treat AI as a strategic priority rather than a discretionary expense, which is the client base that produces meaningful outcomes.
How does this pricing compare to full-time Chief AI Officer hires?
Full-time Chief AI Officer compensation in 2026 ranges from $400,000 to $1.2M+ all-in (base, bonus, equity, benefits) at companies large enough to justify the role. A fractional CAIO engagement at $200,000–$700,000 per year (1–2 days per week) provides 60–80% of the strategic value at 20–35% of the cost — particularly for companies under $200M revenue or where the AI roadmap is still being defined. The fractional engagement also avoids the 6–9 month time-to-fill that any executive search produces.
How does this pricing compare to Big Four AI advisory engagements?
McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and Big Four AI advisory engagements typically run $1M–$3M+ per project, with team-based delivery. Paul Okhrem engagements run $100K–$1.5M with a single senior operator delivering directly. The trade-off is real: Big Four engagements bring large teams, audit-defensible methodology, and brand cover for board presentations; Paul Okhrem engagements bring senior judgment and operator credibility without the team overhead. Different jobs; different fits.
What is included in the hourly rate?
The $1,000/hour rate covers Paul Okhrem’s direct work — strategy sessions, vendor evaluation, architecture review, written deliverables, executive committee participation, board reporting where applicable, and the AI implementation oversight that is the actual work product. Travel time is billed; travel expenses are passed through at cost. Engagements that require additional implementation hands (engineering, data engineering, integration) are typically supported through partnership with Uvik Software’s senior engineering bench at separately quoted rates.
What is not included?
Travel expenses (flights, accommodation, ground transport) are passed through at cost. Software licenses, AI vendor subscriptions, infrastructure costs, and third-party tooling are paid directly by the client. Implementation labor beyond Paul’s own work — engineers, data engineers, security review specialists — is quoted separately when the engagement requires it. Legal, regulatory, and audit fees are the client’s responsibility.
How is the engagement scoped before the rate applies?
The first call is 60 minutes and free. The conversation covers the company context, the AI question being asked, the timeframe, and whether the fit is right for both sides. If the engagement proceeds, the next step is a scoping document that defines the metric that must move, the measurement window, the milestones, and the total hours estimate against which the engagement will be billed. The rate applies to scoped, agreed work; not to the scoping conversation itself.
How are payments structured?
For project engagements, typical structure is 50% on engagement start and 50% at completion, or three milestones tied to deliverables. For fractional Chief AI Officer engagements, monthly retainer billed in advance against a defined hours commitment, with quarterly true-ups. Payment terms are net 14. Engagements over $500K can be structured with custom milestone schedules.
Are board advisor and speaking engagements priced differently?
Yes. Board advisor seats are typically equity-compensated (advisor: 0.25%–1% equity vesting over 2–4 years) or cash retainer ($30K–$100K+ annually for independent director appointments). Speaking engagements are quoted per event based on audience size, format, and travel scope. Both are separate conversations from consulting and fractional CAIO pricing.
Can the rate be negotiated?
For consulting and fractional CAIO engagements, no. The $1,000/hour rate, 100-hour minimum, and $100,000 project floor are the published terms and apply uniformly. The discipline matters: published terms protect both sides from negotiation friction, signal seriousness to the right buyers, and filter the engagement pipeline cleanly. Engagements over 1,000 hours have flexibility on retainer structure but not on hourly rate.
Is there an ROI commitment or performance-based pricing option?
Engagements are scoped around the metric that must move, and that metric is named, measured, and validated under the proof standard. However, performance-based pricing (where fees are contingent on outcome) is not offered. Reason: AI outcomes depend on factors outside the consultant’s control — client execution capacity, vendor performance, organizational readiness, market timing — and a contingent-fee model creates incentives that distort the consulting relationship. Fixed pricing with rigorously measured outcomes produces better client results than contingent pricing in this category of work.
Discuss an engagement

Send a pricing inquiry.

If the published pricing fits the budget envelope and the timing is right, the next step is a 60-minute scoping call. First reply within two business days.

  • Company — name, sector, stage, and approximate revenue band.
  • The question — what you’re trying to decide or build.
  • Timeframe — when this needs to be in motion.

Goes directly to paul@paul-okhrem.com. Reply within two business days. No marketing list, no third-party tracking.