Hi, I'm a Virtual CTO in Sydney, Australia.
I'm Sam Halcrow. I lead the technology function inside your business, taking full accountability for where your technology goes and how it gets there. Get 30 recommendations from me at no cost.
16+ yrs
Leading technology initiatives
253
Companies I’ve stepped into
1M+
Engineering hours under my leadership
Send me a message
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Sam will get back to you personally, usually within one business day. If it's urgent, call 0431 197 004.
WHY YOU WOULD NEED A FRACTIONAL CTO
Most Sydney companies searching for a virtual CTO need one thing: someone accountable for the technology.
A virtual CTO offers technical leadership, roadmap ownership, team and vendor management, but operates primarily remotely rather than on-site.
Most companies hire a virtual CTO because they need an experienced, accountable technical leader without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire, and because the right person doesn't need to be in the office every day to lead the function properly.
Sam Halcrow has filled that role for 253 companies across infrastructure, SaaS, enterprise transformation, and startups over 16 years. He leads every engagement personally and brings a 26-strong engineering team across software, AI, cloud, and security when the work needs one.
Clients
253 companies have trusted me with their technology
WHAT I DO
These are the gaps I fill as a Virtual CTO
- Someone accountable for your tech
- I own the technical direction of your organisation and take accountability for it.
- The right expertise for your business
- I've been inside 253 tech projects. I know what's about to go wrong before it does.
- A leader your team and vendors can work with
- I run your engineering function. I manage your existing tech team and partners.
- Someone who speaks both languages
- I speak business terms with your leadership and technical terms with your engineers.
Video testimonials
Hear from the companies I'm currently Virtual CTO at
Angela Bevitt-Parr
National Marketing Manager
AWS Australia
Tim Buric
Chief Technology Officer
Agilyx & MUNIvers
Kelvin Kenney
Chief Executive Officer
Bow Wow Meow
"Sam and his team injected innovation back into our environment to reconstruct what we had and gear it up for the future."
Angela Bevitt-Parr
National Marketing Manager, AWS Australia
"Sam and his team took the time to understand our business and knew all the tech we needed… They act as an extension of our team."
Rouad El-Ayoubi
Managing Director, Alliance Project Group
"What I liked about [working with Halcrow] was that there was a lot of experience brought in. It was the breadth of experience that gave me some certainty that we were on the right path."
Tim Buric
Chief Technology Officer, Agilyx & MUNIvers
RESULTS
Here's a snapshot of some big wins I achieved
ACCIONA
I led the software team on the Western Harbour Tunnel project, capturing and storing 13km of precision engineering data
Read more ->
AGILYX
I helped the tech team mature product engineering processes for a product serving 41,000+ people
Read more ->
BOVARA
I led the technical build of purpose-built software powering a new EV parking network across NSW
Read more ->
Results
Outcomes I've achieved for companies like yours
45%
Sprint variance at 45%. Salesforce migration stalling. First on-time delivery in 18 months.
70%
Field crew productivity — Acciona Western Harbour Tunnel 7 years inside a 7km tunnel. Zero surprises.
35%
Bow Wow Meow +35% CTR increase — first A/B test, Bow Wow Meow From 6–8 weeks per test to 5 days
5 mths
Bovara Time to market — Bovara EV charging platform vs. 12–18 months typical for a custom build. 30 stations live at launch.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What are the signs my business needs a virtual CTO?
Common triggers: technical decisions are having consequences nobody in the room can properly evaluate, an engineering team lacks senior direction, a fundraise or technical due diligence is coming up, or the business has outgrown ad hoc technical decision-making but isn't ready for a full-time executive.
How is this different from hiring a full-time CTO?
A full-time CTO is one person dedicated entirely to your business, usually at $250k-$450k a year once everything is factored in. A virtual CTO gives you the same level of decision-making and accountability, but for a set number of days a month, at a fraction of the cost.
Is a virtual CTO different from an interim CTO?
Yes. An interim CTO is a temporary, usually full-time placement, brought in while a business searches for a permanent hire. A virtual CTO is an ongoing, remote part-time arrangement that can run for years, not a stopgap.
What kinds of organisations do you typically work with?
Any organisation that is making significant technology decisions and needs someone senior enough to make them well. Some have engineering teams already, some don't. Some are mid-project, some are just starting. The common thread is they need a technical leader who's accountable for the outcome.
What happens if we already have an in-house engineering team or a vendor?
I work closely with them, setting direction and checking that decisions and delivery are sound. If you don't have an engineering team in place, I can bring my own team of engineers to fill that gap rather than leaving you to hire and manage one separately.
TALK TO ME
Let's talk about your technology gaps
Whether you’ve got a clear problem or are concerned about what you don't know, I’m always happy to have a conversation with business leaders and share my thoughts and insights.
Send me a message
Thanks — your message is on its way.
Sam will get back to you personally, usually within one business day. If it's urgent, call 0431 197 004.
Screened personally. You'll only get one reply from me, no newsletter or email sequence.