Data Strategy Doesn’t Work Without Sound Architecture. I Deliver Both.

Fractional CDO for mid-market companies ($50M - $200M). I bridge the gap between Boardroom Strategy and Technical Execution to turn data into working capital.

View Case Studies How I Work
Ara Ramalingam

Growth Breaks Weak Systems.

You have invested in software, but you still don’t have answers.

The "Black Box" Margin

You can’t calculate true profitability (Contribution Margin) in real-time because your ERP, Ad data, and Inventory sit in silos.

The AI "FOMO" Trap

You are under pressure to "adopt AI," but your legacy infrastructure and unstructured data guarantee any pilot will fail.

Technical Debt

Your team is spending 80% of their time fixing broken integrations and manual reporting, leaving 0% for innovation.

I Don't Just Write Slides.
I Architect the Solution.

Most consultants give you a roadmap and leave. Most CTOs build technology without understanding the P&L.

With a background in Enterprise Architecture and CTO roles, I speak three languages:

  • The Boardroom I align data strategy with EBITDA and Valuation.
  • The Engine Room I design the cloud infrastructure (AWS/Azure) to support the vision.
  • The Execution I oversee your team to ensure the build matches the blueprint.
My Operating Model
Strategy Diagram

How We Work Together

The Entry Point

The Data Architecture & Strategy Audit

A high-impact, low-risk engagement to map your technical debt and build an execution roadmap.

  • Timeline: 2 Weeks (Fixed Fee)
  • Deliverable: Architecture Map & Risk Roadmap
Book an Audit Call
Ongoing Partnership

Fractional CDO / Architect

I join your leadership team fractionally to oversee the execution of the roadmap and manage vendors.

  • Commitment: 1-2 Days / Week
  • Role: Engineering Oversight & Board Advisory
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Recent Impact

E-Commerce ($75M Rev)

From "Spreadsheet Hell" to Real-Time Profit

Challenge: Inventory latency causing overselling; blind on contribution margin.
Solution: Designed Modern Data Stack (Snowflake/Fivetran); replaced Zapier with webhooks.
Result: 15% Net Margin Increase via real-time ad spend optimization.

Manufacturing ($120M Rev)

Unified Namespace for AI Readiness

Challenge: Data trapped in legacy historians; stalled AI pilot.
Solution: Architected an Industrial DataOps layer to feed predictive models.
Result: Saved $500k in wasted vendor fees; successfully deployed predictive maintenance.

The Architect in the Boardroom

I believe that a Data Strategy is only as good as the Architecture built to support it.

In the world of mid-market business, there is a dangerous disconnect. Leaders in the Boardroom are asking for "AI" and "Real-time Profitability." Meanwhile, the Engine Room is struggling with legacy technical debt and "spaghetti" code.

I exist to bridge that gap.

I am Ara Ramalingam. For the past years, I have operated at the intersection of Enterprise Strategy and Technical Execution. My career didn't start with slide decks. It started with code, cloud infrastructure, and complex system design.

I transitioned into CTO and CDO roles when I realized that most companies didn't need more software; they needed better design. They needed someone who could look at a P&L statement and understand exactly which API or database schema was blocking the revenue growth.

Ara Ramalingam
Fractional CDO | Enterprise Architect