Engineering Professionals: Insights & Resources

Fractional CTOs in Atlanta Making Things Happen

Ryan Stevens
April 6, 2025
All Insights
Engineering Professionals: Insights & Resources

Fractional CTOs in Atlanta Making Things Happen in 2025

Atlanta Interim Chief Technology Officers to Know

Atlanta isn’t just the business capital of the South—it’s one of the most versatile, rapidly scaling tech ecosystems in the country. From global fintech brands and health systems to upstart SaaS firms and VC-backed consumer platforms, the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell metro is home to thousands of businesses working through a shared challenge: how to grow technical capacity without prematurely hiring full-time executives.

The answer? Fractional CTOs.

Fractional or interim Chief Technology Officers are helping Atlanta-area companies mature their tech infrastructure, launch digital products, mentor engineering teams, and guide product–tech strategy—all while aligning with current budgets and future growth.

At Digital Reference, we’ve vetted and curated a list of Atlanta-based fractional CTOs who aren’t just writing code—they’re writing the next chapter of technical leadership in the Southeast.

Our Methodology: How We Select Fractional CTOs

Every professional included in this list has been selected based on Digital Reference’s vetting framework:

✅ Publicly positioned as a fractional, interim, or embedded CTO
✅ Actively serving companies in the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell region
✅ Demonstrated experience scaling platforms, teams, or engineering orgs
✅ Public LinkedIn or company profile available
✅ Alignment with our core values: execution, trust, referenceable delivery

We highlight operators—not consultants—who build systems, not just slides.

Atlanta Fractional CTOs to Know

🔹 Paul McRae

Fractional CTO | HealthTech Advisor | Technical Founder
Paul McRae blends a background in software engineering with deep expertise in healthcare and clinical systems. As a fractional CTO, he partners with medtech startups, hospital innovation teams, and digital health product companies to design HIPAA-compliant, scalable platforms. He’s especially effective when companies are navigating regulatory complexity alongside growth.

🔍 Specialties: Healthcare platforms, interoperability, scaling healthtech teams
📍 Based in: Atlanta, GA

🔹 Nick Sally

Fractional CTO | SaaS Platform Strategist | Tech Due Diligence Advisor
Nick is an Atlanta-based fractional CTO who works with high-growth SaaS and fintech companies to re-architect platforms, assess tech readiness for funding, and scale engineering operations. He’s often brought in post-Seed or Series A to align technology strategy with go-to-market objectives and investor expectations.

🔍 Specialties: SaaS systems, founder coaching, investor readiness
📍 Based in: Atlanta, GA

🔹 Ben Plummer

Fractional CTO | Enterprise Systems Leader | Growth-Stage Technologist
Ben has led engineering and IT strategy for both fast-scaling startups and Fortune 500 companies. He now operates as a fractional CTO for mid-market businesses in the Southeast, helping them modernize systems, rebuild dev teams, and implement secure, scalable cloud solutions. He’s known for his cross-functional fluency and calm leadership style.

🔍 Specialties: DevOps, cloud architecture, team development
📍 Based in: Atlanta, GA

Why Atlanta Companies Are Going Fractional at the CTO Level

In a market that blends deep corporate roots with high-energy innovation, the fractional executive model is taking off. Startups are growing faster than they can hire, and enterprise spinouts are seeking product speed without bureaucratic drag. Across industries, companies in Atlanta are turning to fractional CTOs when:

  • 🧠 They’ve outgrown agency-built MVPs and need in-house technical maturity

  • 📈 They’re scaling past 20–50 employees and need better architecture

  • 🧱 Their CTO role is vacant, or their founding engineer needs a strategic partner

  • 🔍 They’re preparing for due diligence or regulatory milestones

  • 🔄 They’re pivoting or integrating after acquisition

Fractional CTOs offer strategic firepower without a full-time commitment, allowing teams to move quickly while building toward scale.

What Makes These Leaders Stand Out

The CTOs featured here bring more than just code reviews. They offer:

✅ Strategic advisory and day-to-day operational guidance
✅ Experience with high-growth cycles and tech due diligence
✅ Ability to work with founders, boards, product leads, and investors
✅ Trusted references and repeat engagements
✅ A clear, proven value to growing teams

Whether you’re rebuilding a platform or launching one for the first time, these are the people Atlanta companies trust to make technology an asset, not a blocker.

Related Reading from Digital Reference

📘 How to Hire a Fractional Executive
A practical guide for founders and operators navigating interim leadership.

📍 The Importance of Professional References
Explore why third-party credibility is more critical than ever in today’s trust-driven hiring market.

📍 Find Local Fractional CTOs & Chief Technology Officers Near Me
Explore why third-party credibility is more critical than ever in today’s trust-driven hiring market.

📘 Collecting Professional References: The Dos and Don’ts
References are often the make-or-break element of your next opportunity. Yet many professionals still treat the reference process as an afterthought or, worse, scramble to collect them last minute.

📗 The Talent Ecosystem: Why Fractional Operators Are Reshaping the C-Suite
Explore the structural shifts behind the rise of fractional leadership and what it means for your next hire.

Final Word: Fractional CTOs Are Powering the Next Chapter of Atlanta Tech

In a city that’s home to billion-dollar brands and billion-dollar ideas, technical leadership is the multiplier. But not every company is ready to make a full-time hire—or should.

Fractional CTOs like Paul McRae, Nick Sally, and Ben Plummer are stepping in to provide that critical leadership when it’s needed most: during inflection points, scale moments, and high-stakes transitions.

They’re not here to audit—they’re here to help you build.
Faster. Smarter. With confidence.

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