CRAIG BARBIERI
Technology Strategy for AEC Firms
Fractional CTO · Digital Practice Strategy · AI Adoption
Start a Conversation →Unsure how to strategize for AI? Scroll to find out ↓
Technology strategist who delivers
what AEC firms actually need.
Craig Barbieri is a technology strategist and fractional CTO who helps architecture, engineering, and construction firms align technology with their business goals.
That work requires someone who has operated at every level of the problem. Over 19 years in senior technology roles, at firms ranging from 50 to 1,500+ people, Craig has guided AEC organizations through every major technology transition the industry has faced: CAD to BIM, BIM to Cloud, Cloud to AI. Most recently, as de facto CTO of a large national AE firm in the United States, he held full budget authority, managed vendor relationships, and delivered 18 major initiatives that measurably changed how the firm operates.
He has earned the trust of firm leadership from the inside, navigating the competing priorities of design culture, project delivery, and long-term growth.
He's done the job. Not consulted on it from the outside — done it.
Craig founded this practice for firms at a specific moment in their growth: organizations that have outgrown informal technology management and are ready for the kind of sustained, strategic leadership that drives real results. He brings the architectural background, the business fluency, and the implementation experience to step into that role at the scale and pace each firm requires.
If your technology decisions are being made by default instead of by design, that's the conversation worth having.
Engagement Models
Three primary ways to work together — from targeted advisory to full embedded leadership. Engagements are selective and limited to a small number of concurrent partnerships to ensure depth, availability, and executive focus.
Strategic Advisory
Designed for leadership teams who require technology strategy, AI governance, and digital roadmap alignment without day-to-day operational oversight.
- AI Governance and policy advisory
- Board & C-suite technology strategy
- Technology roadmap development
- Vendor evaluation & selection
- AI readiness assessment
Ideal for firms that need strategic guidance but have internal execution capacity.
Operating Leadership
Designed for firms undergoing platform migration, AI rollout, operational restructuring, or digital modernization requiring embedded leadership.
- Implementation accountability
- Direct oversight of technology initiatives
- Platform migration leadership
- Team mentoring & development
- Cross-functional coordination
Ideal for firms in active transition needing a working technology leader.
Embedded Executive
Designed for firms that require senior-level ownership of technology strategy, budget, risk management, and execution but do not require or are not ready for a full-time CTO.
- Acting CTO role
- Full vendor and platform ownership
- Budget planning and oversight
- Team leadership & hiring
- Strategic + operational execution
Ideal for firms that need a CTO but not full-time.
Fixed-Fee Engagements
Technology & Digital Practice Assessment
______________
Comprehensive evaluation of current technology stack, workflows, governance, risk exposure, and digital maturity. Includes a prioritized roadmap with 90-day, 6-month, and 12-month milestones.
BIM Governance Reset
______________
Audit and restructuring of your BIM standards, templates, and governance framework. Establishes clear ownership, quality gates, and training pathways.
Collaboration Platform Operating Model
______________
Migration strategy and operating model for cloud collaboration platforms (ACC, Egnyte, SharePoint). Covers data architecture, folder structures, permissions, and adoption rollout.
Independent third-party assessments help surface hard truths, reduce internal bias, and give executives the confidence to act with broad organizational support.
Proven at Scale
Selected initiatives from Craig’s 19 years of AEC technology leadership.
Large US AE firm · $60M+ annual
AI Visualization Pipeline
Introduced generative AI tools that replaced outsourced architectural rendering while keeping creative authorship intact. Established the firm’s first AI visualization workflow — a model for how AI augments rather than replaces design professionals.
Multiple Large US AE firm · 100-500+ employees
LIDAR Scanning Service Launch
Built internal LIDAR scanning capabilities from scratch, eliminating outsourcing dependency and creating a new revenue-generating service line for firms.
Large US Architecture firm · $57M+ annual
Enabling Firm Scaling through Digital Practice
Engaged by a $57M+ annual design firm to evaluate and realign its Digital Practice. Delivered a confidential executive assessment and phased roadmap addressing BIM governance, template strategy, staffing structure, and contractual risk to support scalable modernization.
Large US AE firm · 400+ employees
ECO Sustainability Tracking App
Designed and built a custom Azure-based sustainability tracking application for AIA 2030, SE 2050, and MEP 2040 compliance. Integrated with project management workflows to automate environmental performance reporting.
Large US Engineering firm · 1,000+ staff · 26 offices
Post-M&A Technology Integration
Unified disparate technology stacks across 26 offices after corporate mergers. Standardized workflows, tools, and governance for a 1,000+ person engineering firm navigating the cultural and technical challenges of integration.
Paste an engagement. Get an honest answer.
Paste a job description, RFP, or engagement brief. Get an honest assessment of whether Craig is the right fit — including when he’s not.
“The right tool for the right job.”
~Benjamin Franklin
Why Firms Engage Me
Firms engage me when technology decisions carry material business impact and internal capacity is stretched or misaligned.
I operate at the intersection of executive strategy and operational execution. With nearly two decades leading digital transformation inside complex AEC and professional services organizations, I understand how technology affects delivery risk, profitability, culture, and competitive positioning.
- Executive-level judgment grounded in real P&L and enterprise responsibility
- AI and governance expertise that balances innovation with risk management
- Operational credibility from having led migrations, built teams, and owned outcomes
- Vendor and platform discipline that aligns investments to measurable ROI
- Clarity in moments of transition including cloud migration, AI rollout, restructuring, or growth
I align leadership, structure initiatives, and remain accountable to results.
Engagements are focused, outcome-driven, and designed to leave the organization stronger, more capable, and structurally sound.
“After three years of working with Craig, I can attest to his professionalism, responsiveness, intelligence, and unique skill set within the AEC marketplace. Craig understands how architecture and engineering firms work and how technology underpins every step of the process in contemporary practice.”
“Craig is one of those rare people who ‘gets it’. He sees around corners. He combines deep technical knowledge with the strategic thinking of a CTO, and he brings a kind of creative energy that elevates every room he’s in.”
“Craig is a true thought leader — blending deep design and technology expertise with a clear vision for where our industry is headed. He translates complex innovations into purposeful, real-world solutions and connects people in ways that spark meaningful progress.”
Start a Conversation
Craig is based in the Northeast United States and works with AEC firms around the world. Whether you have a specific technology challenge or want to explore fit, the first conversation is always free.
Or DM Craig directly through LinkedIn