Fractional CIO · AI Architect · Board Advisor

Mark
Kondrak

Founder, NeuralVance LLC

Real AI. Real Advantage.

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NEURALVANCE

Strategy · Governance · Architecture

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Experience Across
U.S. Critical Energy Infrastructure Global Financial Markets Clearinghouse Fortune 100 Retail Fortune 100 Consumer Goods State Legislature State University System Private University
Mark Kondrak
30+
Years

About Mark Kondrak

The executive who's
sat in the chair.

I've spent 30 years making high-stakes technology decisions — not advising on them from a distance. Most recently as CIO of a major U.S. energy pipeline, I was responsible for the technology systems underlying 800 miles of critical national infrastructure. Technology failure there wasn't an inconvenience. It was a national security event.

That context shapes how I think about AI governance, cybersecurity risk, and enterprise modernization. Boards and CEOs don't need another consultant with a deck. They need someone who has made the hard calls — and can bring that judgment to their most consequential technology decisions.

NeuralVance is built to deliver that — at a fraction of the cost and commitment of a full-time executive hire.

Based in Minnesota. Engaged nationally. The Twin Cities technology community has been my professional home for three decades — and that local knowledge, combined with national critical infrastructure experience, is a combination very few advisors can offer.

Twin Cities CIO of the Year
Computerworld Premier 100 Technology Leader
E&I Cloud Leadership Award
Most Innovative CIOs | Midsize Enterprises

What I Do

One executive.
Every angle.

Fractional CIO

Senior technology leadership without the full-time overhead. I serve as your organization's CIO — attending board meetings, leading your IT strategy, managing vendors and teams — on a part-time, fixed-fee basis.

IT Strategy Board Advisory Vendor Management Digital Transformation
AI Governance Architecture

Most organizations have an AI enthusiasm problem, not an AI adoption problem. I design the governance frameworks, oversight models, and agentic roadmaps that let you move from pilots to operational programs — with board-level visibility and risk clarity.

AI Governance Risk Frameworks Agentic AI Policy Design
Fractional CISO & Cyber Advisory

Cybersecurity and enterprise risk integrated into unified roadmaps that boards can understand and govern with confidence. Drawing on direct experience as Acting CISO and liaison to CISA, FBI, and TSA.

Cybersecurity Risk Integration Board Reporting Compliance
Shadow AI Audit & Mitigation

The average mid-market enterprise runs 67+ unsanctioned AI tools — touching sensitive data, creating compliance exposure, and operating outside any governance framework. We inventory every AI tool in use, classify the risk, and build the policy structure to bring shadow AI under control before it becomes a liability.

Shadow AI AI Inventory Data Governance Risk Mitigation

The NeuralVance Difference

We don't advise on AI.
We run on it.

NeuralVance is an AI-native practice by design. Our operations — from business development to client delivery — run on agentic AI systems. Every governance framework we bring to your organization has been tested against real business decisions in our own practice first.

When a CEO asks "how do we govern AI when it's making autonomous decisions?" — I don't answer theoretically. I answer from experience.

"The governance question isn't whether to trust AI. It's at what decision threshold human judgment becomes non-negotiable."

NeuralVance Agentic Stack

Sales AI-assisted business development & outreach
Marketing Automated content & thought leadership
Research Prospect intelligence & market analysis
Operations Autonomous scheduling, follow-up & admin
Human Client relationships & strategic judgment

AI Governance Methodology

The Agentic Trust
Threshold Framework

Every AI action exists on two axes: reversibility and stakes. This determines where human judgment is required.

Low Stakes · Reversible

Full Autonomy

AI operates independently without human review. Actions can be undone if incorrect and consequences are limited.

E.g. Content scheduling, meeting reminders, research summaries

High Stakes · Reversible

Review Recommended

AI drafts and recommends. Human reviews before action is taken. 30-second oversight prevents meaningful errors.

E.g. Client communications, proposal drafts, vendor evaluations

Low Stakes · Irreversible

Audit Trail Required

AI may act but all decisions are logged with full traceability. Regular review cadence ensures alignment.

E.g. Data classification, automated reporting, system configurations

High Stakes · Irreversible

Human Approval Required

No AI action proceeds without explicit human authorization. This threshold is non-negotiable regardless of confidence level.

E.g. Board communications, contract execution, security decisions

Why We Exist

Modern organizations are overwhelmed by technology choices, AI hype, and perpetual transformation without clarity.

We exist to restore calm, confidence, and control to technology decision-making.
Technology should amplify judgment — not replace it.

What We Stand For

Business First. Always.
Technology is never the goal. Business outcomes are. Every recommendation must clearly advance strategy, economics, risk posture, or operating effectiveness. If it doesn't move the business, it doesn't belong.
Judgment Over Hype
We reject trends without substance and tools without context. AI, cloud platforms, vendors, and frameworks are means — not answers. We evaluate them critically, explain tradeoffs plainly, and recommend only what we would authorize as a CIO ourselves.
Responsible, Explainable AI
AI is powerful — and therefore must be governed. We commit to transparency over black boxes, human accountability over automation theater, and privacy and security by design. AI must earn trust before it scales.
Full Accountability — Regardless of Payroll
Leadership is defined by responsibility, not employment status. Whether fractional or embedded, we operate as true executive partners and owners of outcomes. We do not advise from a distance. We stand behind decisions.
Partnership, Not Dependency
Our success is measured by client strength — not client reliance. We transfer understanding deliberately — not as a courtesy, but as a commitment. Clients who cannot operate independently of their advisors have simply traded one dependency for another — and that is not progress. We measure success by what remains after we leave.

How We Work

We ask better questions before proposing solutions. We balance architecture with people and process. We act with integrity even when it costs opportunity. We say no when yes would create future harm.

We are advisors first, operators when needed, and vendors never.

Our Promise

Sober thinking in a noisy market. Clarity where others sell complexity. Leadership without ego. Innovation without recklessness.

"Technology will continue to change. Sound judgment must endure.
That is our work."

— NeuralVance LLC

Engagement Models

How organizations
work with me.

Advisory

Strategic Advisor

Monthly retainer · Board & C-Suite access

  • Monthly executive briefings
  • On-call strategic counsel
  • AI governance policy review
  • Board presentation support
  • Unlimited email/async access

Ideal for organizations needing senior AI/technology perspective without embedded leadership

Most Common

Fractional Executive

Part-time embedded · CIO or CISO function

  • Dedicated days per month on-site or remote
  • Full CIO/CISO accountability
  • Team leadership & vendor management
  • Board reporting & governance
  • AI strategy & roadmap ownership

Ideal for mid-market organizations at a technology inflection point

Project

Transformation Project

Fixed scope · Defined outcomes

  • AI governance framework build
  • Shadow AI audit & mitigation
  • Cybersecurity risk assessment
  • Technology modernization roadmap
  • Board education & AI literacy
  • Defined deliverables & timeline

Ideal for specific initiatives with clear start and end points

Get In Touch

Ready to advance
with intention?

NeuralVance takes a limited number of engagements to ensure every client receives senior-level attention. Start with a conversation.

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