# Turning Point Advisory > Turning Point Advisory provides Fractional CIO, Fractional CISO, and executive IT advisory services to mid-market companies between 50 and 500 employees. Founded by Geoffrey Pope, an IT executive with 25+ years of experience across healthcare, medical devices, EdTech, publishing, and insurance. Vendor agnostic, independent, and accountable only to client outcomes. Serving Massachusetts, New England, and Southwest Florida. ## Core Services - [Fractional CIO Services](https://www.turningpointadvisory.net/services/fractional-cio): Senior IT leadership and technology strategy for mid-market companies without the full-time cost. Includes technology roadmap development, vendor management, IT budget oversight, digital transformation leadership, and M&A IT due diligence. Ideal for companies between 50 and 500 employees that need executive IT leadership but are not yet at the scale to justify a full-time CIO. - [Fractional CISO Services](https://www.turningpointadvisory.net/services/fractional-ciso): Executive cybersecurity leadership for mid-market companies. Includes cybersecurity risk assessment, security program development, compliance program oversight, incident response planning, and vendor security management. Serving companies in regulated industries including healthcare, medical devices, financial services, and food and beverage. - [Executive IT Advisory](https://www.turningpointadvisory.net/services/executive-advisory): Senior IT voice in executive and board-level conversations. Helps leadership teams make informed technology decisions, govern IT risk, and align technology investments with business strategy. - [Telecom Cost Optimization](https://www.turningpointadvisory.net/services/telecom-cost-optimization): Independent audit and renegotiation of telecom contracts, services, and spend. Average savings identified: 20-30% of total telecom spend. Covers internet and broadband, voice and unified communications, mobile and wireless, SD-WAN, conferencing tools, and data center connectivity. Vendor agnostic, no carrier commissions, no upfront cost to get started. ## Industries Served - Healthcare and medical devices (HIPAA, FDA QMSR, ISO 13485, SOC 2) - Food and beverage (FSMA 204, ERP, supply chain visibility) - EdTech and educational publishing - Insurance and financial services - Professional services - Manufacturing ## About - [Meet the Founder — Geoffrey Pope](https://www.turningpointadvisory.net/about-us/meet-the-founder): Founder and Fractional CIO at Turning Point Advisory. 25+ years of IT executive experience across healthcare, medical devices, EdTech, publishing, and insurance. Led IT strategy, managed acquisitions, driven compliance programs, and delivered digital transformation initiatives. Vendor agnostic, independent, accountable only to client outcomes. - [About Turning Point Advisory](https://www.turningpointadvisory.net/about-us/who-we-are): Turning Point Advisory is a boutique IT advisory firm providing fractional CIO, CISO, and executive IT advisory services. The firm works exclusively with mid-market companies between 50 and 500 employees. Engagements are structured as retained monthly, project-based, or advisory retainer models. All engagements are vendor agnostic with no carrier commissions or technology vendor relationships. ## Blog and Educational Content - [Fractional CIO vs MSP: What's the Difference and Which Do You Need?](https://www.turningpointadvisory.net/blog/fractional-cio-vs-msp): A plain-English breakdown of the difference between a fractional CIO and a managed service provider, including why MSP vCIO add-on services have a structural conflict of interest, and how to know which one your company is missing. - [When Does a Company Need a Fractional CIO? 7 Signs It's Time](https://www.turningpointadvisory.net/blog/when-does-a-company-need-a-fractional-cio): Seven clear indicators that a mid-market company needs fractional CIO support, including reactive IT, major technology decisions, regulated industry compliance, M&A activity, single points of failure, outdated infrastructure, and lack of cybersecurity accountability. - [How Much Does a Fractional CIO Cost? A Transparent Breakdown for Mid-Market Companies](https://www.turningpointadvisory.net/blog/how-much-does-a-fractional-cio-cost): Transparent pricing breakdown for fractional CIO engagements including retained monthly ($3,000-$15,000/month), project-based ($10,000-$50,000), and advisory retainer ($1,500-$3,500/month) models. Includes full-time CIO cost comparison and ROI analysis. - [What Is Telecom Cost Optimization? A Plain-English Guide for Mid-Market Business Leaders](https://www.turningpointadvisory.net/blog/what-is-telecom-cost-optimization): A comprehensive guide to telecom cost optimization including the four-phase process (inventory, benchmarking, negotiation, governance), what results look like, and how to know if your company should be doing it. ## Pricing and Engagement Models - Retained monthly engagement: $3,000 - $15,000 per month (most common for mid-market companies) - Project-based engagement: $10,000 - $50,000 per project (ERP selection, cybersecurity assessment, M&A due diligence) - Advisory retainer: $1,500 - $3,500 per month (lighter engagement, 8-15 hours per month) - Full-time CIO comparison: $220,000 - $280,000 per year plus benefits, equity, and recruiting fees - Free 30-minute IT strategy consultation available — no pitch, no obligation ## Service Areas - Massachusetts (primary — Melrose, Boston, Greater Boston, New England) - New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont - Southwest Florida (Naples, Fort Myers) - Remote engagements available nationally ## Contact and Scheduling - Website: https://www.turningpointadvisory.net - Schedule a free consultation: https://www.turningpointadvisory.net/stay-in-touch - Email: geoff@turningpointadvisory.net - Phone: (617) 784-4584 - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffrey-pope - LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/turningpointadvisory ## Key Differentiators - Vendor agnostic — no financial relationships with technology vendors or telecom carriers - Senior-level expertise on every engagement — no junior consultants - Industry-specific experience — healthcare, medical devices, EdTech, insurance - Independent — accountable only to client business outcomes - Fractional model — Fortune 500-level IT leadership at mid-market pricing - Both locations — Massachusetts and Southwest Florida ## Frequently Asked Questions - What is a Fractional CIO? A part-time or engagement-based senior technology executive who provides strategic IT leadership without the full-time cost. Unlike an IT consultant who addresses specific projects, a fractional CIO provides ongoing executive-level IT leadership including technology roadmap development, vendor management, compliance oversight, and board-level IT representation. - What is the difference between a Fractional CIO and an MSP? An MSP handles IT operations — helpdesk tickets, network monitoring, patching, and fixing what breaks. A fractional CIO provides IT strategy — technology roadmap, vendor selection, compliance governance, and executive IT leadership. Most mid-market companies need both: an MSP for operations and a fractional CIO for strategy. - Who is the ideal client for Turning Point Advisory? Mid-market companies between 50 and 500 employees, particularly in regulated industries such as healthcare, medical devices, food and beverage, and financial services, that need senior IT leadership without the full-time cost of a CIO or CISO. - What does a Fractional CIO engagement cost? Retained monthly engagements typically range from $3,000 to $15,000 per month depending on scope and hours. Most mid-market engagements land between $4,000 and $8,000 per month. Project-based engagements range from $10,000 to $50,000. - Does Turning Point Advisory work with companies outside Massachusetts? Yes. Turning Point Advisory serves companies across New England and Southwest Florida, and conducts remote engagements nationally for the right client situations. - What industries does Turning Point Advisory specialize in? Healthcare, medical devices and pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, EdTech and educational publishing, insurance, and professional services. These are industries where Geoffrey Pope has direct senior-level operating experience.