Since our Director of IP Strategy Suzanne Oliver joined the Scintilla team, we have been offering a new service that we are calling our “Fractional CIPO function“, see our website here. In this week’s blog, I’ve sat down with Suzanne to ask her what it actually means!
So, Suzanne, before we delve into the topic in detail and explore why we are doing this, first can you explain about your background, as it might help?
Sure, thanks Gemma. To put it simply, I’ve spent many years in what we call ‘private practice’ roles, that’s working for law firms like Scintilla, helping clients protect and create value in their IP. However, I’ve also spent a number of years “in-house”, mainly working for a large corporate company called ARM, leading their internal (in-house) IP department. Over my career, I’ve also been on the management team of a number of small starts ups, as well as acted in a strategic advisory role to a number of C-Suites.
Ah yes, that term C-Suite, I hear it a lot but what does it really mean?
C-suite roles might include a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO), or Chief Legal Officer (CSO), this last one sometimes is also known as the GC or General Counsel. Lots of ‘Chiefs’ I realise, but what all these names really means is the top management team of a company where each person is specialist in their area, such as Technology or Finance, etc. Where the CEO is usually the person who oversees all of these Chiefs and makes a final decision, but with a well-operating company they are usually quite hands off, and in the case of startup, usually focussed on the next round of finance and investor relationships, or in say a FTSE 100 company, the person who is focused on the overall strategic decision-making and operational leadership of the company. Their role can vary depending on the organization’s size, structure, and industry and in smaller companies you might not see the title “Chief” at all, but other titles, such as “Head of” or “Director of”. It all depends on the organisation!
Ah… so a CIPO is the person mainly responsible for the IP of the Company?
Yes, usually. Although it’s actually not a title you come across all that often, weirdly. As it’s quite rare to see the person responsible for IP sitting on the top, top management team, they usually report into the CTO or the GC, or both in some cases. A separate story maybe, but it’s a really bad idea to have a ‘Head of IP’ person reporting to a Finance officer – very bad, but as I said another blog topic maybe!
Oh right, so what are they usually called?
Chief IP counsel is the most common term I’ve come across, though some companies don’t like to call people “Chief of something” who aren’t on the “Executive Committee”, so you see all variations, such as “VP of” “Director of”, “Head of”. There are about as many variations as there are companies with IP departments. As an aside, it really doesn’t help to explain what we do very well to have all these title variations, but there we are.
Ah ok, that makes sense. So next question – but before we delve into what a Fractional CIPO is specifically, what does Fractional mean and at what level are they usually developed?
Ok, so a fractional C-suite role is a flexible, part-time or interim position, usually filled by a seasoned leader who brings valuable strategic insight and management expertise to a company (I looked it up before we spoke). Where the term “fractional” reflects the fact that the fractional person works on a part-time basis, usually on a fixed term contract until the role is filled by a permanent hire, but not necessarily, rather than as a full-time employee.
Is it a recent term, as I’ve never really heard it mentioned before?
I looked this up as I thought to you might ask. It is quite a recent term it seems, so I surmise it’s arisen from the huge movement of talent during and post Covid. When I used Mrs Google, I found that a page on Wikipedia[1] about it that seems to suggest it was first introduced around 2021 and it’s gained more popularity since as a strategic way to utilise fabulous talent at an early stage.
Ah ok, so is that where and when these roles are used?
Good question, and yes, I tend to see fractional roles being particularly well-suited for startups and early-stage businesses, and are a cost-effective way to access high-level, experienced leadership. Fractional peeps are usually those who have been around the block and/or exited, or at a stage in their career where they want to give back or say can take the risk to work in a less ‘safe’ way, or for less hours a week, than being full time employed for example.
So what’s the advantage to start up, other than not having to pay so much?
By engaging a fractional executive, or leader, start-ups can benefit from a fresh perspective and deep expertise, without having to take someone on permanently or full time, especially advantageous at an early high growth stage, usually after angel funding and pre–Series A or B depending on the sector. They can be an excellent solution for companies undergoing strategic changes or looking to address specific skill gaps – see my point about them (as in Fractionals) often being interim.
So is that what we are offering with our consultancy services?
Yes, and more. Essentially, what we’re saying is that our services go far beyond simply filing patents or trademarks. Our team includes professionals with extensive experience working in-house, in corporate environments, and on secondments, giving us a deep understanding of the challenges businesses face in managing their IP.
I’m going to get all corporate speaky now, but we offer highly flexible arrangements tailored to our client’s needs—whether it’s a long-term consultancy project with clear milestones, objectives, and deliverables focused on developing your IP strategy, a short-term secondment for a more junior patent manager maybe, or even temporary paralegal support, such as covering for an IP administrator on long-term leave. Additionally, as I’ve implied above, you can even bring me in on a fixed-term contract (FTC) for a specific period. Thanks to the depth of expertise within our team and our adaptable pricing models, we’re equipped to provide the support you need, no matter the scope or duration.
Ah thanks Suzanne that’s really helped, thank you!
Thanks Gemma, it’s been a pleasure.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional_work
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