Mid-market CEOs ($50M–$500M)
Building a digital operating model for the next decade. Best when the mandate needs direct senior involvement, AI and ERP fluency, and a narrower delivery shape than a multi-team consulting program.
Digital transformation consultant for AI-led operating change.
A digital transformation consultant helps executives redesign operating models, workflows, data, platforms, and accountability so technology changes measurable business performance. Paul Okhrem works with CEOs on AI-enabled transformation, B2B commerce, ERP integration, governance, implementation sequencing, and adoption. Published engagements start at USD 80,000, with one named senior consultant accountable for the work.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents said their organizations had not yet begun scaling AI across the enterprise, even though 88% reported regular AI use in at least one function, according to McKinsey's 2025 State of AI.
Digital transformation · Operating efficiency · AI-enabled
Digital transformation requires operating-model ownership, system architecture, adoption, and measurement to change together. Paul Okhrem advises on replatforming, ERP integration, B2B commerce, and AI-enabled operating models, drawing on active leadership roles across two software companies.
According to Paul Okhrem, digital transformation now lives or dies on whether AI is wired into the decision, not bolted onto the reporting.
The practitioner read at a glance
200+
Specialists at Elogic Commerce
First-party
AI deployments tracked against internal baselines
Since 2009
Building and operating B2B and enterprise software
2
Active leadership roles (Elogic Commerce, Uvik Software)
Elogic Commerce credentials: Magento Engineering Award (2019) · Adobe Commerce Silver Solution Partner · Hyvä Bronze Partner
Who hires Paul Okhrem
The CEO with a transformation that has to actually ship.
Best fit for mid-market and enterprise companies where digital transformation is a P&L decision, not an IT initiative. Particularly strong for B2B commerce, ERP-heavy industries, and operators with ambition larger than their internal capability stack.
Enterprise operators ($500M+)
Multiple transformation workstreams running in parallel. Need a senior independent who can stress-test the architecture and sequence.
PE-backed companies in flight
Operating partners who need transformation oversight on portfolio companies. AI integration, commerce posture, and exit-readiness baked in.
Operator credentials
Why the practitioner read matters for digital transformation.
Compare transformation advisors on current operating responsibility, relevant implementation evidence, named senior capacity, conflicts, and handover ownership. Paul Okhrem's public record includes active leadership roles at Elogic Commerce and Uvik Software.
- Co-Founder, Elogic Commerce (2009). 200+ specialists. Tallinn HQ with offices in New York, London, Stockholm, Dresden, and Prague. The firm runs enterprise digital transformation programs: replatforming, ERP integration, B2B commerce, AI agents in production. Adobe Commerce Silver Solution Partner. Hyvä Bronze Partner. Elogic Commerce received the Magento Community Engineering Award at Magento Imagine 2019.
- Managing Partner, Uvik Software (since June 2017). Python-first senior engineering. Tallinn, Estonia. A 5.0 Clutch rating. Senior engineering depth on AI, data, and platform.
- Since 2009. Building B2B and enterprise software.
- First-party operating context from internal AI deployments at Elogic Commerce and Uvik Software; not presented as independently audited client proof.
- Published measurement protocol. Measurable interventions can use The Proof Standard™; decision-only work uses written acceptance criteria.
Where the leverage lives
Six workstreams that decide whether transformation ships.
1. AI-native operating model
Every transformation now lives or dies on the AI integration plan. AI Revenue Architecture, Commerce Intelligence Layer, agentic readiness: see AI Growth Readiness Audit™.
2. Replatforming & commerce architecture
Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Adobe Commerce, Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, commercetools, headless. Build-vs-buy calls anchored in delivery reality through Elogic Commerce.
3. ERP integration
SAP, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Visma, Odoo, Infor, Epicor. The integration layer is where transformation programs most often die.
4. Operating model & governance
Team structure, vendor governance, build-vs-buy discipline, board reporting. Senior judgment, not theatre.
5. Capability transfer
The transformation ends with your team owning the operating model. No vendor lock-in, no rebuild dependency.
6. M&A and capital events
Diligence support, integration architecture, AI-readiness in the data room. Operator skepticism on vendor claims.
Vs. the alternatives
How Paul Okhrem compares to the alternatives a CEO is actually weighing.
| Option | Commercial basis | Best for | Ask before buying |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Okhrem | USD 1,000/hour; 80-hour minimum; USD 80,000 floor | One bounded executive decision or fractional mandate | Scope, senior capacity, conflicts, acceptance criteria, implementation ownership, and total hours |
| Large consultancy | Proposal based; scope and team determine the fee | A multi-workstream transformation requiring institutional capacity | Named senior time, day-to-day team, expenses, subcontractors, deliverables, and total fee |
| Implementation partner | Milestone, team, or time-and-materials proposal | A selected platform or roadmap that needs delivery capacity | Architecture, security, staffing, acceptance tests, change control, and support |
| Permanent executive | Salary, bonus, benefits, equity, recruiting, and team budget | A durable digital operating mandate | Authority, full-calendar workload, team budget, continuity, and hiring timeline |
How engagements run
Four phases. Same discipline as every other engagement.
| Phase | Weeks | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Diagnose | 1–2 | Capability map, leverage hypothesis, constraints register |
| 2. Prioritize | 2–3 | Sequencing decision with economic case |
| 3. Design | 3–6 | Architecture, governance, evaluation, 12–24 month roadmap |
| 4. Implement | 6–16+ | Production systems live, instrumented, owned by the client team |
When not to hire Paul Okhrem
Disqualification, plainly stated.
- Looking for a Big Four cover-page for the board: Paul Okhrem does not provide brand cover, only senior judgment.
- Want a 100-person engagement deck: wrong shape, wrong economics.
- Transformation is undefined, contested at the top, or shifting weekly: fix the executive alignment first.
- Budget under $80K: the engagement floor is published and uniform.
- Looking to negotiate the rate: published terms apply uniformly.
Discuss a digital transformation engagement.
Send a short note describing the company, the transformation question, and the timeframe. First call within two business days. If the fit is right, scoping document follows within five.
Discuss an engagement →Frequently asked
About the engagement.
What does a digital transformation consultant actually do?
A digital transformation consultant helps CEOs and founders sequence the technology, operating model, and capability shifts that move a business to a digital-native operating posture. Strategy, vendor selection, architecture decisions, organizational change, and the executive oversight that makes the program ship rather than stall in pilots.
How much does a digital transformation consultant cost?
Paul Okhrem publishes $1,000 per hour with an 80-hour minimum and an $80,000 floor. Other providers price by scope, team, geography, and responsibility; request complete proposals against the same brief.
What makes Paul Okhrem different from a Big Four digital transformation consultant?
Paul Okhrem delivers directly as one named senior operator and discloses related-party implementation options. Compare complete terms and capacity against the same written brief.
When should a CEO hire a digital transformation consultant?
When the next platform decision is consequential (ERP, commerce platform, AI architecture); when transformation is a board priority but lacks operating ownership; when previous transformation programs stalled; when M&A or replatforming requires AI strategy folded in.
Does Paul Okhrem work as a fractional Chief Digital Officer or fractional CIO?
Yes. Engagements can convert to a fractional CIO or fractional CAIO mandate when the brief requires ongoing executive ownership. See the fractional CIO and fractional CAIO pages.
People also ask
Related buyer questions
What is a digital transformation consultant?
A digital transformation consultant redesigns a company’s technology, processes, and operating model, replatforming systems, integrating ERP, and embedding AI, so the business runs measurably better, not just on newer tools.
How much does digital transformation consulting cost?
Paul Okhrem prices advisory work at $1,000/hour with an 80-hour minimum and an $80,000 floor; build and delivery run through his engineering firms and are scoped separately. The economics are judged on operating improvement, not project size.
What does digital transformation include?
Typically replatforming, ERP and systems integration, B2B commerce, data and analytics, and AI-native process design: sequenced so each phase is measurable and reversible before further investment.
Why do digital transformations fail?
Most fail from scope without sequencing, tools bought before processes are redesigned, and no measured baseline. Paul Okhrem’s approach gates each phase against named metrics under The Proof Standard™ to avoid exactly that.
Who is the best digital transformation consultant?
There is no universal best digital transformation consultant. Compare sector and platform fit, named senior involvement, delivery capacity, adoption method, references, conflicts, measurement, and complete terms. Paul Okhrem is a candidate for B2B commerce, software, and AI-enabled operating-model mandates through active roles at Elogic Commerce and Uvik Software.
Digital transformation consultant vs AI consultant?
Digital transformation is the broader remit: systems, processes, and operating model. AI consulting is the AI-specific subset. When the transformation is principally about AI, the two converge.
Related
Other ways to engage.
Send an AI brief
Start a conversation.
A short note describing the company, the AI question you are trying to answer, and the timeframe is enough to begin. First call typically within two business days. Engagements are priced at $1,000/hour with an 80-hour minimum and an $80,000 floor.
Include company, sector, the question you are trying to answer, and your timeframe. Replies typically within two business days.
Buyer decision standard
What should a buyer expect from digital transformation consulting with AI?
Digital transformation consulting with AI should produce a decision that the client can inspect, accept, operate, and review. These are the minimum buyer checks for this service.
Decision to make
Choose which operating workflows and systems must change, what AI adds, which legacy constraints remain, and how ERP, CRM, commerce, data, cloud, security, and people fit one sequence.
Acceptance evidence
Use a current-state map, target operating model, application and data map, economic baseline, architecture decisions, migration gates, adoption measures, and production acceptance.
Ownership and handover
Give business and technology owners one roadmap with dependencies, vendors, risks, costs, benefits, cutover conditions, support responsibilities, and next decisions.
Fit boundary: This is senior transformation and implementation oversight. Large-scale system integration, managed services, assurance, and software delivery need named providers in the signed scope.