Your people between curiosity and fear
Some experiment in secret, others worry about jobs, leadership lacks one clear narrative.
"We should do something with AI"
AI has been on your agenda for months, but no clear starting point and no owner for execution.
Pilot projects without impact
People tested tools, but no unified strategy and no measurable impact in day-to-day work.
External consultants delivering slides, not outcomes
Workshops were booked and decks were delivered, but daily operations did not improve.
No in-house capacity
Hiring a senior AI profile is expensive and risky. The external model closes exactly this gap.
If you don't steer it, someone else will.
Your people already use AI today – just with private accounts, without rules, and without anyone knowing which data leaves the company.
The question is not whether AI will come to your company. It is already here.
What if you no longer had to carry this alone?
Someone who does the work so you can make the decisions. Someone who can do strategy – and build.
And someone who tells you what is really true, even when it is uncomfortable.
Your external AI lead
I do the work. You keep the decisions.
Large organizations can afford dedicated AI teams. You do not need one. You need someone who takes the work off your plate – so you can carry the responsibility without being buried by it.
In larger organizations, a Chief AI Officer handles technology selection, workforce enablement and governance. That is exactly the work I do for you – without a permanent position, without recruiting risk, with 25+ years of implementation experience.
The responsibility stays with you. You are the one who explains to your people where this is heading – not me. What I take on is everything before that: the analysis, the plan, the training, the build. So that what you tell your team is true.
I am not a consultant who says smart things and leaves. I work with your teams for twelve months, build the solutions that change daily work, and ask the questions that often stay unasked internally.
I am not part of internal politics. I am committed to your outcomes.
Not only strategy
I do not just design the plan – I implement it. AI agents, automations and integrations: I build what you need.
Not only technology
The best AI fails if teams do not adopt it. Change management, training and Responsible AI champions are built in.
Not only nice
I will tell you what works and what does not – including when a project should not be pursued.
AI strategy, training and implementation – one package, everything included
What is included?
No fragmented starter setup. You get strategy, implementation, enablement, and executive sparring in one coherent model.
AI strategy & roadmap
- Analysis of processes, potential and quick wins
- 12-month roadmap with clear milestones
- Prioritization by business impact, not hype
- Quarterly goals and monthly reviews
Enable your teams
- Role-specific enablement sessions
- Practical AI training, no slide marathons
- Responsible AI champions in your teams
- Enable autonomy, not dependency
Change management
- 1:1 conversations to address concerns and opportunities
- Identification and support of AI champions
- Leadership communication support
- Shape culture, not just tool usage
Hands-on implementation
- Build AI agents and automations with Langdock, n8n, and Power Automate – tailored to your existing systems and workflows.
- Integrate into existing systems and workflows
- Prototype and test in real operations
- Move from idea to production
Executive sparring & clear recommendations
- Regular executive-level review
- Honest evaluation: what works, what should stop
- Uncomfortable but necessary questions
- Independent view without internal politics
Why I build – and still stay independent
With a fixed annual mandate I have no interest in building you something expensive – the price is set anyway. I have every interest in it working, because I have to live with it for twelve months. And I build on platforms your team can develop further, not ones only I understand.
Your path: 12 months to an AI-ready organization
This approach is based on the Microsoft AI Adoption Framework, adapted for SMEs.
Month 1–2
Phase 1: Explore
Understand where you stand and where the real leverage is.
- Analysis of processes, tools and pain points
- Interviews with team members and leadership
- Identify quick wins and strategic use cases
- After two months: you know where AI saves you time – and where it does not. In writing, prioritized.
Month 2–4
Phase 2: Experiment
Test what works quickly in real operations, not in a lab.
- Initial AI agents and automations in pilot mode
- Enable first power users / AI champions
- Change management sessions with affected teams
- After four months: the first tasks run that used to be manual work. And your people know why.
Month 4–8
Phase 3: Operationalize
What works becomes standard. What does not work is removed.
- Rollout to additional teams
- Build responsible AI champions across departments
- Integrate workflows and systems
- After eight months: AI is part of everyday work in several teams – not just for two enthusiasts.
Month 8–12 · Transform
Phase 4: You don't need me anymore
AI becomes part of your company culture – and your team steers it.
- AI governance and internal policies established
- Teams work independently with AI tools
- Continuous optimization and new use cases
- After twelve months: your team carries the topic forward on its own. That is exactly the goal.
Important: these phases are not rigid blocks. In practice they overlap, because companies need early outcomes while transformation continues.
The transition: your team takes over
My goal is not to become indispensable – but to become unnecessary.
When your organization is ready, I shape the transition: I identify the right people in your team, build them up as AI champions, and transfer responsibility step by step. In the end, your team owns AI topics independently – and I stay one call away when needed.
If you already have motivated team members who want to drive AI, even better. I provide guidance and structure so knowledge remains inside your company – not with me.
AI in productive use – not in demo mode
What an editorial team does differently today
At one of Germany's best-known publishing houses, journalists now check their articles with an AI-powered research and fact-checking system. Thousands of texts get reviewed faster and more thoroughly. What is true is still decided by the people in the newsroom. I co-developed the system.
In the same organization, employees try out new AI applications on their own secure platform and translate texts with an internal, privacy-compliant tool. I built both, and both are part of everyday work.
Further references and details are available in a personal conversation.
Why a Director Development and Microsoft AI Leader supports your AI transformation
Why this works where workshops have failed
My name is Timo Koenig. For more than 25 years I have built software, led teams and transformed companies from startups to corporations.
I implemented ERP systems before cloud became mainstream, built AI-powered research and fact-checking systems for major German publishers, and I know what change means from a managing director perspective.
What sets me apart: I do not only talk about AI. I build it. If your process needs an AI agent, I do not coordinate resources in calls – I implement it.
I believe in technology that makes people better – not obsolete. Tech driven. Human first.
Where you will be in a year
Not what I do. What is different for you.
- 1
Your people no longer ask whether they are allowed to use AI. They ask where it is worth using next.
- 2
You have rules that fit on two pages – and nobody has to work around them in secret.
- 3
Things run automatically in your company that someone used to do in the evenings a year ago.
- 4
And when a vendor calls, there is someone in-house who can lead that conversation. Not me. Someone from your team.
Your external AI lead – one price, all services, no hourly tracking
Your external AI lead · from €3,999 / month · 12-month term
External AI lead
For companies with 15–50 employees. Everything included. No surprises.
excl. VAT / month · 12-month term
Included services
- AI strategy & roadmap
- Employee training & enablement
- Change management & AI champions
- Hands-on implementation (AI agents, automations)
- Monthly reviews & quarterly reports
- Direct line – no ticketing, no call center
External AI lead · Scale
For companies with 50+ employees. More reach, more structure.
excl. VAT / month · 12-month term · final price after scoping
Included services
- Everything in the base package
- Cross-department AI roadmap for multiple units and locations
- Train-the-trainer: internal AI multipliers per department
- Extended governance (EU AI Act, policies, approval processes)
- Steering board & C-level reporting
- Higher time allocation incl. more on-site days
Why it pays off
Introducing AI is not a cost item – it is an investment with measurable return.
Optimize processes – Automate routine work, shorten lead times, reduce error rates.
Increase efficiency – Less manual effort, better decision quality, faster outcomes.
Stay in control – Clear rules instead of shadow AI on private accounts – you know what happens to your data.
ROI comparison
| Alternative | Cost |
|---|---|
| Hire an internal AI specialist | €65,000–€90,000/year + recruiting + onboarding |
| Strategy consulting (Big 4 / boutique) | €15,000–€40,000 per project – without implementation |
| External AI lead (ki-is-king.de) | €47,988/year – strategy AND implementation |
No hidden costs. No rate surprises. No "out-of-scope" debates.
FAQ: External AI lead for SMEs
Clear, direct answers about how the model works.
Ready to take the wheel yourself?
No sales pitch. An honest conversation about where you stand, what is possible, and whether I am the right fit. 30 minutes that create clarity.
Book an intro callReady to take the wheel yourself?
No sales pitch. An honest conversation about where you stand, what is possible, and whether I am the right fit. 30 minutes that create clarity.