The experience behind the practice
I’m Hieg Khatcherian. I’ve spent 25+ years building, running, and securing technology — as a developer, an infrastructure leader, a CISO, and now as a fractional security leader for Canadian startups selling into regulated markets.
An operator’s path
I started as a builder — writing software, then running the infrastructure it lived on. Years of hands-on IT and infrastructure leadership at companies like Vision Critical and BuildDirect meant that when I moved into security, I already knew how systems actually get built, shipped, and broken — because I’d been the one shipping them.
As CISO at Thrive Health, I owned security and compliance for a healthtech platform handling some of the most sensitive data there is, working with health systems and government customers whose procurement bar is as high as it gets.
Today I do that work fractionally, for several companies at once — including Thrive Health, HeadCheck Health, Dooly, and Readymode. The through-line: I’ve run the systems, not just audited them. That changes what kind of advice you get.
How I work
Business first. Before I touch a control or a policy, I want to understand what you sell, who buys it, and what’s blocking the next stage of growth. Security exists to serve those goals — to unblock enterprise deals, open regulated markets, and make due diligence a non-event.
Collaborative, not parachuted-in. I work embedded in your tools — Slack, your ticketing, your meetings — as part of the team, not as a report that arrives quarterly.
Pragmatic. Startups don’t need enterprise security programs. They need the right twenty percent, done properly, with an honest roadmap for the rest. I’ll tell you what can wait — and when you’ve outgrown me.
The practical details
I’m based in Delta, in Metro Vancouver, and work remote-first with clients across Canada and internationally. Engagements typically run two to eight days a month, scaled to your stage and what’s actually in front of you.
Off hours, I’m usually at a workbench — electronics and PCB design keep the builder’s instincts sharp.
Wondering if this is a fit?
The next step is a 30-minute conversation — no pitch, no obligation. You’ll walk away with an honest read on where you stand and what actually matters next, whether or not we work together.