AI GOVERNANCE / ISO 42001 CASE STUDY
Building AI Trust Together
Supported by FairNow’s AI Governance Platform, Cielo earned its ISO 42001 certification—becoming the first RPO to achieve the new AI governance standard—in just 3.5 months, governing 50+ AI systems with zero nonconformities.
BACKGROUND
Why Cielo Pursued ISO 42001
Cielo operates more than 50 AI systems powering sourcing, screening, matching, and internal productivity across its global talent-acquisition business
To stay ahead of client expectations and mounting regulations, the company pursued ISO/IEC 42001—the world’s first AI management standard. Certification allowed Cielo to formalize its AI governance, strengthen client trust, and differentiate by proving its hiring technologies are fair and transparent.
“We are in the trust business. If two systems do the same thing, the one with the certificate wins. But that certificate has to mean something.” — Gevangee Desai, VP Information Security Compliance
Download FairNow’s ISO 42001 Certification Playbook
CHALLENGE
Navigating A New AI Governance Standard
ISO 42001 demanded a very different lens than Cielo’s previous ISO 27001 work. Application-level governance introduced requirements that traditional GRC tools don’t address. Scoping required a vendor-by-vendor review to uncover where AI was embedded, and the team had to separate high-risk hiring models from lower-risk tools. At the same time, they needed to align product, vendor-management, and leadership teams on clear roles in AI governance.
Application-Level Governance — ISO 42001 required controls at the AI application level—unlike traditional GRC frameworks.
Scope & Inventory — Cielo had to identify every vendor solution using AI, one by one
High- vs. Low-Risk Models — High-risk hiring models needed deeper compliance work to focus effort where it mattered
Stakeholder Alignment — Product, vendor-management, and executives all needed clear roles and buy-in
CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL
Watch the 4-Chapter Video Interview About The End-to-End ISO 42001 Certification Journey
👉🏼 Chapter 1 (5:47)
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First RPO to certify: Cielo earned ISO/IEC 42001 certification, signaling its commitment to AI trust and governance in the talent market.
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Stronger client trust & differentiation: The certification provides a credible advantage in a competitive, AI-driven recruiting landscape.
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Governance gap closed: With FairNow, Cielo built a comprehensive AI system inventory, solving its biggest hurdle and enabling scalable, structured compliance.
👉🏼 Chapter 2 (5:38)
- Four pillars of the AI Management System: Inventory, risk assessments, policy updates, and training built company-wide readiness.
- AI-specific layer: FairNow linked inventory to frameworks and triaged risk, streamlining compliance.
- GRC gap filled: FairNow complemented the client’s GRC solution, enabling faster, traceable certification.
👉🏼 Chapter 3 (3:16)
- Rapid certification: Cielo completed its ISO/IEC 42001 audit in just 3.5 months, well ahead of the typical 9–12 month timeline.
- Flawless audit outcome: The external auditor reported zero non-conformities, praising the maturity and clarity of Cielo’s evidence on its very first audit cycle.
- Enterprise-wide execution: Early leadership buy-in, broad team involvement, and FairNow’s expert guidance ensured smooth preparation and rapid gap-closing between Stage 1 and Stage 2.
👉🏼 Chapter 4 (5:13)
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Governance never stops: ISO/IEC 42001 is an ongoing discipline, with Cielo updating controls as tech, risks, and regulations evolve.
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FairNow powers continuous compliance: The platform flags gaps and automates monitoring, keeping the program current with minimal lift.
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Trust that accelerates sales: Certification—and the evidence behind it—builds client confidence and speeds deals.
SOLUTION
How FairNow’s AI Governance Platform Drives Rapid ISO 42001 Readiness?
Cielo partnered with FairNow and its AI Governance Platform to establish an application-level AI Management System aligned to ISO 42001. FairNow’s purpose-built controls and automation centralized the AI inventory, linked evidence to controls at both company and application levels, triaged risk to prioritize high-impact systems, and coordinated stakeholders through governance workflows—resulting in an ISO 42001audit–ready program.
“ISO 42001 and AI governance are new and complex for most organizations. We helped Cielo move quicklyto implement a robust program.” — Guru Sethupathy, CEO, FairNow
Centralized AI Inventory
One source of truth for 50+ systems; easier evidence and oversight
Governance Workflows
Enables product, vendor, and risk teams to collaborate seamlessly
Built-In ISO 42001 Controls
Company- and application-level controls with documentation automatically linked
Risk Triaging
Highlights the highest-impact models so teams focus where it matters most
Multi-Framework Mapping
Automatically maps controls across 15+ global AI standards and regulations
Get Started on ISO 42001 Today.
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FAQs About FairNow's ISO 42001 Collaboration With Cielo
What is ISO 42001 and why does it matter?
ISO 42001 is the world’s first international standard for an AI Management System. It defines a structured way to govern the design, development, and use of AI so organizations can demonstrate that their systems are responsible and well-controlled. For global companies like Cielo, the standard provides a common language to show clients, regulators, and partners that AI risk is being managed proactively. Adopting ISO 42001 is not just about meeting an audit; it builds long-term trust and credibility with customers and stakeholders.
How does FairNow’s ISO 42001 Compliance Software help organizations like Cielo?
FairNow’s ISO 42001 Compliance Software gives organizations a purpose-built platform to operationalize the standard from day one. It centralizes all AI systems in a single inventory and automatically links policies, controls, and evidence to the relevant ISO 42001 requirements. This automation saves months of manual work and helps teams monitor progress in real time. For Cielo, these capabilities meant they could focus on improving governance instead of chasing documentation, accelerating their path to an ISO 42001-aligned AI Management System.
Can FairNow’s AI Governance Platform support other AI regulations and frameworks?
Yes. The same controls and workflows that helped Cielo meet ISO 42001 alignment also map to emerging regulations such as the EU AI Act and a growing number of global AI regulations. FairNow’s AI Governance Platform is designed to adapt—allowing risk, compliance, and product teams to manage multiple frameworks without duplicating effort. This means a company can stay ahead of regulatory change and demonstrate responsible AI practices across different jurisdictions. In practice, it future-proofs an organization’s AI governance strategy.
What results did Cielo see after deploying FairNow’s platform?
Cielo reached ISO 42001 alignment in roughly half the time typically expected and passed its third-party audit with zero nonconformities. Centralizing 50+ AI systems inside FairNow’s platform replaced scattered spreadsheets and ad-hoc tracking with one source of truth. The platform’s built-in controls cut manual effort and gave leadership a portfolio-wide view of AI risk and compliance status. These improvements also created client-ready documentation that began reducing friction in sales conversations even before the audit concluded.
How do we get started with FairNow’s platform?
Getting started is simple. You can request a demo of FairNow’s ISO 42001 Compliance Software to see how it manages AI inventory, risk assessments, and policy evidence in a single place. During the demo, FairNow’s team walks through a tailored onboarding plan and shows how the platform can be configured to your organization’s needs. From there, you receive guidance on setting up an AI Management System that is ISO 42001-aligned and prepared for evolving regulations. The goal is to move from initial assessment to a living governance program without the heavy manual work that typically slows adoption.