Match With a Fractional CEO for Strategy and Execution

Strategic Planning & Implementation

Having the right Chief Executive Officer on board to drive growth is key. As the head of the executive team, a Chief Executive Officer is charged with setting the strategic direction and then putting that plan into action. They are expert at rallying the troops around a common vision while holding the team to account.

While most companies will search for a full-time executive to fill that role, not every company needs the time commitment of a CEO who will run the business each and every day. Choosing to hire a fractional CEO who works a few days a week or a few hours each day is the way to get a quality leader at great cost savings.

Leadership & Management

There are multiple stages a fractional CEO goes through, but they immediately step into an operating role where they can oversee the entire executive team — CFO, COO, CMO, CIO, CTO, and CHRO. A big focus is breaking down silos and ensuring each team is communicating and clear on the actions, deliverables and key performance indicators that need to be focused on. 

Board of Directors & Owner Collaboration

Whether brought on board by the board of directors, investors, or the owners of a company, a fractional CEO works closely with key stakeholders to lay out a strategy and roadmap that everyone can align around. They will closely work with owners or the board to report progress along the way and ensure continual forward movement.

Implement Best Practices

A part-time CEO can draw on their unique experience working with many different types of companies and industries. That translates to applying best practices to each organization they step into, working to streamline people, process, and technology and utilizing KPIs to increase performance and growth in all areas, from IT to marketing, finance, and sales.

Build Company Culture

The CEO sets the tone of the organization and works to implement clear process and communication across the organization so everyone knows their role and how they individually contribute to the overall mission of the organization. 

Plan for the Future

While a part-time or fractional CEO can serve a company for months or even years, they put the structure in place to work themselves out of the job as the company grows. When an organization gets to a size or scale where a fully dedicated CEO is needed, they can help identify their replacement and empower them with the plan and structure in place.

FAQs: Part-Time or Fractional CEO

InterimExecs RED Team includes top interim CEOs, part-time CEOs, and fractional CEOs.

We have screened thousands of executives to hand-pick the best of the best CEOs from around the globe. Those strong relationships allow us to make recommendations in as little as 48 hours. When a match is made, you can engage a part-time CEO leader for a limited period or longer term, dedicating anywhere from a few hours to several days per week. 

What types of companies are the best fit for fractional CEO services?

Fractional CEOs typically jump into organizations that are not at a size or scale where a full-time CEO is needed. That can be a startup, a small business ready to grow, or an established business looking at new initiatives that require different leadership skills.

Another common case is a founder-owned business where a part-time CEO can come in alongside the business owner to put the foundation in place to scale or ready it for sale while giving the founder the bandwidth they need to focus on their unique abilities at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire.

Some organizations draw on fractional executives to head the leadership team during a transition. The skill set needed in a leader now may not be what is needed months or years from now. An on-demand CEO is a cost-effective solution to challenges like:

* New strategic roadmap to turn around or grow
* Strong leadership when a permanent CEO departs to add stability and help transition to a replacement
* An outside perspective focused on a project basis to develop and launch a new product, service, or offering
* Specialized expertise to free up C-suite bandwidth within a specific division or project

Fractional CEOs work across every industry from manufacturing to consumer goods, to healthcare, retail, technology, business services, hospitals, and non-profit organizations.

Can my fractional CEO step into a full-time role?

Fractional C-suite leaders work on a part-time basis because they have multiple clients so are not looking for roles that require 100% of their time. With that said, if a client falls in love with the executive, and the executive falls in love with the client, they can expand the time commitment or length of assignment; our contracts are designed to be flexible.

You can read more on the fractional model here.

How long is a typical fractional CEO assignment?

A fractional CEO may take on the executive leadership role full-time for a few months on a project basis to oversee a restructuring or help write a new business strategy. Or the assignment could require fractional leadership skills over a long-term commitment, with the exec devoting a few days each week to the company for several years. It all depends on the needs of the organization.

If you need a CEO who can dedicate 100% of their time to your organization for a particular project or to fill a short-term leadership gap while you search for the right full-time hire, you can also consider an interim CEO.

How are contracts with the fractional executive structured?

RED Team fractional leaders are deployed through InterimExecs’ placement arm. With part-time CEOs, the leadership role is focused on specific deliverables and there is never an employee/employer relationship created.

Contracts with a part-time executive are flexible and you can scale up or scale back services. A standard 30-day cancellation clause means it’s a low-risk decision focused on a good fit and results.

We stand for happy executives, happy clients.