Fractional CEO
Fractional CEO. Italy. Ongoing leadership at the right size.
A senior CEO seat your business gets for two to three days a week. Full executive authority for the scope. Built for scale-ups, mid-market and quieter parts of the PE cycle.
For
Founder-led scale-ups in Italy, PE-backed mid-market companies between buy and exit, and international subsidiaries that need a senior CEO presence without a full-time hire.
2-3d
Per week
EN/IT
Board language
Quarterly
Review cadence
12m+
Typical mandate
The situation we step into
Founder past their best seat
The founder is great at the product or the customer but the company needs an operator running the operating cadence.
Cannot yet justify a full-time CEO
Revenue and complexity say senior CEO. The P&L says not yet. The cost of the wrong full-time hire is bigger than the gap.
Board needs a peer for the founder
The board wants a senior counterpart for the founder. Someone who can chair the operating review and own the plan to the board.
PE asset in low-touch mode
Between the heavy lift and exit prep. Full-time interim is too much. A fractional CEO keeps the cadence and the plan honest.
What changes in the first 90 days
Operating cadence held
Weekly operating review, monthly board pack, quarterly plan check. Run in English, executed in Italian.
Founder freed for their best work
Product, key customers, strategic deals. Operating tax taken off the founder's plate.
Top team accountable
CFO, commercial lead and ops lead held to the plan. Replacements made deliberately, not reactively.
Plan that the board can read
One pack. One source of truth. Numbers that match the operation, not slides that hide it.
How the engagement runs
- Week 0
Scoping with founder and board.
Mandate, authority, reporting line, days per month. Written scope inside 48 hours.
- Month 1
Operating cadence installed.
Weekly review, monthly board pack, KPI tree the team actually uses.
- Quarter 1
Plan baselined and shipping.
Twelve-week plan agreed and tracked. Quick wins shipped, risks named, owners assigned.
- Ongoing
Quarterly review.
Scope, days and price re-agreed every quarter. Either scaled up, scaled down or wound down cleanly.
- Exit
Clean handover.
Permanent CEO briefed or operating rhythm handed back to the founder.
Questions buyers ask
What is a fractional CEO?
A senior CEO engaged on a part-time, ongoing basis. Typically two to three days a week, with full executive authority for the scope agreed with the board.
Fractional CEO vs interim CEO, what is the difference?
An interim CEO is full-time for a defined window, usually three to twelve months. A fractional CEO is ongoing, part-time, and used when the business does not yet justify a full-time CEO seat.
When does a fractional CEO make sense?
Scale-ups that have outgrown the founder but cannot yet afford a top-tier full-time CEO. Carve-outs in their second year. PE assets in low-touch mode between buy and exit.
How is the engagement structured?
Monthly retainer aligned to days per month, with a clear scope, reporting line and success metrics. Reviewed each quarter.
Need this seat filled. Fast.