Fractional CEO
Fractional CEO. Italy. Ongoing leadership at the right size.
Brief
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.
2-3d
Per week
EN/IT
Board language
Quarterly
Review cadence
12m+
Typical mandate
Built 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.
The situation we step into
- 01
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.
- 02
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.
- 03
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.
- 04
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
- 01
Operating cadence held
Weekly operating review, monthly board pack, quarterly plan check. Run in English, executed in Italian.
- 02
Founder freed for their best work
Product, key customers, strategic deals. Operating tax taken off the founder's plate.
- 03
Top team accountable
CFO, commercial lead and ops lead held to the plan. Replacements made deliberately, not reactively.
- 04
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.
Related
A fractional CEO is one form of fractional management. For the broader model applied across other senior leadership functions, see fractional manager.
Need this seat filled. Fast.