Mandate anatomy
Italian market entry. Anatomy of a 15-month mandate.
Brief
Anonymised. A Northern European scale-up decides to enter Italy without a country manager and without a permanent hire ready. The interim CEO opens the market.
Direct answer
A Nordic B2B scale-up at 80 million euros ARR enters Italy with an interim CEO as first Italian employee and legal representative. Fifteen-month mandate. Outcome: entity operational, seven-person local team in seat, 3.4 million euros of Italian ARR at handover, permanent country manager onboarded in month twelve.
Situation at engagement
- Nordic parent: 80 million euros ARR, expanding into two new European markets.
- Italy identified as top-three priority, no local presence, no CVs shortlisted.
- Board wants revenue in Italy within twelve months.
- No available executive from HQ willing to relocate to Milan.
First 90 days
- Legal entity incorporated in Milan, interim CEO as legal representative.
- First sales lead, first pre-sales engineer and first marketing manager hired.
- Office signed, standard employment contracts in Italian aligned with parent policy.
- First five prospects met personally, two moved to advanced-stage pipeline.
Months 4 to 12
- Team scaled to seven, first three commercial contracts signed.
- Local marketing calendar aligned with group brand, Italian PR launched.
- Board pack in English every month, weekly touchpoint with group CEO.
- Permanent country manager identified and offer signed at month eleven.
Outcome at month fifteen
- 3.4 million euros Italian ARR at handover, above the board case.
- Local team of seven with succession clear for every role.
- Permanent country manager in seat month twelve, three-month overlap.
- Interim retained as non-executive advisor for the following year.
Continue reading
Hub
Interim CEO in ItalyOne senior operator with a C-level track record, the alternative to head hunter fees.
Related
Foreign investors in ItalyThe full playbook for HQ abroad.
Related
Interim CEO in MilanThe default operating base.
FAQ
FAQ on Italian market-entry mandates
How does an interim CEO help with Italian market entry?
The interim CEO is the legal representative and operating leader from day one. Sets up the entity, hires the first ten people, negotiates the first commercial contracts and reports back to headquarters in English.
How long does an Italian market-entry mandate last?
Twelve to eighteen months. Enough to open, staff and stabilise. The interim CEO recruits and hands over to a permanent country manager in the final quarter.
Is Milan the right operating base?
For most industries yes: banking, PE, logistics, industrial groups and headhunters concentrate in Milan. Roma is right when the client base is public sector, defence or media.
Need this seat filled. Fast.