The appointment owns
The interim CEO runs the team, settles delegated near-term decisions and records a revised operating plan for board review.
interim executive recruitment
Hire Interim CEO
Hire Interim CEO: give a temporary chief executive authority to run the company through a defined gap or change, then hand over a clear record to the next leader.
Brief us on this role →CEO briefChoose a part of the brief
Part 01 / 04
End condition
Name the vacancy, transaction or change that makes temporary chief executive cover necessary.
Part 02 / 04
Immediate decisions
List the cash, people and customer decisions that cannot wait for a permanent appointment.
Part 03 / 04
Authority
Write which decisions the interim can make and which remain with the chair or board.
Part 04 / 04
Exit record
Define what the successor must inherit: decisions, risks, owners and unfinished work.
Hire Interim CEO: what must the role own?
Name the vacancy, transaction or change that makes temporary chief executive cover necessary.
End conditionName the vacancy, transaction or change that makes temporary chief executive cover necessary.
Immediate decisionsList the cash, people and customer decisions that cannot wait for a permanent appointment.
AuthorityWrite which decisions the interim can make and which remain with the chair or board.
Exit recordDefine what the successor must inherit: decisions, risks, owners and unfinished work.
Role reference: Institute of Interim Management: interim management guide. The IIM describes an independent executive undertaking a finite assignment, implementing change and exiting after a handover. The board must still define this CEO assignment.
What changes when the CEO is interim?
The interim CEO carries a finite whole-company assignment. The board should state the outcome, review point, delegated authority and successor handover before approaching candidates.
interimChoose a part of the brief
Part 01 / 04
Outcome
Write the transition or programme outcome before searching.
Part 02 / 04
Term
Agree the expected end, a review point and what could extend the assignment.
Part 03 / 04
Authority
Give the interim the authority needed to hold the seat during the assignment.
Part 04 / 04
Handover
Name the person or team who takes ownership when the interim leaves.
How would this work in a real brief?
The hiring decision becomes clearer when the work and its boundary are written down together.
Illustrative brief · a CEO vacancy during an operating plan reset
The chief executive has left, the senior team needs a decision on priorities and the board is still searching for a permanent successor.
The interim CEO runs the team, settles delegated near-term decisions and records a revised operating plan for board review.
Another owner retains
The board keeps reserved strategy and investment decisions; the permanent successor receives the decision log and unresolved risks.
How should you assess CEO candidates?
Put the same work and evidence in front of each candidate before comparing answers.
The evidenceChoose a part of the brief
Part 01 / 04
Comparable transition
Ask for a prior chief executive gap, what the candidate decided and what the successor received.
Part 02 / 04
First review
Ask what cash, customer and team evidence they would inspect before changing the plan.
Part 03 / 04
Chair relationship
Take a reference from a chair on how the candidate handled reserved decisions.
Part 04 / 04
Exit discipline
Ask how they would document decisions and risks from the first week, not only at the end.
Acas recommends a consistent, fair selection process: choosing who to interview.
Does this hiring pattern fit the work?
Test the amount of the week, the expected end and the continuity needed before writing the contract.
The working pattern · interim
An interim CEOAn executive holds a defined assignment or transition. Agree the outcome, authority and handover before the start.
What must happen before the CEO starts?
Agree the assignment end condition, review point and handover recipient.
A clear startChoose a part of the brief
Part 01 / 04
Outcome
Agree the assignment end condition, review point and handover recipient.
Part 02 / 04
Authority
Set the board delegations and escalation route in writing.
Part 03 / 04
Access
Provide board papers, operating plan, cash position and senior-team contacts.
Part 04 / 04
Handover log
Record live decisions, owners and open risks from the first board review.
- 1
Outcome
Agree the assignment end condition, review point and handover recipient.
- 2
Authority
Set the board delegations and escalation route in writing.
- 3
Access
Provide board papers, operating plan, cash position and senior-team contacts.
- 4
Handover log
Record live decisions, owners and open risks from the first board review.
A useful CEO brief names the decision, the working pattern and the evidence before it names a candidate.
What should the brief say?
Hire Interim CEO begins with end condition, a stated working pattern and the evidence you will ask every candidate to show.
15 minutes · video or phone
Brief us on a CEO
Tell us what the role must own, how it will work and when it must start.
- 01A brief built around the decisions and working pattern.
- 02A shortlist of 3–5 with pay or day rate, availability and IR35 position set out.
- 03Five-stage vetting before a candidate reaches you.
Pick a day that suits · live availability
