The C-suite you need. Not the cost of one.
Vetted fractional, interim and advisory C-suite operators — matched in 48 hours, day-rate transparent, typically 40–60% cheaper than a full-time hire. Build a single role or a whole fractional leadership pod.
Leadership is the bottleneck, not the budget.
Every scale-up hits the same ceiling: you need C-suite capability to unlock the next stage, but the traditional hiring model breaks at both ends — it's unaffordable at full-time rates, and too slow when the market is moving in quarters, not years.
Too expensive
A permanent CFO runs £250–350k loaded — too rich for a Series A company that needs guidance, not a full-time seat.
Too slow
6–9 months to hire a C-suite exec — assuming they don't get poached at the finish line. The market won't wait.
Wrong capacity
You don't need 5-day CMO coverage; you need 2 days of strategy and execution. But you can't hire 40% of a person.
Four models, one process.
Whether you need a single fractional CFO, an interim CEO for transition, board-level advisory, or a whole leadership pod stood up in parallel — we run the same vetted, transparent process. The right structure for your stage, not a one-size mandate.
Fractional
1–3 days / weekBoard-level leadership on a part-time retainer. The seniority of a permanent hire, at a fraction of the cost and commitment.
Interim
full-time · fixed termA full-time operator for a defined window — covering a departure, leading a transformation, or bridging to a permanent hire.
Advisory
board-level · ad hocA seasoned executive on call for the board — strategic counsel, investor prep and pattern-matching, without a standing seat.
Embedded pods
multi-role · coordinatedA whole fractional leadership layer — CFO, CTO and CMO working in concert — stood up in weeks, not the year it takes to hire three.
The same leadership, for 40–60% less.
Fractional isn't a discount on quality — it's a discount on capacity you don't need. A two-day-a-week CFO at the market median costs roughly a third of a loaded full-time hire, and the saving compounds across a whole pod.
Fractional CFO vs full-time — year 1
Full-time loaded: £240k base + 28% on-costs + recruitment fee.
And it compounds across a pod.
› fractional pod: £24,500 / month
3 permanent equivalents: ~£68,000 / mo
› saving: £43,500 / month (64%)
time to stand up: ~3 weeks
Brief to boardroom in days.
We run a tight, transparent process. You tell us the mandate; we return a vetted shortlist in 48 hours, you meet your favourites, and the chosen operator starts — outside IR35, on a day rate, with no long-term lock-in.
Brief
A 30-minute call to scope the mandate, cadence, budget and the outcomes that matter.
day 0Shortlist
3–5 vetted operators, each with rate benchmark, track record and IR35 status attached.
within 48hMeet
You interview your favourites. We handle scheduling, references and rate negotiation.
day 3–7Start
Contract signed outside IR35, operator embedded, with a 30-day fit checkpoint.
week 2Every operator clears a 7-step vetting funnel.
Speed means nothing if the shortlist is weak. We reject the overwhelming majority of applicants before anyone reaches you — for track record, references, and genuine fit to your specific mandate. See the full vetting method →
Transparent pricing, no surprises.
Day rates benchmarked against real placements. No hidden fees, no success charge, no long-term lock-in. You pay the operator's day rate plus our margin, transparently disclosed. See the full rate index →
| Role | Median day rate | P25 – P75 band | 2 days/wk · year | vs full-time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CFO | £1,500 | £1,150 – £1,950 | £138k | −62% |
| CTO | £1,400 | £1,000 – £1,800 | £129k | −59% |
| COO | £1,300 | £950 – £1,650 | £120k | −61% |
| CMO | £1,200 | £850 – £1,550 | £110k | −58% |
| CPO | £1,100 | £800 – £1,400 | £101k | −57% |
| CHRO | £1,050 | £750 – £1,350 | £97k | −60% |
We built this because we needed it.
Every founder hits the same wall: you need C-suite capability yesterday, but the traditional model breaks. We've placed hundreds of fractional operators because we understand both sides — what boards need, and how seasoned operators want to work.
Price truth
Real day rates from real placements. No "call for quote" gatekeeping.
Speed
48 hours to shortlist, 2 weeks to start. Not the 6-month slog of permanent search.
Structure
Outside IR35 by default. Clean contracts, no disguised employment risk.
Team build
We can stand up a whole pod — CFO, CTO, CMO in parallel, not sequential.
No lock-in
30-day fit checkpoint. If it's not working, we find someone else.
UK coverage
London to Edinburgh, Cardiff to Belfast. Remote, hybrid, or on-site.
Bring the brief.
We architect the team.
Tell us what you need — a single fractional CFO, an interim CEO for transition, or a whole leadership pod. We'll return a vetted shortlist in 48 hours.