Fractional Leadership
Fractional Leadership for Scaling Businesses
Experienced senior leaders on a part-time, flexible basis. Get the expertise you need without the permanent headcount - perfect for growth phases and strategic initiatives.
Understanding Fractional Leadership
Senior expertise without the overhead
The Model
Experienced executives deliver leadership capability on a part-time basis - typically 2–4 days per week, with flexible engagement windows. You get board or director-level expertise scaled to your needs.
When It Works
Perfect for scaling businesses, growth phases, post-acquisition integration, or roles that don't require full-time commitment but absolutely require senior leadership credibility and experience.
The Economics
Significantly lower cost than a full-time senior hire, while delivering the expertise and credibility of a seasoned operator. No recruitment costs, no benefits, no severance complexity.
The People
We place experienced leaders - people who've run departments, built teams, managed investors. People with skin in the game and deep sector knowledge.
When Fractional Works
Common scenarios where we place fractional leaders
Post-Acquisition Integration
You've just acquired another business. You need an experienced operator embedded in the acquired company for 6–12 months to drive integration, stabilise operations, and build the management capability.
Scaling Operations
You're experiencing rapid growth but your operational infrastructure isn't keeping pace. You need a fractional COO or operations director to build systems, hire, and establish processes.
Leadership Transition
A key leader has left suddenly or you're between permanent hires. You need experienced interim leadership to maintain momentum and continuity while you recruit a permanent replacement.
Strategic Initiative Leadership
You're launching a major new product, entering a new market, or undergoing significant change. You need a senior leader focused on delivering that specific initiative, full-time attention isn't necessary.
Board & Governance
You need an experienced non-executive or board member to add sector knowledge, credibility, and strategic guidance. Flexible engagement without the corporate director commitment.
Skills & Capability Building
You need to build a new capability (commercial strategy, FE partnerships, government relations) but don't have the permanent headcount or budget for a full hire. A fractional specialist builds the function.
How We Place
Finding the right fractional leader
Understand Your Need
We spend time understanding the specific role: what you need them to deliver, their scope, timeline, working style, and team dynamics. A good fractional fit requires clarity.
Find the Right Person
We identify experienced leaders in our network who are interested in fractional work - people who want the flexibility and variety, not another full-time job.
Careful Introduction
We ensure genuine alignment before any conversation. Both sides need confidence this will work - personality fit, engagement style, and practical logistics all matter.
Support the Relationship
We stay involved during onboarding and ongoing, ensuring the fractional leader has clarity on expectations, maintains momentum, and integrates smoothly with your team.
Types of Roles
The fractional leaders we place
Executive/C-Suite
Fractional CEO, COO, CFO, Chief Commercial Officer
Senior operational and strategic leadership. Usually 3–4 days per week for 6–18 months. Often in interim, integration, or stabilisation phases.
Operational Leadership
Integration Director, Operations Director, Head of Quality, Head of People
Hands-on operational focus. Often 2–3 days per week for specific projects or scaling challenges. Someone who understands process, systems, and team building.
Commercial Leadership
Commercial Director, Sales Director, Business Development Lead
Revenue growth and market development. 2–4 days per week. For companies that need commercial firepower but not necessarily full-time focus.
Specialist Expertise
Finance Director, HR Director, Compliance & Governance, Government Relations
Deep functional expertise on specific challenges. 1–3 days per week. Often for companies building new capabilities or managing specialist risk.
Board & Governance
Non-Exec Director, Board Advisor, Committee Chair
Board-level oversight and guidance. 1–2 days per month typical. Strategic perspective without the full corporate director commitment.
Interim Transitions
Interim MD, Acting Director, Covering Absence
Temporary leadership during transitions or absences. 3–5 days per week short-term. Someone to maintain continuity while you recruit permanent replacement.
The Benefits
Why fractional leadership works
Lower Cost
A fractional senior leader costs significantly less than a full-time hire, with no recruitment costs, benefits, or severance complexity. Perfect for tighter budgets.
Flexibility
Engagement timeframe can match your needs exactly - 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, or longer. Scale up or down as priorities shift.
Proven Expertise
You get someone who's done it before - built teams, managed complex situations, navigated sector challenges. Faster impact, lower risk.
Fresh Perspective
An experienced outsider brings perspective uncoloured by internal politics. Often helps teams see challenges and opportunities more clearly.
No Permanent Hiring Risk
You avoid the risk of a permanent hire not working out. If the fit isn't right, it's a clear-end engagement, not a difficult severance conversation.
Interim to Permanent
Fractional can be a stepping stone to finding a permanent replacement. The fractional leader can help identify and onboard their successor.
Who We Work With
Experienced leaders who choose fractional
Our fractional leaders are experienced operators - people who've run businesses, led teams, managed budgets. Many are semi-retired, between permanent roles, or genuinely prefer the flexibility and variety of fractional work. They're selective about engagements because they can be.
Engagement Model
How fractional engagements typically work
Days Per Week
Usually 1–4 days per week depending on the role. Some roles are monthly board-level meetings, others are intensive 4-day weeks during integration.
Engagement Length
Typically 3–18 months, with flexibility to extend. The goal is usually to hand over to a permanent hire or complete a specific initiative.
Scope & Deliverables
We define clear deliverables: integration roadmap, operational systems built, team trained, new capability established. Accountability from day one.
Cost
Usually structured as a monthly retainer or daily rate. No benefits, no recruitment costs, no severance. Budget typically 30–40% of a full-time equivalent salary.
Need fractional leadership?
Whether you're integrating an acquisition, scaling operations, or need interim leadership - let's discuss whether a fractional leader can help.
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