Interim plus search, with no upfront fee

What the engagement is?

Interim plus search provides agreed CFO or COO coverage while a contingency permanent search runs alongside it. The interim assignment addresses current responsibilities, while the permanent brief considers the longer-term leadership the company needs. Start dates depend on consultant availability and your selection.

What happens first?

The sequence is simple. First, we speak with you about the seat and the situation. Within days we introduce 2 to 3 vetted interim candidates, each with a write-up on industry fit, rate and availability. You choose one, and they start as soon as both sides are ready.

The sequence is simple. First, we speak with you about the seat and the situation. Within days we introduce 2 to 3 vetted interim candidates, each with a write-up on industry fit, rate and availability. You choose one, and they start as soon as both sides are ready. Second, while the interim works, we define the permanent profile with you and start the search. Third, when a permanent hire is chosen, the interim hands over and steps out on an agreed date.

What should the brief say about Fit beyond the title?

What the interim does in the meantime matters. A finance interim covers the close, the cash forecast, the lender relationship and the team. An operating interim restores the weekly rhythm and manages customer commitments. In both cases the interim learns what the permanent seat truly requires, which usually improves the search.

How we vet?

Overlap between the interim and the permanent executive costs money, so we plan the handover date early. An interim who starts to like the seat can become reluctant to leave, so we ask candidates about this directly. And the search should not become an afterthought.

There are tradeoffs. Overlap between the interim and the permanent executive costs money, so we plan the handover date early. An interim who starts to like the seat can become reluctant to leave, so we ask candidates about this directly. And the search should not become an afterthought. We keep it moving with regular updates.

What should the brief say about Scope and authority?

On fees, this works as follows. For the interim, no upfront fee, and you only pay once you engage a consultant you choose. For the permanent search, you pay only if you hire. If you hire the interim consultant full time, a conversion fee can apply, and we explain it before you engage.

What should the brief say about Handover?

Vetting is the same for both parts. We speak with each interim and each permanent candidate about specific engagements, results, working style, rate expectations and availability. You see a small number of strong options rather than a long list. This ensures you only review talent suited for your specific firm needs.

Vetting is the same for both parts. We speak with each interim and each permanent candidate about specific engagements, results, working style, rate expectations and availability. You see a small number of strong options rather than a long list.

What should the brief say about Defining the assignment and the decisions behind it?

Interim plus search is useful when two timelines need to run together. The business needs leadership now, but a permanent executive should be selected against a considered brief. An interim consultant can take responsibility for agreed work while the search team approaches permanent candidates.

Interim plus search is useful when two timelines need to run together. The business needs leadership now, but a permanent executive should be selected against a considered brief. An interim consultant can take responsibility for agreed work while the search team approaches permanent candidates. The two activities are connected, but they are not interchangeable. A consultant's suitability for temporary work does not automatically make them the preferred permanent hire, and a permanent candidate should not be judged only on their ability to start immediately.

Begin by defining the interim assignment and the permanent position separately. The interim may need to protect reporting continuity, stabilize an operating routine or prepare a handover. The permanent role may include a broader leadership mandate, a long-term strategic plan and team development. Record the authority each role carries and who the executive reports to. This avoids using an emergency brief as the permanent job description without examining what the company will need after the immediate pressure eases.

You receive 2 to 3 vetted consultants for the interim assignment, with write-ups that explain industry experience, practical fit, rates and availability. You interview them and decide whether to engage one. The permanent search has its own candidate evaluation and interview process. We discuss the fee terms for each scope before work begins. Interim consulting is paid once you engage a consultant you choose. Permanent CFO and COO searches are contingency: you pay only if you hire. Neither decision is hidden inside the other engagement.

The interim can contribute useful information to the permanent search. They may identify an unrealistic workload, a missing controller position or an operating responsibility that needs clearer ownership. That evidence can improve the permanent profile. The owner or board still approves any changes to the search brief. We distinguish observations about the role from opinions about an individual candidate, particularly if the interim expresses interest in permanent employment. Potential conflicts should be discussed openly rather than allowed to shape the process without scrutiny.

During the overlap, protect confidentiality and employee communication. Permanent candidates may need selected financial or operating information to assess the opportunity, but they do not need unrestricted access to internal records. Agree who prepares that information and who approves its release. Internally, employees should understand the interim's authority and the plan for the permanent appointment. Avoid promising a fixed hiring date when interviews, notice periods and the right match remain uncertain.

A useful handover is prepared throughout the assignment. The incoming executive needs a clear record of current priorities, reporting commitments, key contacts, decisions already made and issues still open. The interim should document assumptions that require further testing rather than present them as settled facts. Agree whether an overlap period is helpful and how its time and cost will be handled. If the permanent search takes longer, extending the interim arrangement is a separate approval, not an automatic obligation. If the client wants to hire the consultant full time, availability, consent and any agreed conversion fee need to be addressed before that transition.