How we work
Clear engagements, one accountable leader
Whether you need an independent view, a full-time executive or a part-time member of your leadership team, you always work directly with a senior executive who owns the outcome.
Engagement models
Choose the commitment your situation needs
Many engagements start with a Rapid Diagnostic and continue as an interim or fractional assignment. Others start the same week with an executive on site. We will advise you honestly on what fits.
Rapid Diagnostic
An independent, fixed-scope assessment of your situation, with a clear recommendation and recovery plan.
- Commitment
- Fixed scope
- Duration
- Typically 2 to 3 weeks
- Pricing
- Fixed fee
Best for: When you need the facts before you decide what to do next.
Full-time Interim
A senior executive who joins your organisation full-time, with real authority, to lead through a critical period.
- Commitment
- Full-time, on site
- Duration
- Typically 3 to 12 months
- Pricing
- Day rate
Best for: Recoveries, restructurings, integrations and leadership gaps that need full attention.
Fractional
A senior executive who is part of your leadership team for one to three days a week, for as long as you need.
- Commitment
- 1 to 3 days per week
- Duration
- Ongoing, flexible
- Pricing
- Monthly retainer
Best for: Startups, scale-ups and teams that need senior experience without a full-time hire.
Interim or fractional?
Two ways to add senior leadership
| Aspect | Full-time interim | Fractional |
|---|---|---|
| Typical situation | Recovery, restructuring, integration or an unexpected leadership gap | Growth, professionalisation or a need for senior expertise without a full-time hire |
| Time commitment | Full-time, on site | One to three days per week |
| Duration | Defined period, typically 3 to 12 months | Ongoing, scaled up or down as needed |
| Role | Line executive with full authority and accountability | Member of the leadership team, owning a defined domain |
| Pricing | Day rate | Monthly retainer |
| End point | Handover to a permanent leader or team | When you are ready for a permanent hire, or no longer need us |
Our approach
Diagnose, stabilise, recover, hand over
Step 1
Diagnose
We establish the facts quickly and independently: talking to all stakeholders, reviewing plans, contracts and numbers, and separating symptoms from root causes.
Step 2
Stabilise
We stop the bleeding. Clear governance, decision rights and communication restore control, and visible early actions rebuild confidence.
Step 3
Recover
We lead the execution of an agreed recovery plan hands-on, with measurable milestones and honest reporting to your leadership.
Step 4
Hand over
We plan our exit from day one. Knowledge, ownership and capability are transferred to your permanent team, so results last after we leave.
Working together
What makes an engagement succeed
Recoveries work when the executive has a clear mandate and the backing to use it. Before we start, we agree on four things with you.
- Clear objectives
- What success looks like, and how we will measure it.
- A real mandate
- The authority to make decisions and act on them.
- An executive sponsor
- Direct access to the person who owns the outcome.
- An exit plan
- Who takes over, and when, from the very first week.
Frequently asked questions
- An interim executive works for you full-time, for a defined period, typically to lead a recovery, restructuring or transition. A fractional executive is part of your leadership team for one to three days a week on an ongoing basis. Both bring the same seniority; the difference is the intensity and duration of the commitment.
- Troubled situations rarely wait, so speed matters. After a first conversation we propose a suitable executive as quickly as possible, and we start with a short diagnostic phase so that time on site is used effectively from the first day.
- A Rapid Diagnostic is a fixed fee. Full-time interim engagements are based on a day rate. Fractional engagements are based on a monthly retainer for an agreed number of days. There are no placement fees.
- Both. Our executives have sat on both sides of the table, as buyers of large services and technology contracts and as leaders within the providers delivering them. That perspective is exactly what makes recoveries and renegotiations work.
- Every engagement is designed with the exit in mind. We hand over to a permanent leader or team, transfer knowledge and documentation, and can help recruit and onboard a successor.
- Troubled projects, disputes and transactions are sensitive by nature. Every conversation is treated as confidential, and we are happy to sign a non-disclosure agreement before discussing any details.
Facing a situation that needs senior leadership, fast?
Tell us what is going on. A first conversation is confidential and without obligation, and you will speak directly with an experienced executive.