A seasoned CEO who runs the company with or for its owners a few days a month. Common in founder transitions, turnarounds and PE-backed businesses.
Tell us what you need and our team will introduce you to people who fit.
A fractional CEO is an experienced chief executive who leads a company part-time, usually on a monthly retainer, while the owners or board stay involved. It's less common than other fractional roles and fits specific situations: a founder stepping back, a turnaround, a PE portfolio company between leaders, or an owner preparing for a sale.
Most fractional roles take one function off the CEO's plate. A fractional CEO takes the top seat itself, which is why the role is rarer and the situations more specific.
The most common case is a founder or owner who has built a solid business and wants to stop running it day to day. The fractional CEO takes over leadership of the team, strategy and results, while the founder moves into a chair, board or product role. Others are hired by boards and private equity owners to steady a company after a leadership change, or to lead a turnaround before a permanent CEO is found.
If what you actually need is help in one area (finance, marketing, operations), a functional fractional leader is usually a better fit. See the full list of fractional executive roles.
TL;DR
A fractional CEO typically costs $7,800–$13,000 a month for about 13 hours a week. GoFractional's live job-post data puts the average rate at $205 an hour, with the middle half between $150 and $250. Turnaround and PE engagements that need more days a week cost more, and some include a performance bonus or equity.
Typical monthly retainer
$8,000–$13,000/mo
Hourly rate in live job posts
$150–$250/hr
Monthly cost in live job posts
$7,800–$13,000/mo
| Pricing model | Typical range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Advisory (a few hours a month) | $3,000–$6,000 per month | Coaching a founder-CEO and joining board meetings |
| Part-time CEO (about 13 hrs/week) | $7,800–$13,000 per month | Running the leadership team while the founder steps back |
| Embedded or turnaround (2–3 days/week) | $13,000–$25,000 per month | Turnarounds, PE value-creation plans, pre-sale preparation |
| Performance component | Bonus or equity on top | Turnarounds and exits where results are measurable |
A full-time CEO hire at a growing company is one of the most expensive and slowest searches you can run, often six months or more with a retained search firm. A fractional CEO can start within weeks and gives the board time to define what the permanent role should be.
Stable founder transitions cost less than turnarounds, where cash, lenders and staff all need managing at once.
Most fractional CEOs work one to three days a week. Crisis periods take more.
Multi-site, regulated and larger companies need more time and specialist experience.
Some fractional CEOs take a lower retainer in exchange for a bonus tied to profit or a sale.
The scope is broad because it's the top job. These are the areas a fractional CEO usually owns.
Sets the company's direction for the next one to three years and turns it into an annual plan.
Manages the senior team, fills gaps, and holds each leader to their numbers.
Reports to the board, PE sponsor or founder, and manages the relationship with lenders and investors.
Owns revenue, margins and cash, working closely with finance.
Keeps people steady during a transition and communicates clearly about what's changing.
Defines the permanent CEO role and often helps recruit the person who takes over.
Three ways to get senior chief executive help.
| Option | Time | Role | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fractional CEO | 1–3 days/week, ongoing | Leads the company part-time | Founder transitions, PE portfolio companies, smaller businesses |
| Interim CEO | Full-time, 3–12 months | Fills a vacant CEO seat | Sudden departures and crises |
| CEO coach or mentor | A few sessions a month | Advises the sitting CEO | Founders who want to stay CEO and get better at it |
If you want to stay CEO but need an experienced sounding board, a CEO mentor costs far less than a fractional CEO and keeps you in charge.
These are the situations where companies most often bring in a part-time chief executive.
When not to hire one: If the problem sits in one function, hire a functional fractional leader instead. A fractional CEO only makes sense when the top job itself needs to change hands.
The business works, but the founder wants to move into a chair, board or product role without selling.
Revenue or cash is falling and the board needs an experienced operator in charge quickly.
The owners need a value-creation plan run by someone who has done it before.
An owner wants the business to run without them so it's worth more to a buyer.
Tell us what you need and our team will introduce you to people who have done this job before, so you can talk to them before you commit.
Tell us what you needAsk about specific outcomes, not credentials. A good candidate will tell you what didn't work as readily as what did.
Have you led a company of our size through this exact situation?
How will you work with the founder or owners day to day?
Who will you report to, and how often?
What does success look like after six and twelve months?
How do you plan for your own succession?
Still have questions? Email our team and we'll help you work out what you need.
A fractional CEO typically costs $7,800–$13,000 per month for about 13 hours a week, based on GoFractional's average rate of $205 an hour. Turnaround and PE engagements that need more days cost more and sometimes include a performance bonus.
A fractional CEO leads the company part-time: setting strategy, managing the leadership team, owning financial results and reporting to the board or owners. They're most common in founder transitions, turnarounds and PE-backed companies.
An interim CEO works full-time for a few months to fill a vacant seat. A fractional CEO works part-time, often for a year or more, alongside an involved founder or board.
Yes. That's the most common setup. The founder often moves into a chair, board or product role while the fractional CEO runs the leadership team.
No. A coach advises the sitting CEO. A fractional CEO actually holds the role and makes the decisions.
Use the form on this page to describe your situation and we'll introduce you to experienced chief executives who fit. If you want to stay CEO yourself, you can also browse CEO mentors and book an intro call.
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