Whether you’re running a startup, scaling fast, or facing financial complexity, the question eventually comes up: Is it time to hire a CFO? This guide breaks down when to bring in a full-time, fractional, or interim CFO — and how to know which one is right for your company’s stage.
In an age of AI disruption, ransomware attacks, and cloud dependency, boards of directors face a new kind of fiduciary responsibility: ensuring that technology risk is understood, governed, and turned into competitive advantage.
Without active board engagement, companies risk falling behind—or worse, facing catastrophic loss. But when boards get technology right, it opens the door to innovation, security, and sustained value creation.
“Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have a faith in people, that they’re basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they’ll do wonderful things with them.”
— Steve Jobs
Technology is evolving at a breakneck pace, leaving many companies struggling to keep up. When systems are misaligned, talent is underleveraged, and business leaders are frustrated, it’s often a sign that technology is being managed in a silo—or worse, it’s actively hindering growth.
We spoke with two seasoned interim CIOs, David Mitchelhill and Kevin Malover, both members of the InterimExecs RED Team, about how they’ve guided companies through ERP overhauls, tech stack rebuilds, and aligning IT with business goals. Here are the biggest takeaways.
Imagine your business, a $200 million operation, vanishing overnight. Not a slow decline. Not a market shift. A sudden, devastating wipeout. That’s the reality Paul Hardy faced. He’s a seasoned executive who found himself at the epicenter of an avian flu outbreak in 2022.
Ultimately, the company, one of the biggest producers in the country, destroyed more than 5 million birds.
In eight days.
This isn’t just a story about managing in a crisis; it’s a masterclass in leadership, resilience, and the human cost of extraordinary decisions.
Fractional executives — including fractional CEOs, CFOs, COOs, and CIOs — are the hottest thing in the C-suite. What started as a niche workaround has gone mainstream, with companies from fast-scaling startups to Fortune 500s tapping part-time leaders for big-impact roles.
These aren’t consultants or advisors — they’re deeply embedded executives, delivering high-level strategy, leadership, and results without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire.
But what exactly is a fractional executive? How is this different from an interim or outsourced solution? And when does it make sense to go fractional in the first place?
In today’s fast-moving, tech-driven business environment, the role of the CIO is more critical — and more complex — than ever. Whether your organization is navigating digital transformation, merger integration, or large-scale ERP system upgrades, an Interim Chief Information Officer (CIO) can deliver immediate, strategic value without adding long-term overhead.
(Learn more about our Interim CIO Services and Fractional CIO Services here.)
Unlike consultants or rising IT managers, a seasoned interim CIO brings deep operational and leadership experience. These executives are not only capable of taking on the same responsibilities as a permanent CIO, but they also offer a focused lens on change, transformation, and rapid results.
Here are 5 common use cases where an interim CIO can be a powerful asset to tackle high-impact technology initiatives, IT leadership gap coverage, or specialized project execution:
When a national deli meat manufacturer faced declining yields, equipment inconsistencies, and looming leadership turnover, they called in a seasoned interim COO from InterimExecs’ RED Team to get operations back on track.
Michael Bartikoski, a veteran operations executive with deep roots in food manufacturing, stepped into the role with three goals: stabilize operations, improve yields, and build the next generation of leadership.
Hiring a fractional CFO could be one of the most impactful decisions you make this year. Whether your company is preparing for growth, managing a complex financial challenge, or gearing up for fundraising, a seasoned financial leader can bring clarity and direction — without the overhead of a full-time hire.
In this guide, we break down when to bring in a fractional CFO, what to expect, how to choose the right one, and how InterimExecs can match you with a RED Team leader who’s ready to make an immediate impact.
The landscape of the business world has always been in motion. Today, that reality is amplified. We’re operating in an era defined by unprecedented speed and interconnectedness, where disruptions can emerge from anywhere and reshape entire sectors overnight.
This hyper-dynamic environment makes traditional planning feel increasingly precarious. As Mike Tyson famously said, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” Today, those punches can land swiftly and unexpectedly, making it difficult to predict what’s next.
The U.S. Army War College has an acronym for that: VUCA. It stands for:
A record 2,221 CEOs announced plans to leave their posts in 2024, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. It’s the highest total the firm has tracked since it began keeping records in 2002. The trend continued in January 2025, with a record 222 CEOs leaving their posts.
Perhaps most troubling, Russell Reynolds says that just 28 percent of those CEO departures were planned. While that’s a 7 percent increase in year-over-year stats, it still means that the majority of companies scramble to fill a leadership void when a CEO leaves or unexpectedly resigns.
What are the most important steps a company should take when the CEO quits?
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First-year Change Agent members have access to the Interim Institute’s 4 hour audio program on the Fundamentals of Interim Management, and a one-hour strategy session to help jumpstart their interim career.
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