June 1, 2026

When Does a Company Need a COO? 5 Signs It’s Time to Add Operational Leadership

When Does a Company Need a COO? 5 Signs It’s Time to Add Operational Leadership

A company needs a COO when growth, complexity, or operational challenges prevent leadership from executing strategy effectively. Common signs include process inefficiencies, departmental silos, rapid scaling, leadership transitions, and executives spending too much time on day-to-day operations instead of long-term growth.

Key Takeaways

    • A COO becomes essential when operational complexity outgrows existing leadership capacity.
    • The most common warning signs are hidden inefficiencies, siloed departments, and scaling challenges.
    • A COO frees CEOs to focus on strategy by driving execution, accountability, and cross-functional alignment.

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May 26, 2026

As CFO Pay Rises Faster Than CEO Pay, Companies Are Rethinking Leadership Hiring

As CFO Pay Rises Faster Than CEO Pay, Companies Are Rethinking Leadership Hiring

As CFO compensation continues climbing in 2026, companies are facing a new executive hiring challenge: how to secure strategic finance leadership without taking on the full cost of a permanent C-suite hire. New compensation data shows CFO pay is rising faster than CEO salaries in several areas, helping fuel demand for interim and fractional finance executives.

Key Takeaways

  • CFO compensation continues to outpace CEO salary growth as boards compete for strategic finance talent.
  • Long-term equity incentives remain the biggest driver of executive pay, especially for CEOs.
  • More companies are turning to interim and fractional CFOs as a cost-effective alternative to escalating permanent executive compensation.

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May 26, 2026

The Private Credit Crisis Is Becoming a Leadership Crisis for PE Firms

The Private Credit Crisis Is Becoming a Leadership Crisis for PE Firms

Private equity firms are facing mounting pressure as rising borrowing costs, stalled exits and tighter lending conditions reshape the private credit landscape. What began as a financing challenge is rapidly becoming an operational leadership crisis, driving demand for interim executives, fractional CFOs and turnaround leaders capable of stabilizing portfolio companies under stress.

3 Key Takeaways

  • The private credit crisis is no longer just a capital markets issue. Private equity firms are increasingly confronting operational instability across portfolio companies as refinancing becomes more difficult and liquidity pressure intensifies.
  • Interim and fractional executives are becoming strategic assets. PE firms are relying on experienced interim CEOs, CROs and fractional CFOs to improve cash flow, stabilize operations and restore lender confidence during periods of uncertainty.
  • Operational execution now matters as much as financial engineering. The firms best positioned to navigate the current market are those combining disciplined financial management with experienced leadership capable of driving rapid operational change.

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April 30, 2026

Nonprofits Need Interim Leadership to Navigate What’s Next in an Unpredictable World

Nonprofits Need Interim Leadership to Navigate What’s Next in an Unpredictable World

As nonprofit organizations face rising demand and unpredictable funding, mergers are becoming more common, but they’re not the only path forward. The real differentiator is leadership. Bringing in experienced interim executives equips organizations to stabilize, evaluate options, and execute successfully, whether the nonprofits ultimately merge or remain independent.

Key Takeaways

  • Nonprofit mergers are accelerating, but success depends on strong, experienced leadership in the moment.
  • Interim executives bring critical financial and operational discipline, helping organizations stabilize, assess options, and execute effectively.
  • The right interim leader positions nonprofits to succeed as a stronger standalone organization or as a high-performing merger partner.

A Sector Under Pressure

Nonprofits today are navigating a perfect storm: escalating need for services alongside shrinking, less predictable funding streams. The result is a sector increasingly in flux, with boards and executive teams under pressure to make high-stakes decisions quickly.

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April 30, 2026

What to Do When a CEO Quits: 5 Critical Steps for Stability

What to Do When a CEO Quits: 5 Critical Steps for Stability

When a CEO quits, companies must immediately stabilize leadership, appoint an experienced interim CEO, communicate with stakeholders, and begin the search for a permanent replacement.

Key Takeaways

  • Act immediately: When a CEO quits, the priority is stabilizing leadership; successful companies appoint an interim CEO within days to maintain continuity.
  • Control the narrative: Clear communication with employees, investors, and stakeholders is critical to preserving confidence and avoiding disruption.
  • Stability matters: An experienced interim CEO is the most effective way to bridge the gap while you conduct a thorough search for a permanent leader.

What to Do When a CEO Quits: 5 Critical Steps

  1. Appoint an interim CEO immediately
  2. Begin the search for a permanent CEO
  3. Communicate with stakeholders
  4. Maintain operational focus
  5. Update succession planning

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April 30, 2026

What is a Fractional Executive? How Part-Time CEOs, CFOs, and COOs Generate Big Impact

What is a Fractional Executive? How Part-Time CEOs, CFOs, and COOs Generate Big Impact

A fractional executive is a senior C-suite leader (such as a CEO, CFO, or COO) who works with a company on a part-time or ongoing basis, providing strategic leadership without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire.

Key Takeaways

  • A fractional executive is senior leadership without full-time commitment: Fractional executives provide C-suite-level strategy, decision-making, and accountability on a part-time basis aligned to actual business needs.
  • Offers a flexible, lower-risk, lower-cost alternative to full-time hiring: Boards gain experienced leadership while controlling costs, reducing long-term obligations, and maintaining the ability to scale involvement up or down.
  • Built for moments that matter most: Fractional executives are especially effective during growth, transformation, transitions, and periods where targeted expertise delivers outsized impact.

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 full-time hire? And when does it make sense to go fractional in the first place?

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April 29, 2026

Fractional CFO vs. Interim CFO vs. Full-Time: Which Is Right for Your Company?

Fractional CFO vs. Interim CFO vs. Full-Time: Which Is Right for Your Company?

Not every company needs a full-time CFO—but choosing the wrong type of financial leadership can be costly. This guide compares fractional, interim, and full-time CFOs so you can understand the differences, when to use each, and how to choose the right fit for your company’s stage, budget, and goals.

Key Takeaways

  • Fractional CFOs are best for ongoing strategic support without full-time cost
  • Interim CFOs step in quickly for transitions, crises, or urgent needs
  • Full-time CFOs make sense for larger companies needing permanent leadership

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April 29, 2026

When Should You Hire a CFO?

When Should You Hire a CFO?

Knowing when to hire a CFO can be the difference between scaling confidently and flying blind. As companies grow, financial decisions become more complex—from forecasting and fundraising to managing cash flow and expansion. This guide explains the key signals it’s time to bring in CFO-level leadership and which model fits your stage.

Key Takeaways:

  • Complexity is the trigger: When financial decisions, forecasting, or cash flow questions outgrow basic accounting, it’s time for CFO-level strategy.
  • Growth events often require a CFO: Fundraising, M&A, expansion, or operational inefficiencies are common points where companies, especially startups, bring in a CFO.
  • You don’t always need full-time: Interim or fractional CFOs provide senior financial leadership without the cost or commitment of a permanent hire.

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.

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April 29, 2026

CFO Resignations Hit Record Highs. Who Will Fill the Role When Your CFO Leaves?

CFO Resignations Hit Record Highs. Who Will Fill the Role When Your CFO Leaves?

When a CFO leaves a company — whether by resignation, retirement, or termination — the clock starts immediately. CFO turnover hit a seven-year high in 2025, making succession planning more critical than ever. As a consequence, demand for highly skilled interim CFOs remains high.

A whopping 262 CFOs left their jobs globally in 2025, continuing a multi-year trend of high turnover. In the S&P 500 alone, CFO turnover surged to a record 106 appointments in 2025, up sharply from 89 the year prior.

According to the management consulting firm Russel Reynolds Associates, which keeps track of CFO comings and goings, “Global CFO appointments reached a seven-year high in 2025, with 316 incoming CFOs (+10% YoY) and 12% above the seven-year average of 281 appointments. This continued upward trajectory is a clear signal that elevated CFO churn is now a persistent feature of today’s governance landscape.”

That means even big public companies are at risk of CFO turnover, whether by resignation, retirement, or termination, and every company needs a strong succession plan to ensure continuity in financial leadership.

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April 27, 2026

10 Early Warning Signs a PE Portfolio Company Will Fail at Execution (and How Interim Executives Fix It Fast)

10 Early Warning Signs a PE Portfolio Company Will Fail at Execution (and How Interim Executives Fix It Fast)

Delayed exits have left private equity funds with a new challenge: Figuring out how to get their portfolio companies to execute for longer periods. So we found it enlightening to read the Reddit thread that asked how PE funds would know whether a portco would struggle with execution. The answers from operators, consultants, and embedded PE partners surfaced a brutally honest list of execution warning signs.

Here, we summarize the 10 warning signs a portco will fail at execution and offer the fix we know works.

If you’re seeing even 2–3 of these warning signs in a portfolio company, execution risk is already rising. If you’re seeing 5+, the clock is ticking.

The good news? These problems are highly fixable with the right leadership, at the right time.

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