Temporary CEO and Interim General Manager
A temporary CEO or interim general manager for transitions, turnarounds, and stabilisation, when the company needs a decisive operator in the chair now.
When to bring in a temporary CEO
A temporary CEO or interim general manager takes the top operating role for a defined period when a company cannot wait for a permanent search. Founder transitions, post-acquisition integration, a sudden departure, or underperformance the existing team cannot reset. This is full operating ownership with board accountability, not a placeholder while the search runs.
What changes inside the first thirty days
- Cash, customers, and people stabilised in that order
- Operating cadence reset and executive meetings restructured
- An honest read of the leadership team delivered to the board
- Clear communication to staff and stakeholders, once and cleanly
Where this works best
- Companies between fifty and five hundred million in revenue
- Restructurings that require honest decisions in the first ninety days
- Post-acquisition integration that needs senior ownership
- A stabilisation period before a permanent CEO is appointed
Engagement model
- Six to eighteen months, defined upfront
- Outcome-linked compensation
- Direct relationship with chair, sponsor, or board
- Clean handover plan to the permanent CEO agreed in advance
How to start
A brief on the situation, the sponsor, and the timeline is enough to open a conversation, followed by a ninety-day diagnostic view before any commitment.
https://niklaslindahl.com/services/temporary-ceo