Insights
Interim CEO job description
An interim CEO brief is a mandate document, not a job advert. It states the mission, the powers, the number and the date the seat is handed back.
In short
An interim CEO job description should state four things: the specific mission (stabilise cash, cover a vacancy, deliver an integration, prepare a sale), the decision powers granted by the board, the measurable outcome the interim is accountable for, and the term with a defined handover to a permanent successor.
Define the mission before the duties
Interim mandates fail when the brief lists CEO duties instead of naming the mission. A cash crisis, a sudden departure, a post-merger integration and a pre-sale clean-up require different people and different powers. Write the mission in one sentence and the rest of the document follows.
What to include
- Mission statement: the single outcome this mandate exists to deliver.
- Term: typically six to twelve months, with a review point at three.
- Decision powers: hiring and dismissal, spend authority, contract signature, restructuring scope.
- Board interface: reporting cadence, what needs approval, who the interim escalates to.
- Accountability: two or three measurable outcomes, for example cash runway, EBITDA, integration milestones.
- Team mandate: authority to change the leadership team, and the limits on it.
- Handover: the deliverable and the named successor process at the end of the term.
The powers question is the one that decides success
An interim CEO without authority to change people, spend and contracts is a consultant with a bigger title, and everyone in the building works out the difference within a fortnight. The board must decide upfront what it is willing to delegate. Where it is not willing to delegate enough, the honest answer is that the mandate is not an interim CEO mandate.
As CMO of LeoVegas we ran a EUR 120M marketing budget and a team of 100+, delivered around EUR 50M of incremental revenue and lifted EBITA by 18 points, work that fed an exit to MGM north of EUR 607M. As managing director of the Italian market we took revenue from EUR 3M to EUR 18M in under a year.
Related services
Frequently asked questions
How is an interim CEO brief different from a permanent CEO brief?
A permanent brief describes an ongoing role and a culture fit. An interim brief describes a mission, a term, a set of powers and an exit. Long-term vision statements belong in the permanent version.
What powers should an interim CEO be given?
At minimum: authority over the leadership team, spend authority to a stated ceiling, and the right to renegotiate or exit contracts within the mandate. Anything less and decisions stall at the board.
How long should an interim CEO mandate be?
Six to twelve months in most cases. Under three months you can stabilise but not fix, beyond twelve the role should either become permanent or hand over.
Who does an interim CEO report to?
The board or the owner directly, usually with a fixed weekly contact point and a formal monthly report. Ambiguity here is the most common cause of a failed mandate.
Tell us the goal. We make it happen.
We deploy senior operator firepower and produce massive results. No excuses, just results.
Book a callStart the conversation
Tell us where you are and where you want to be. We reply within a day.