Insights
Interim CEO salary
Interim CEOs are paid by the day, not by salary. Expect EUR 1,500 to EUR 3,500 a day, with the top of the range reserved for distress and turnaround.
In short
An interim CEO is normally paid a day rate of EUR 1,500 to EUR 3,500, which works out at roughly EUR 30,000 to EUR 70,000 a month for a full-time mandate. Turnaround and insolvency-adjacent situations sit at the top of the band, often with a success fee of 10 to 30 percent tied to a defined outcome such as a refinancing, a disposal or a return to positive EBITDA.
What drives the number
- Severity: a stable maternity or notice-period cover pays far less than a cash crisis.
- Company size: a EUR 10M business and a EUR 300M group are different mandates entirely.
- Exclusivity: full-time interim commands a premium over a fractional CEO working two days.
- Sector: regulated industries, gaming, financial services and pharma carry a premium.
- Outcome risk: where a success fee exists, the day rate is usually discounted against it.
Against a permanent CEO package
A permanent CEO in Italy typically earns EUR 180K to EUR 400K base plus bonus and, in private equity backed companies, a sweet equity package. Fully loaded, the employer cost is well above that, and the hiring process takes four to nine months.
An interim costs more per day and far less in total, because the mandate is time-boxed to six to twelve months and carries no notice period, no severance and no equity dilution. Boards buy speed and reversibility, not cheapness.
How the pay is usually structured
A day rate invoiced monthly against days worked, a defined minimum commitment, and where relevant a success fee against a written milestone. We are explicit about all three before starting, including what happens if the mandate ends early.
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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a typical interim CEO day rate?
EUR 1,500 to EUR 3,500 in Italy and continental Europe. Below that you are usually buying a general manager rather than a chief executive.
Do interim CEOs get a bonus?
Often a success fee rather than a bonus, tied to a written outcome such as a refinancing, a disposal, a completed integration or a return to positive EBITDA.
Is an interim CEO more expensive than a permanent one?
Higher per day, lower in total. A time-boxed six to twelve month mandate carries no severance, no equity and no nine month search cost.
Do interim CEOs receive equity?
Rarely, and only where the mandate is long and closely tied to an exit. Cash plus a success fee is the standard structure.
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