Interim & Fractional Leadership

A leader in the seat,
on day one.

Vetted interim and fractional executives for a transition, a turnaround or a gap you can't leave open. Drawn from our bench and ready to start in as little as seven days — with a clean handover plan built in from the start.

Why Rivago

A day-one operator,
not a resume search.

Most firms start looking once you call. We keep a standing bench of vetted interim executives ready now — so the gap between “we need someone” and “someone is running it” is measured in days, not months.

7d

To a leader in seat

From confirmed brief to a start date.

92%

Assignment success rate

Completed to plan, last 12 months.

1wk

Swap window

Not the right fit? We replace within a week.

80+

Interim placements

Across four markets, to date.

A standing, vetted bench

Interim executives pre-screened and reference-checked before you ever need them — so day one starts with someone already proven, not someone we just met.

Operators, not consultants

Every interim leader has run the function before, under pressure — they act on day one instead of spending the first month learning the org chart.

A built-in handover plan

Every engagement includes a transition plan from day one — to a permanent hire, back to the incumbent, or to whoever comes next.

Confidential by default

Board-level transitions and sensitive gaps handled discreetly — NDA on request, and no signal to the market until you're ready.

How interim leadership works

Three ways to bring in
an interim leader.

01
Transition cover
A leader departs and the seat can't sit empty. An interim executive steps in within days to keep the function running while you run a permanent search.
  • Start date within 7 days
  • Runs the function, not just holds it
  • Handover plan to the permanent hire
  • Billed on a day rate, month to month
02
Turnaround leadership
A business in distress needs a proven operator immediately — not after a three-month search. Drawn from our bench, with a track record of stabilising exactly this kind of situation.
  • Deployed in as little as 7 days
  • Defined statement of work & milestones
  • Reports directly to the board
  • Clean exit plan built in from day one
03
Fractional leadership
Senior expertise without a full-time cost — a fractional CFO, CTO or CMO for a few days a week, for as long as the business needs the seat covered.
  • 2–3 days a week, ongoing
  • Full executive scope at fractional cost
  • Month-to-month, cancel anytime
  • Convert to full-time when you're ready
What we actually do

Interim placement runs five stages.
None of them are a portal.

From your call to a leader in seat in as little as seven days — every stage owned by one partner.

01
Day 0–1

Brief

A call defines the gap, the mandate and how success is measured — often the same day you call.

You getConfirmed mandate
02
Day 1–3

Match

We pull from our vetted interim bench for operators who have run this exact situation before.

You getMatched candidates
03
Day 3–5

Confirm

Reference checks and a final call confirm fit and availability — no lengthy process, no delay.

You getConfirmed leader
04
Day 5–7

Deploy

Your interim executive starts, briefed on the org, the stakeholders and the first-30-day plan.

You getA leader in seat
05
Ongoing

Handover

Regular check-ins and a documented transition plan to a permanent hire or a clean exit.

You getA clean handover
Five stages. One partner runs all of them.
What we put in writing

Four numbers we'll stand behind
on the first call.

7d
Time to deployment
From confirmed brief to a leader starting in the seat.
92%
Assignment success rate
Completed to plan, last 12 months.
1wk
Swap window
Not the right fit? We replace the leader within a week, no charge.
80+
Interim placements
Transitions and turnarounds led across four markets, to date.
Industries

Interim leaders across
every sector we serve.

Our interim bench is built from operators who have actually run these functions under pressure — not consultants between engagements. Sector fit is matched from day one.

Explore all industries
Customer story

Interim leaders,
in their own words.

Plain English from board chairs, CEOs and CHROs who brought in a Rivago interim executive in the last eighteen months. No pseudonyms. No doctored quotes.

US · Operations

A PE-owned business in distress needed an operator immediately — not in two months. Rivago placed a turnaround COO from their bench who started in eleven days. Margin was up 22% within two quarters.

RP
Ryan P.
Board Chair · PE-owned business
Canada · Finance

Our CFO left with two weeks' notice ahead of an audit. Rivago had an interim CFO in the seat within a week — she ran the audit clean and handed over to our permanent hire without a hitch.

PR
Priya R.
CEO · Ontario financial services
UAE · Retail

We needed a fractional CMO two days a week while we searched for a full-time hire. Rivago's fractional exec ran our launch campaign in the meantime — we ended up keeping her on permanently.

SM
Samira M.
CEO · Dubai retail group
Hire Talent

Tell us the gap.
We'll do the rest.

Three minutes. A senior partner reads every request within the hour and confirms bench availability before your first call.

Deployed in as little as 7 days. Drawn from a standing, pre-vetted bench.
One named partner — from brief to handover. No junior handoffs in between.
NDA on request. Board-level transitions handled discreetly, as standard.
1-week swap window. Not the right fit? We replace the leader fast, no charge.
Brief intake · ~ 4 minutes
A partner will be in touch within one business hour during business hours. By submitting you agree to our terms.
FAQ

Interim leadership, straight answers.

Interim if the gap is full-time and time-boxed: a sudden departure, a turnaround, a transformation programme. Fractional if you need senior judgement but not a full-time seat — typically one to three days a week for a smaller organisation that cannot justify a full salary. Your partner will tell you which, including when the answer is neither.
The day rate covers the executive fee plus Rivago margin, invoiced against days actually worked. There is no placement fee, no notice liability, no benefits burden and no severance exposure. For a defined engagement the total cost is knowable in advance, which is rarely true of a permanent hire.
Seven to fourteen days. Interim executives are between assignments by design rather than resigning from a permanent post, so there is no three-month notice period to work through. That is the main practical reason organisations use interim cover for urgent gaps.
Tell us in the first two weeks and we replace them at no cost. Interim assignments also carry short notice on both sides by design, so a mismatch is a two-week problem rather than a six-month one.
Yes, and there is no conversion penalty if it is agreed at the outset of the assignment. It happens reasonably often — the organisation has effectively run a months-long working interview, which is better evidence than any hiring process produces.
They hold the role and make the decisions, including difficult ones. That is the distinction from consulting: an interim executive carries line responsibility, manages the team and owns the outcome. If you want analysis and recommendations rather than execution, you want a consultant, and we will say so.

Tell us the gap.
We'll close it fast.

A 30-minute scoping call with a partner — not a portal — and a bench-availability update in your inbox within one business day.

Book a scoping call Read case studies
Executive Search