Part-Time CEO Recruitment

Part-Time CEO Recruitment

FD Capital recruits part-time and fractional Chief Executive Officers for UK businesses that need experienced C-suite leadership without a full-time commitment. A part-time CEO works one to four days per week — providing strategic direction, managing the senior team, representing the business to investors and stakeholders, and driving performance — at a fraction of the cost of a permanent full-time appointment. Adrian Lawrence FCA, founder of FD Capital and a Fellow of the ICAEW, leads FD Capital’s C-suite and executive recruitment practice. We have placed part-time and fractional CEOs into owner-managed businesses, scale-up companies, PE-backed portfolio companies and businesses in transition since 2018.

The part-time CEO model is no longer a niche solution reserved for the smallest businesses — it is increasingly the preferred model for growing businesses that want to professionalise their leadership, businesses in transition between permanent appointments, and experienced executives who want to work with multiple businesses simultaneously rather than committing full-time to one. FD Capital’s network of experienced part-time CEOs spans every major sector and business type in the UK.

Call 020 3287 9501 or email recruitment@fdcapital.co.uk. Introductions typically arranged within one to two weeks.

What Is a Part-Time CEO?

A part-time CEO — also described as a fractional CEO, portfolio CEO or shared CEO — provides Chief Executive-level leadership on a defined day-per-week basis rather than as a full-time employee. The engagement typically involves two to four days per week, with the CEO providing strategic leadership, managing the senior team, attending board meetings, managing investor or owner relationships, and driving the business’s commercial performance within their contracted days.

The part-time CEO is distinct from an interim CEO, who provides full-time or near-full-time cover for a defined period. The part-time CEO is a sustained, ongoing engagement — often running for one to three years — whereas an interim CEO is typically a short-term bridging solution. Both models have their place; the right choice depends on what the business actually needs.

Part-time CEOs are experienced executives who have typically held full-time CEO or Managing Director roles previously and who have chosen to work across two or three businesses simultaneously. They bring the judgement, network and leadership capability that comes from having run businesses before — which is precisely what most businesses hiring a part-time CEO are looking for.

When a Part-Time CEO Is the Right Solution

Founder-led businesses ready to professionalise

The most common trigger for a part-time CEO appointment is a founder who has built a successful business but recognises that taking it to the next level requires a different kind of leadership — one that can build and manage a professional team, introduce scalable processes, engage with external investors and drive strategic growth. The founder may remain involved as Chair, as a Non-Executive Director or as a domain expert, but brings in a part-time CEO to run the business. This is the model FD Capital has pioneered in the finance function — with fractional CFOs and Finance Directors for growing SMEs — and it applies equally at CEO level.

Businesses in ownership transition

Businesses being sold, businesses bringing in PE backing for the first time, and businesses going through a management buyout frequently need interim or part-time CEO leadership to manage the transition period. A part-time CEO can manage the business effectively during a process that may last six to eighteen months, providing continuity of leadership while the ownership structure is resolved.

Scale-up businesses between permanent appointments

When a permanent CEO departs or when a scale-up business has outgrown its founder-CEO but is not yet ready to commit to the cost and permanence of a full-time C-suite hire, a part-time CEO provides experienced leadership continuity while the business takes time to recruit the right permanent appointment. This is a lower-risk model than rushing a permanent CEO hire — the part-time CEO keeps the business moving while the permanent search is conducted properly.

Specific strategic projects requiring CEO-level leadership

Some businesses need CEO-level leadership specifically for a defined strategic initiative — a geographic expansion, a significant product launch, a M&A integration or a major operational transformation. A part-time CEO with the right sector experience for the specific project can be deployed for the duration of the initiative without the long-term commitment of a permanent hire.

PE portfolio companies between appointments

Private equity sponsors frequently need part-time or interim CEO cover in portfolio companies between permanent appointments, during a strategic repositioning, or when a business needs specific expertise for a defined phase of the investment plan. FD Capital’s PE executive search practice serves PE sponsors and portfolio companies on both CEO and CFO appointments.

What a Part-Time CEO Delivers

Strategic leadership and direction

The part-time CEO sets and communicates the strategic direction of the business — working with the Board and senior team to define priorities, allocate resources and build the plan that takes the business to its next stage of development. Strategic clarity, articulated clearly and acted on consistently, is the most important thing a CEO of any kind provides.

Management team leadership

The part-time CEO manages the senior team — typically a team of two to six direct reports in the businesses where the model is most common — setting clear expectations, creating accountability, resolving disagreements and building the culture that allows the team to perform. This is genuinely part-time work: management team meetings, one-to-ones and performance conversations happen within the contracted days.

Owner and investor management

The part-time CEO manages the relationship with the business’s owners — whether that is a single founder, a family shareholder group, a PE sponsor or an investor syndicate. This includes Board preparation and attendance, financial and operational reporting, and the kind of ongoing relationship management that keeps owners appropriately informed and confident in the leadership of the business.

Commercial and external relationships

Key commercial relationships — major clients, strategic partners, critical suppliers and senior banking contacts — need CEO-level engagement, even in businesses where the CEO is present only part-time. A well-organised part-time CEO ensures the most important external relationships receive appropriate attention within their contracted engagement.

Financial oversight

The part-time CEO works closely with the fractional CFO or Financial Controller on financial performance — reviewing management accounts, monitoring cash position and financial KPIs, and ensuring the business is trading within its financial parameters. In businesses where FD Capital has placed both a part-time CEO and a fractional CFO, the two work closely together as an integrated senior leadership team.

Part-Time CEO vs Fractional CEO vs Interim CEO

The terms part-time CEO, fractional CEO and portfolio CEO are used interchangeably in the UK market, all describing the model of a CEO working across multiple businesses rather than dedicating their full time to one. The distinction that matters is between these models and the interim CEO — a full-time or near-full-time executive engaged for a fixed period, typically three to twelve months, for a specific situation such as a crisis, a transaction or a CEO succession gap. See our CEO Recruitment page for how all three models compare and which is most appropriate for different business situations.

Part-Time CEO Costs UK 2026

Day rates vary by the seniority and sector experience of the individual, the complexity of the business and the nature of the mandate. The cost of a part-time CEO at two days per week is typically 20–40% of the cost of a full-time permanent CEO at an equivalent level — the economic logic of the model is clear for businesses in the £5m to £50m revenue range. For comparison see our Fractional CFO Pricing Guide.

How FD Capital Sources Part-Time CEOs

FD Capital’s network of part-time and fractional C-suite professionals has been built since 2018 through our fractional CFO and Finance Director placement practice. Experienced executives who want to work on a portfolio basis — taking on two or three part-time engagements simultaneously rather than one full-time role — actively register with FD Capital because we are known in the market as specialists in this model.

When a business approaches FD Capital for a part-time CEO, we draw on this active network first — which typically allows us to introduce candidates within one to two weeks of receiving the brief. For mandates requiring a broader or more targeted search, we supplement our network with direct market mapping. Every part-time CEO we introduce has been personally interviewed by our team, has a verified track record at CEO or MD level, and has been assessed for the specific requirements of the business in question.

Related C-Suite and Executive Services

Businesses considering a part-time CEO appointment may also be interested in: CEO Recruitment | Fractional CFO | Outsourced CFO | Part-Time CFO | Interim CFO | CFO Executive Search | Finance Director Recruitment | NED Recruitment | Private Equity Executive Search | Fractional CFO Pricing