Operating and finance leadership
Interim CEO vs fractional COO vs advisor
Last reviewed October 29, 2026.
You need an interim CEO when the company cannot wait through a search and someone has to run it now. If you are staying as CEO and the hole is the daily operations, a fractional COO is the closer fit.
You are out for a week and nobody knows who can approve the wire to the factory, so the shipment sits. That is an interim CEO problem, not an advisor problem.
The lists for this job
Partners are listed first. I may earn a referral fee from them, and I only take on partners I'd recommend anyway.
1
An interim CEO
They are in the chair for a defined stretch.
2
A fractional COO
They are there for part of the week.
3
An advisor
You talk with them before you hand anyone the company.
Why it fits
An interim CEO runs the company until you return or a permanent chief executive starts.
A fractional COO runs the daily operations on the days you name, and you keep the chief executive job.
An advisor helps you choose between an interim CEO and a fractional COO, and you still make that choice.
Watch out for
This is not a quiet advisory. They will make calls you might have delayed.
Do not give them the CEO title if you are not actually leaving.
A good conversation can feel like progress while the factory is still waiting on a decision from you.
Price
Pay depends on how long they stay and how much of the company they take on.
You pay a retainer for the days you agree, and the amount depends on those days and the work.
An advisor costs you very little, and you keep the notes and the decisions.
Skip it if
Skip an interim CEO if you are not leaving the chief executive job.
Skip a fractional COO if the company needs a chief executive, not someone on operations.
Skip an advisor if nobody else can approve a payment this week.
Next
1
An interim CEO
They are in the chair for a defined stretch.
- Why it fits
- An interim CEO runs the company until you return or a permanent chief executive starts.
- Watch out for
- This is not a quiet advisory. They will make calls you might have delayed.
- Price
- Pay depends on how long they stay and how much of the company they take on.
- Skip it if
- Skip an interim CEO if you are not leaving the chief executive job.
2
A fractional COO
They are there for part of the week.
- Why it fits
- A fractional COO runs the daily operations on the days you name, and you keep the chief executive job.
- Watch out for
- Do not give them the CEO title if you are not actually leaving.
- Price
- You pay a retainer for the days you agree, and the amount depends on those days and the work.
- Skip it if
- Skip a fractional COO if the company needs a chief executive, not someone on operations.
3
An advisor
You talk with them before you hand anyone the company.
- Why it fits
- An advisor helps you choose between an interim CEO and a fractional COO, and you still make that choice.
- Watch out for
- A good conversation can feel like progress while the factory is still waiting on a decision from you.
- Price
- An advisor costs you very little, and you keep the notes and the decisions.
- Skip it if
- Skip an advisor if nobody else can approve a payment this week.
WHAT MATTERS
- You know whether you are leaving the CEO job or staying in it.
- You can say how long the company can go without you in that job.
- Someone can still sign and pay the factory while you are out.
Before you sign
- Write down whether they are the chief executive, the operations lead, or an advisor.
- Write down how long they stay, and how the arrangement ends.
- Write down which decisions they can make without you.
NONE OF THESE
If you only need a vendor, hire the vendor. These three are for when you need a person, not another firm.
Questions
Does interim mean they want the permanent job?
Ask them before they start. Some will want the permanent job, and some will not.
Can a fractional COO become the interim CEO?
Only if the company actually needs a chief executive. A new title does not turn a few days of operations into that job.
What should you know before the first conversation?
Bring a clear answer on whether you are handing over the chief executive job or only the daily work.
If the real problem is that nobody owns this
Sometimes you do not need another vendor. You need a person who will run the work. I do strategic assessments and operating assessments. I take interim and fractional CEO or COO roles, including a restructuring when that is the job, and I help you decide what to do first. I also do general startup advisory.
How interim leadership works. Or a Founder Hour, $500, if you want one conversation before you hire anyone.