Interim · For VC-funded, PE-backed & mid-market companies
Interim executive leadership, on demand.
An interim executive holds a leadership seat full-time for a defined period — through a sudden departure, a turnaround, an integration, a carve-out, or the sprint to a transaction. Seat & Signal™ matches ex-Big 4 senior-level executives and senior operators into these seats at mid-market, PE-backed and VC-backed companies.
When it fits
When is interim the right model?
- A sudden departure. The CFO resigned mid-close; the seat cannot sit empty while a nine-month retained search runs.
- A bounded transformation. An ERP replacement, a post-acquisition integration, a finance function rebuild — work with a beginning and an end.
- Pre-transaction readiness. Getting the numbers, controls, and reporting to a standard that survives diligence — a natural fit for ex-Big 4 senior-level judgment.
- A bridge to the permanent hire. Stabilize the function now, and let the permanent search take the time it needs to be right.
If the work is ongoing and part-time rather than full-time and bounded, you likely want fractional instead — here is how to tell.
The bench
Who sits in these seats.
Ex-Big 4 senior-level executives and senior operators — people who have already run engagements, functions, and transformations at scale. Our review includes conflicts and independence considerations appropriate to the engagement. Our review is not a background check, credential verification, or prediction of performance; companies complete their own diligence before engaging an executive.
Questions
Common questions.
How long do interim engagements run?
Most run from a few months to roughly a year, shaped by the transition they exist to carry. Terms live in the direct contract between you and the Executive.
Can an interim convert to permanent?
Sometimes — when both sides want it. Conversion terms are addressed in the engagement paperwork rather than improvised afterward.
Who pays for an interim engagement?
The company: fees to Seat & Signal are quoted in writing before work begins, and the company pays the Executive directly under its own contract with them; the amount, payment timing, conversion and other terms are stated in the engagement agreement. We take nothing from the Executive’s compensation.
A seat that cannot stay empty?
Tell us the transition, the timeline, and what must be true when it ends.
Seat & Signal does not provide legal, tax, accounting, or investment advice. Information on this page is general and for informational purposes only; the specific terms of every engagement are set out in the signed agreement.