In a family business, the owner is often simultaneously the CEO, chairman of the board, and the bank’s contact person. They are ready to step down, but the next generation is not yet ready to take on all three roles. Or a successor has been named, and they need a year of experience before stepping into the CEO role.
The interim phase is a risk for the company only if no one leads it. An Interim CEO keeps the company in good shape and coaches the successor at the same time.
Generational transition means transferring ownership and leadership to the next generation. Taxation and contracts are handled by specialists, but the company’s day-to-day operations do not wait for them. The hardest part is the interim phase, where the outgoing owner is already mentally leaving and the successor is not yet leading at full capacity.
The same situation arises when a company is sold to an outside party and the old owner exits faster than the new management can settle in.
Read also how an interim manager differs from a consultant and a recruited executive.
The successor needs a year or two of experience. An Interim CEO leads in the meantime and acts as a sparring partner with no family ties to the matter.
Day-to-day operations continue in the old ways because no one takes the space. An outside leader makes the transition clear to the staff as well.
The sale requires sound financials and leadership that does not collapse when the owner leaves.
Focus: owners’ objectives, key people, customers, and financiers.
Result: everyone knows who leads and for how long.
Focus: leadership model, responsibilities, and the successor’s development plan together with the owners.
Result: a written plan for the transition and metrics to track it.
Focus: leading the business and coaching the successor in practice.
Result: the company is ready for handover when the successor takes responsibility.
We will go through it in about half an hour. The assessment is free of charge and does not commit you to anything.
You'll typically receive 2–4 carefully selected candidates with justifications within 48 hours. Not a long list of "just-okay" names.
You meet the candidates and decide for yourself. A start is possible as early as next week.
You only pay for days worked, and billing occurs once a month. There are no recruitment fees or fixed monthly charges.
The price depends on the role, the situation, and how many days a week the expert is needed. We will provide this after the assessment, before you commit to anything.
When the situation hits, you only need to remember one name. We take ownership from the first call until the assignment is completed. We don’t disappear after the contract is signed.
Each of our partners has led a company and solved the same challenges you’re facing now. That’s why we understand your situation immediately, and our executives can be thrown straight into the deep end.
You deal directly with the partners handling your search. No middlemen or unnecessary bureaucracy, and you always know where things stand without having to ask.
We don’t sell processes for the sake of the process. We cut out the steps that don’t benefit you and only use your time for what moves the assignment forward.
The duration is agreed upon according to the situation and can be extended or shortened. The assignment can be full-time or part-time.
Yes, and it is one of the most common reasons to bring an Interim CEO into a family business. Coaching is agreed as part of the assignment’s objectives.
In that case, the options are external recruitment or a sale. We review both in the assessment. Interim or recruitment →
You only pay for days worked, and billing occurs once a month. The price depends on the complexity of the task and the workload. We will provide this after a free assessment. What does the cost consist of →
A free assessment takes about half an hour. After that, you will know what kind of expert suits your situation, when they can start, and what it will cost.
In a hurry? Call any of us directly.
Petri Kujala040 076 7767
Ilari Kallio040 070 5050
Samppa Seppälä050 568 0533
Sampo Salmi050 386 6565Are you an interim manager yourself? Apply for the Cherry Pool →
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