How to Select the Right Interim CEO for Your Business
Choosing the right Interim CEO is not simply a matter of availability or qualifications. It’s about finding the individual whose experience, mindset, and approach align with the specific situation your business is facing. The right appointment can transform outcomes. The wrong one can compound the problem.
At NorthCo, we’ve been brought in to replace ineffective interim appointments made in haste. Here’s what we’ve learned about how to choose wisely.
Clarify the Business Need First
Not all interim mandates are the same. Are you trying to steady the ship after a leadership exit? Drive a turnaround? Prepare for sale? Rebuild team cohesion? Each of these requires a different type of leadership temperament and operational style.
Before you begin your search, define what success looks like over the next 90 days and 6 months. The sharper the brief, the easier it is to spot the right candidate.
Look for Experience That Mirrors Your Situation
Sector experience is useful, but situational experience is essential. If you’re facing cash flow strain, you need someone who’s handled distressed trading before. If you’re preparing for a transaction, find someone who understands due diligence, board dynamics, and exit planning.
You’re looking for someone who doesn’t need to learn the terrain, they’ve navigated it before.
Prioritise Gravitas and Calm Under Pressure
A strong Interim CEO needs more than insight, they need presence. Gravitas matters. The ability to walk into a tense room and create calm, ask the right questions, and give people confidence that progress is possible is often what turns a difficult situation around.
Look for someone who brings clarity without fanfare, and who can challenge teams constructively without causing defensiveness.
Avoid Overemphasis on Credentials Alone
Impressive CVs can be misleading. Some candidates know how to present well but struggle to deliver under pressure. Others might have held permanent roles in large corporates but lack the urgency and pace required in interim work.
It’s also worth being cautious with candidates who have spent most of their careers in large corporates. While their CVs may be impressive, much of their success may have depended on the established systems, support structures, and resources available in those environments. If your business operates on a smaller scale, with tighter margins and leaner teams, you need someone who can operate without the safety net, and still deliver.
Focus on recent, relevant, and hands-on experience, not just job titles.
Interview for Mindset, Not Just Method
Ask about how they approach ambiguity. How they assess a business in their first week. How they engage a tired team. Ask for examples of how they’ve gained trust quickly or made a tough call under pressure.
Their answers will tell you far more than a credentials summary.
Beware the Consultant in a CEO Suit
Some interims are more comfortable writing slide decks than leading teams. While analysis has its place, interim CEOs must operate as leaders first, clear on outcomes, visible to the team, and accountable for delivery.
If a candidate sounds like an observer rather than an owner, they’re probably not right for the job.
Related Guides:
When you should appoint an Interim CEO
What makes an effective Interim CEO?
Interim CEO v Permanent CEO, What’s the Difference?
Looking for an Interim CEO who delivers clarity, calm, and meaningful progress from day one?
