Fractional Glossary Terms

A fractional executive is a senior leader - CFO, CMO, CTO, COO, CPO, or similar - who works part-time or on a retainer basis instead of full-time. They take on the same scope and responsibility as a full-time executive, just for fewer hours or days a week.

Companies bring on a fractional executive when they need senior leadership now but don't have the budget, workload, or stage of growth to justify a full-time hire. The arrangement can run anywhere from a few hours a week to a few days a month, and can scale up or down as the company's needs change.

Fractional executives are different from consultants or freelancers. A consultant advises. A fractional executive is embedded in the business, owns outcomes, and is accountable for results, just like any other member of the leadership team.