In an environment defined by uncertainty, companies are finding new ways to stay agile. One increasingly vital strategy? Leveraging interim executives—not just to bridge leadership gaps, but to drive transformation, build resilience, and create forward momentum.
In a recent conversation, Heidrick & Struggles’ Sunny Ackerman and Sandra Pinnavaia explored how interim executives are helping organizations rethink traditional leadership models. Their discussion highlighted how interim and fractional leaders are being deployed not as a fallback, but as a flexible, strategic tool to meet evolving business needs.
Watch the full video above or read on for highlights about how leading organizations are leveraging on-demand talent to build more agile, responsive, and resilient leadership teams.
A Shift from Stopgap to Strategy
For years, interim executives were viewed primarily as short-term solutions—filling roles temporarily while companies searched for permanent leaders. That perception is quickly changing.
Today, we’re seeing interim talent being used to drive business-critical initiatives, launch new functions, pilot future-state capabilities, and strengthen leadership teams in high-impact ways. These leaders are no longer just stepping in to maintain continuity. They’re being brought in to lead transformation and deliver results—often under conditions of significant change or ambiguity.
This shift reflects a growing recognition that interim executives bring more than just availability. They bring experience, adaptability, and the ability to quickly assess challenges, align teams, and move the business forward.
Why Demand Is Growing
Uncertainty is becoming the norm. Companies are facing everything from global supply chain issues to shifting federal policies to sudden swings in demand—often all at once. As a result, traditional hiring models, long-term planning, and linear decision-making aren’t always sufficient.
Interim talent provides an immediate, flexible alternative. Leaders can bring in experienced executives in days—not months—who are ready to tackle specific problems, lead initiatives, or stabilize critical functions. This type of rapid deployment isn’t just convenient; it can be the difference between falling behind and staying competitive.
Three drivers stand out:
- Immediacy: Businesses can respond to real-time needs without waiting for a lengthy search process.
- Optionality: Companies can test new capabilities, pilot roles, or buy time while determining long-term direction.
- Headcount flexibility: Interim roles allow organizations to add leadership capacity without permanent commitments—particularly valuable during hiring freezes or restructurings.
Interim as a Leadership Development Tool
Interim talent isn’t just a bandage—it’s a scaffold. Used well, it can support existing leaders who are overloaded, inexperienced in a particular challenge, or navigating a demanding moment in their role. It can also help organizations avoid burning out critical talent by distributing the load more strategically.
This could mean adding a fractional CMO to develop and launch a digital growth strategy. Or deploying an experienced CFO to manage a transaction or prep for a fundraise. In many cases, interim leaders are helping organizations explore new directions or test future-state operating models—without overextending existing teams.
A Talent Model That Matches Today’s Business Reality
Many companies are recognizing that what they need now—and what they’ll need next year—are two different things. Interim talent offers a way to match leadership to the moment, whether that’s completing a carve-out, supporting a shift in business model, or responding to evolving customer or market dynamics.
It also aligns with workforce trends. More executives than ever are choosing to work independently, especially in later stages of their careers. This growing supply of experienced, high-impact talent makes it easier for companies to tap the right expertise at the right time—without waiting for the stars to align around a full-time hire.
Watch the Full Interview
The full discussion between Sunny Ackerman and Sandra Pinnavaia explores real-world examples across industries, from manufacturing and consumer goods to technology and healthcare. They also highlight the growing confidence among top companies to experiment with interim models—and how that flexibility is fast becoming a core element of modern leadership strategy.
Whether you’re navigating transformation, leading through change, or simply looking for new ways to extend your team’s capabilities, interim executives can help you move forward now—without locking yourself into decisions that may not fit your future.
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