Interim or Executive Search? Choosing the Right Leadership Solution

September 22, 2026 – Interim leadership has moved well beyond being a stopgap solution for unexpected vacancies. As organizations face greater complexity, faster strategic shifts, and mounting pressure to deliver results, boards and CEOs are increasingly turning to experienced interim leaders as a flexible way to maintain momentum and address critical business needs.

For executive search firms, that shift is creating a broader role that extends beyond filling permanent positions. Interim executives can provide organizations with immediate leadership capacity while giving boards the time and perspective needed to make more deliberate long-term hiring decisions, making interim talent an increasingly important part of the overall leadership advisory conversation.

So what is driving the increased demand for interim executives today? “Markets everywhere are changing rapidly and companies that don’t adapt quickly won’t survive,” said Anthony Harling, founding partner of Harlschon. “The growth of private equity means companies must change how they operate to meet the private equity owner’s demands. It might mean divesting parts of the business, restructuring, cost-reduction, or simply driving cash-flow. This is an area where companies often look to bring in specific expertise in order to drive urgent or radical change.”

When internal or external factors demand it, organizations must respond quickly, according to Mr. Harling. “They often lack the necessary in-house skills and need an expert who can make an immediate impact,” he explained. “If there is a sudden leadership gap, a company will often bring in an interim executive to cover the position, allowing time for the executive search firm to conduct a full search. Alternatively, the company might face a crisis or turnaround situation and want someone with a specific skillset who has dealt with this situation before. A lot of interims specialize in implementing a new procurement model, preparing a company for sale, transformation or cost-reduction. These people play a vital role in ensuring the company is properly prepared for doing business differently.”

Meeting Strategic Goals

Choosing the right interim executive is critical, but remember this person is being brought in to do a specific job. It isn’t a permanent appointment, Mr. Harling noted. “The interim is there to help the company meet its strategic goals in a way that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. Experienced interims are very focused,” he said. “They know what they have to do and they are very clear about the timelines.”

“A good, experienced interim will ensure they have a very clearly defined mission and a good working relationship with the key stakeholders,” Mr. Harling said. “An interim CFO or VP operations can deliver value very quickly by identifying inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement that might have been present for years. Even in a six month or 12 month assignment, an interim can have a massive impact on an organization’s profitability or cash flow.”

“Increasingly the best search firms are taking a broader talent advisory approach. It depends on the client and the nature of the problem,” Mr. Harling explained. “A search firm can advise the client on the advantages of bringing in an interim executive where that is most appropriate. Smart search firms can offer a blended solution, providing an interim executive to keep things going and fix some of the urgent priorities, while simultaneously conducting a full and thorough search to find the permanent successor.”

Upcoming Webinar

Join Hunt Scanlon Media and Ezekia for a peer-level discussion tomorrow examining how organizations can determine the right leadership solution for the situation at hand. Our panel of experienced search and interim leadership professionals will explore what is driving demand for interim executives, where interim leadership can create the greatest impact, and when a permanent appointment remains the better long-term solution.

The conversation will also examine the tradeoffs between speed, continuity, long-term fit, and organizational risk, as well as how interim and permanent executive search are increasingly being used as complementary rather than competing strategies.

Free registration … Click here to sign up!

Moderator

Anthony Harling is founding partner of Harlschon. He is a career transition coach working with CEOs, senior executives and directors planning the next stage of their work life journey. Mr. Harling began his executive search career with Heidrick & Struggles and held a number of practice leadership positions in the firm’s London office. He was later co-founder at Archer Mann, a boutique search firm working across different functions and regions predominantly with private and family-owned companies. He speaks fluent German and passable French and Spanish.

Panelists

Natasha Cleeve brings four decades of knowledge and experience of appointing and listening to thousands of leaders’ challenges, ambitions and career journeys. As founder and managing director of The Cleeve Partnership, she has built a reputation for helping even the most complex businesses solve leadership challenges through exceptional interim and permanent appointments, with her expertise now firmly embedded in advanced manufacturing and the broader Industrial markets. Cleeve Partnership is also proud to be an early adopter of Ezekia, combining best-in-class search technology with a highly personal, relationship-led approach

As senior director in the people & culture leadership practice at BIE, Matt Wallis’ core focus is on leadership and executive appointments across the talent, organizational development, leadership development, change, HR transformation, senior business partnering, talent acquisition & people analytics space. He has specialized in HR search for over 20 years, partnering with CHRO’s, CEO’s, and talent leaders to identify and attract the very best people & culture talent in the market. Operating across EMEA, North America, and APAC, he partners with both large corporates, and growing PE backed organizations, across all industry sectors to build high performing HR leadership teams.

Stephen Halstead is chief financial officer at Ezekia, alongside CFO and advisory roles at Ilkari and RoboMercato. He has over 15 years’ experience as a CFO in private equity-backed, high-growth businesses across Europe and North America, spanning technology consulting, SaaS, telecoms, web hosting, and financial services. Stephen combines strategic vision, operational discipline, and transaction expertise, and is motivated by helping ambitious teams build businesses and unlock value in tech-enabled, PE-backed growth environments.

Nick Diprose is founding partner of Holdsway. He has built a 30-year recruitment career on connecting people and helping businesses build, change, and grow. Mr. Diprose began his career with British Steel plc before launching and leading successful recruitment firms, including Holdsway, which is consistently rated among the U.K.’s top interim firms. As a globally published expert on interim leadership, Mr. Diprose is known for his straightforward insight and people-centric approach.

Attendance is free. To learn more and register to attend, click here!

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor  – Hunt Scanlon Media