Executive Temporary & Interim Placement

Place interim executives and high-level temporary leadership

Startup Cost
$40,000-$200,000
Difficulty
Advanced
Time to Profit
12-24 months
Profit Potential
$33,000-$250,000/month

Overview

Executive temp agencies generate $400,000-$3,000,000 annually with 30-50% margins.

In 2025, businesses need interim leadership during transitions.

Revenue from interim executive placements (typically 35-50% markup on $150-$400/hour rates), fractional executive services, project-based executive consulting, interim-to-permanent conversion fees, and retained search fees.

Placements include interim CFO, COO, CTO, interim CEO during search or transition, VP-level interim roles, and turnaround specialists.

Successful agencies recruit experienced senior executives, understand C-suite and leadership needs, place executives for 3-18 month interim assignments, charge premium rates for executive talent, and transition interim to permanent.

Mid-size to large companies as clients.

Marketing through executive networks, CFO and leadership associations, business consulting firms, private equity and investment firms, and executive interim expertise.

Required Skills

  • Executive Recruiting
  • C-Suite Relationships
  • Leadership Assessment
  • Business Consulting
  • Executive Compensation
  • Transition Management

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Very high billing rates for executive talent
  • Longer placement durations (3-18 months)
  • Premium margins on interim executives
  • Consultative high-value client relationships
  • Executive network highly valuable

Cons

  • Need strong executive network and credibility
  • Smaller pool of interim executive candidates
  • Long sales cycles for executive placements
  • Economic sensitivity affects interim hiring
  • Executive expectations and performance critical

How to Get Started

  1. Build executive recruiting experience and network
  2. Recruit interim executive candidate roster
  3. Develop relationships with companies needing interim leaders
  4. Assess executive capabilities and fit
  5. Place interim executives in leadership roles
  6. Support executive transitions and performance
  7. Facilitate interim-to-permanent conversions

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