How interim and fractional leaders are shaping the future of work

At our recent event, How to become a fractional or senior interim leader, Taylor Nash brought together a panel of seasoned marketing leaders to explore one of the fastest-growing areas of the employment market: fractional and interim talent. 

From navigating turbulent markets to plugging urgent leadership gaps, businesses are increasingly turning to interim and fractional leaders for expertise, agility and impact. Here are the biggest insights from the morning, including: 

• The rise of interim and fractional
• The difference between fractional and interim
• Why senior leaders choose this career path and how to pursue it
• How to find fractional or interim opportunities

Keep reading for the key takeaways from the conversation. 

About the panel 

Attendees heard from marketing leaders from a broad background of permanent, interim and fractional careers: 

• Holly Rix - Having climbed the career ladder in permanent roles within the FMCG sector for businesses, such as GSK and Diageo, over the last couple of years, Holly has embarked on a career as a Fractional CMO. 
• Adrian Mooney - Adrian has successfully built his career in interim management over the last 10 years, working for a number of well known FMCG brands, such as Hovis, Scholl and Pladis. 
• Mays Elansari - Mays has recently taken on her first interim Marketing Director assignment after a successful career across the hospitality and retail sectors in permanent roles for businesses, like Subway and Penhaligons.

The rise of interim and fractional leadership 

Interim hiring has surged in the last 12 months. According to APSCo – the UK recruitment trade body – contract recruitment is up 11% year-on-year. 

Where interim hiring was once viewed as an urgent “last resort”, it’s now a proactive solution for transformation. For scale-ups and challenger brands who don’t need (or can’t afford) full-time executive hires, fractional leadership has become a smart, sustainable alternative. 

Interim vs Fractional: What’s the difference?

The panel unpacked one of the most common questions for employers and senior leaders alike: what is the difference between interim and fractional? Here's a breakdown of each. 

Interim leadership

• Full-time, often urgent, typically project based and contracted for a fixed period 
• Designed to fill a gap or deliver specific outcomes 
• Mirrors the organisation’s working patterns (e.g. in-office or hybrid) 
• Highly hands-on, especially in moments of business change

Fractional leadership

• Part-time, long-term, and advisory-focused 
• Enables businesses to access senior expertise without a full-time salary 
• Common in scaling or founder-led businesses 
• Ideal for strategic guidance, team building and shaping organisational capability 
• Far more flexible and often fully remote 

A helpful analogy from the panel: Interim is the supply teacher who steps in when someone leaves. Fractional is more like a weekly PT session — consistent, long-term coaching that keeps the business in great shape. 

Why senior leaders are choosing this career path 

For many, interim and fractional work wasn’t part of the plan. Instead, it has become a natural evolution of their existing permanent career. 

Some have built their interim career following redundancy or slow permanent hiring markets. Others actively pursued it for the variety and autonomy the roles offer. A consistent theme was the appeal of: 

• Portfolio careers 
• Flexibility in location and schedule 
• Variety of brands and challenges 
• Reduced risk (multiple clients mean multiple income streams) 

As one speaker put it, "You’re not putting all your eggs in one basket anymore — you’re spread betting your career." 

What skills do you need to pursue a portfolio career? 

Interim and fractional roles demand a specific way of working. The panel agreed on a few essential skills: 

#1 Curiosity 

You must be able to quickly diagnose what’s going on — often without a full induction or clean handover. 

#2 Adaptability

Whether it’s a “car crash” situation or an urgent turnaround, leaders need to hit the ground running. 

#3 Independence 

There’s no room for handholding. Interim leaders often step into chaos and are expected to bring calm clarity. 

#4 Emotional intelligence 

Understanding the unwritten rules of a business and building trust fast is critical. 

#5 Clear boundaries

Especially in fractional roles, juggling multiple clients requires discipline and structure. 

How to price your services as a fractional marketer 

Pricing is one of the most difficult topics to gain advice around. At 3Search Events, we aim to draw back the curtain on such conversations.  

The advice from our panellists was clear: Price for your experience, not your hours. 

Fractional and interim leaders often undervalue themselves, especially when transitioning from full-time roles. The panel had the following advice: 

• Use day-rate calculators based on your previous salary 
• Include holidays, sick leave, pensions and gaps between contracts 
• If your rate doesn’t feel slightly uncomfortable to say out loud, it’s probably too low 
• You can negotiate the number of days, but not your value

Remember: Businesses aren’t paying for your time; they’re paying for your years of expertise and the impact you bring. 

How to find fractional or interim roles

The conversation turned towards how marketing leaders can find interim or fractional appointments. Our panellists shared their experiences in what works and what doesn't. 

Your network is your greatest asset 

Every panellist reported landing their roles through networks, not job boards. Visibility and relationships are some of the most instrumental ways to find an interim or fractional role. They shared practical advice: 

• Be clear about what you offer and what you're looking for 
• Ask people explicitly for introductions 
• Stay top-of-mind by staying active on LinkedIn 
• Attend events even when you’re tired — the right conversation can open a door you didn’t expect 
• Offer value to others first; recommendations come back threefold 

As one speaker said, "If nobody knows what you're doing, nobody can hire you." 

LinkedIn is your salience driver 

A consistent theme was how essential LinkedIn has become for building a pipeline. Many of the panel now treat LinkedIn like part of their job: 

• Posting regularly 
• Sharing insights or learnings 
• Being intentional with personal branding 
• Having a content list or scheduling posts 
• Showing vulnerability and authenticity 

Consistency, not virality, is what builds opportunity. 

Interim doesn’t close the door to permanent roles 

There’s a perception that choosing interim or fractional roles is a one-way street, but the panel challenged that. 

Many leaders move fluidly between permanent, interim, fractional, and advisory work. What matters is how you position the breadth of your experience, not the format of your contract. 

Final advice for aspiring interim or fractional leaders

The panel closed with advice they wish they’d had earlier: 

#1 Be brave and back yourself 

Imposter syndrome is common, but your expertise is valuable. 

#2 Invest in yourself 

Events, learning, personal branding should always be non-negotiable. 

#3 Be intentional with your time 

Your capacity is your product; protect it. 

#4 Build boundaries early 

Especially as a fractional who is juggling multiple clients. 

#5 Stay visible and stay connected 

Every conversation is an opportunity. 

A big thank you to our speakers 

We want to finish with a huge thank you to our speakers – Holly, Adrian and Mays – for sharing their time and experience with us. It was a truly insightful morning. If you’re searching for a fractional or interim role or senior leader, our specialist contract recruitment team can help you. 

Our events are just one of the many ways we aim to bring our community together. To find out more about our busy schedule, take a look at 3Search Events here.