Some appointments belong in the organisation for the long term. Others arise because leadership or specialist expertise is needed immediately. Sometimes the organisation needs experience and judgement before the role, structure or workload supports a full-time appointment.
We help determine the model that fits what the organisation needs now, while keeping sight of what it is building towards.
A permanent appointment is right when the capability belongs within the continuing organisation and the person will carry responsibility for the mandate over time.
The role may sit at Board, executive, functional leadership, management or specialist level. What matters is the contribution the person will make to the organisation being built.
We shape the search around the work they must lead, the capability already around them and what they may need to establish after joining.
Permanent appointments may include
An organisation does not stop because a leader has left, a structure is changing or a permanent appointment has not yet been made.
An interim leader or specialist can maintain momentum, take responsibility for important work and guide the organisation through a defined period of change.
The need may arise around a departure, acquisition, restructure, market entry, product launch or regulatory milestone. Whatever the circumstances, the person needs a clear mandate and the authority to act.
Interim capability may be appropriate when
Some organisations need senior capability before they need a full-time role.
A fractional leader or specialist can work within the organisation to shape a function, guide key decisions, lead a defined programme or prepare the business for what it may eventually need permanently.
Fractional does not mean detached. The value comes from bringing experienced capability close enough to the organisation to understand the context and influence the work.
Fractional capability may be appropriate when
The first arrangement does not need to become the final one.
A fractional leader may shape the strategy and establish the early priorities. An interim appointment may then build the function or lead through a critical period. A permanent appointment may follow when the mandate, structure and continuing workload are clear.
The model can change as the organisation develops. The understanding behind the original decision should not need to be rebuilt each time.
The right model depends on the work, the timing and the capability already within the organisation. A senior appointment is not necessarily permanent, and specialist expertise may be needed on an interim or fractional basis.
You may need an interim CEO through a period of change, a fractional medical or commercial leader while a function takes shape, or a permanent specialist to carry continuing responsibility for an important area of the business.
Permanent, interim and fractional appointments can apply across Board, executive, functional leadership and specialist roles. The engagement model does not determine the importance of the appointment. The work does.
We begin with what needs to be achieved, how quickly the capability is required and what the organisation is building towards. From there, we determine the right structure and identify the people capable of doing the work.
Board and executive
Chairs, advisers, CEOs, Managing Directors, Country Heads and C-suite executives.
Functional leadership
Commercial, medical, clinical, regulatory, quality, market access, finance, operations, technology and people leaders.
Specialist capability
Medical Affairs, Clinical Operations, Regulatory Affairs, Market Access, Health Economics, Quality, Manufacturing, Digital Health, Scientific, Commercial and other business-critical expertise.
You may know the appointment should be permanent. You may need someone to step in immediately, or experienced capability without creating a full-time role.
You do not need to settle the model before speaking with us. Start with what the organisation needs and what the person must make possible.
