Nicolas T. Deuschel

Robert Langan

Christoph Mât

<article-ideainbrief class="article-ideainbrief">
 <h4 class="ideainbrief-title">Idea in Brief</h4>
 <div class="ideainbrief-contents">
  <h5>The Problem</h5>
  <p>Boards often appoint an interim CEO after a sudden or unplanned departure, assuming it’s a low-risk way to maintain stability and continuity. But in fact interim appointments are among the most disruptive succession choices.</p>
  <h5>The Solution</h5>
  <p>Interim appointments can work if boards treat them as a distinct form of succession with clear rules. Boards must understand the company’s situation, select one of four types of interim CEOs, set explicit mandates, and manage the process with discipline.</p>
  <h5>The Payoff</h5>
  <p>Done right, interim appointments can be more than costly stopgaps. They can be a strategic tool for stabilization or transformation—helping organizations navigate disruption while setting up permanent CEOs for success.</p>
 </div>
</article-ideainbrief><p class="mag-icon-leadership-w30">Your CEO just resigned. Or was fired. Or died. What now? Tomorrow you’re going to need someone in charge. If you don’t have a successor ready, you’ll probably decide to appoint an interim CEO—someone who can steer the ship until you find a permanent replacement.</p>

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<p>A sudden CEO departure can leave companies scrambling to fill the leadership void. Appointing an interim CEO might seem like a safe temporary solution, but in fact that decision often hurts market confidence and the company&#8217;s financial performance. Still, interim leaders are now involved in one out of three CEO transitions. Success or failure depends heavily on context: Boards must assess whether the departure was initiated by the board or the CEO and whether the organization is in a stable or crisis state. Then they can choose among four types of interim CEOs, each suited to a different context. Boards that make effective interim appointments do so by building readiness into governance, clarifying mandates, and securing workforce alignment&#8212;ensuring continuity and building a foundation for a successful permanent handover.</p>

Should You Appoint an Interim CEO?

A sudden CEO departure can leave companies scrambling to fill the leadership void. Appointing an interim CEO might seem like a safe temporary solution, but in fact that decision often hurts market confidence and the company’s financial performance. Still, interim leaders are now involved in one out of three CEO transitions. Success or failure depends heavily on context: Boards must assess whether the departure was initiated by the board or the CEO and whether the organization is in a stable or crisis state. Then they can choose among four types of interim CEOs, each suited to a different context. Boards that make effective interim appointments do so by building readiness into governance, clarifying mandates, and securing workforce alignment—ensuring continuity and building a foundation for a successful permanent handover.

Should You Appoint an Interim CEO?

Summary.

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