Interim CEO for PE portfolio companies in Italy.
A portfolio company without a CEO is a discount on the next valuation. Hold the operating line. Protect EBITDA. Brief the successor.
Why now
Every week without a CEO is a price cut.
Customers postpone, managers update their LinkedIn, plans drift. By the time the new CEO lands, the deal thesis has slipped a year. An interim CEO closes that gap from week one.
CEO exit, no successor
Sudden resignation or board-led removal. Hold the line, run the company, brief the search.
Underperformance vs deal thesis
Plan slippage by Q2 of year one. Diagnose, decide, deliver. Stop the bleed in 60 days.
Add-on integration
Bolt-on closed, no operator yet. Run the combined entity until the permanent CEO lands.
Pre-exit value protection
12 months from sale. Defend the numbers, lock the management story, prep the IM.
Management dispute
Founder-CEO and board misaligned. Independent operator restores governance and decisions.
Italian footprint, foreign HQ
Italian opco needs presence on the ground. Bridge to the foreign parent in English.
Scope of mandate
What you get on day one.
/01
P&L ownership
Full operating authority. Revenue, cost, cash, people.
/02
Board-grade reporting
PE-format monthly pack. KPIs, variance, decisions needed.
/03
Quick wins in 30 days
Three measurable wins to rebuild internal momentum.
/04
100-day plan
Written, owned, tracked. Aligned to the deal thesis.
/05
Successor brief
Search support, candidate interviews, clean handover pack.
/06
Exit on date
Defined end. No scope creep. No retention games.
Adjacent reading
Built for deal teams.
Related Italian-market resources for portfolio operators.
- • interimceo.it Interim CEO Italy
- • ceoadinterim.it CEO ad interim
- • direttoregeneraleadinterim.it Direttore Generale ad interim
Top questions
Why hire an interim CEO for a PE portfolio company in Italy?
Because a portfolio company without a CEO loses value every week. An interim CEO holds the operating line, defends EBITDA and protects the deal thesis while the search runs. The cost of indecision is always higher than the day rate.
How fast can you take the seat in a portfolio company?
Two weeks from signed mandate. For acute situations such as a CEO exit on the eve of board reporting, on the ground in five working days.
Do you take Amministratore Delegato filings?
Yes. AD filings with personal liability in Italy are part of a full mandate. D&O insurance and legal scope are written into the engagement contract.
Do you work with deal teams pre-close?
Yes. Pre-close 100-day plan validation, management diligence and day-one readiness. Engagement converts to interim CEO at signing where useful.
How do I hire an interim CEO for PE firms and their portfolio companies?
PE firms hire an interim CEO for a portfolio company in three moves. One: operating partner scopes the mandate in a 30-minute call (situation, deal thesis, timeline, reporting line into the fund). Two: written scope and pricing land within 48 hours. Three: the portfolio company signs the contract, the fund is on the CC line, on-site start within two weeks. Day rate or monthly retainer, three to twelve months, AD filing where required.
Is this a provider of interim CEOs for PE-backed companies, or one operator?
One operator. Not a firm, not a roster, not a marketplace. When a PE fund hires here, the person on the call is the person taking the seat in the portfolio company. That means no bench swap mid-mandate, no partner-sells-junior-delivers, no placement fee. If the fit is wrong on the intro call, we say so and point to a specialist interim firm.
Do you take temporary CEO mandates in PE-backed portfolio companies?
Yes. Temporary CEO, interim CEO, CEO ad interim: same role. Full-time, defined exit, board-grade reporting. Typical shapes: hold the seat between a departing CEO and a permanent hire; carry the 100-day plan of a newly-acquired portfolio company; defend EBITDA in the twelve months before exit; step in when a founder-CEO and the fund lose alignment.
How does an interim CEO for a PE fund actually get engaged?
The PE fund's operating partner or deal partner scopes the mandate directly with the interim CEO in a 30-minute call. Written scope and price land within 48 hours. Contract is signed by the portfolio company (not the fund) with the fund on the CC line. Day rate or monthly retainer, three to twelve months, AD filing where required. No search firm, no retainer to a third party, no placement fee.
Next step
Portfolio company without a CEO. Call today.
30-minute call. Written mandate and price within 48 hours. On the ground in two weeks.