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Services

Engagements with a defined shape.

Each one has a shape, a duration and a set of deliverables, so a sponsor knows what they are buying before the first invoice.

Book a call How engagements work

Fractional or interim CHRO

For

A portfolio company that needs a chief people officer on the leadership team and cannot yet justify, or find, a full-time one.

It comes in two shapes. An interim joins the leadership team full time for a defined period, usually 3 to 9 months. A fractional CHRO joins two to three days a week with no fixed end date. Either way we own the people agenda: the team, the operating rhythm, compensation and the board's questions, alongside the CEO and the sponsor's operating partner.

Shape

Interim: full time, usually 3 to 9 monthsFractional: two to three days a week, open-ended

Starts with

A 30-day assessment of the team, the systems, the processes and the people risks

Deliverables

A people plan tied to the value creation plan, with deliverables against it agreed together
A permanent hire or a handover

Ends with

A written handover and a named successor

Transition and carve-out support

For

A carve-out, an acquisition or a change of control where the people decisions have a deadline.

Day-one readiness, the transition services period, retention of the people the deal depends on, and the early decisions about the leadership team that a new owner has to make. We run the people workstream against the deal timeline and report to the deal team and the CEO.

What a client said about this work

Shape

Scoped to the deal timeline, usually 3 to 9 months

Starts with

A review of the people diligence findings and the day-one plan

Deliverables

Day-one readiness checklist
Retention and communication plan
Exit plan from the transition services agreement for HR systems, benefits and shared services
Leadership team assessment for the new owner

Ends with

Exit from the transition services agreement and an operational people function

Advisory or project work

For

A CEO, a sponsor or an operating partner who wants a CHRO's judgment on specific decisions without an embedded role, or an experienced practitioner who can step in on an urgent need or a defined project.

A standing arrangement for the questions that come up between deals and hires: an executive exit, a compensation plan, a board question about the team, a reorganization. Or one piece of work, scoped to the project.

Shape

Monthly, with a fixed number of hoursOr scoped to the project

Starts with

A conversation about the situation and the decisions ahead

Deliverables

A recommendation on each question
Attendance at board or leadership sessions when asked

Ends with

Whenever the questions stop. Month to month.

How it starts

Four steps to a start date

A 20-minute call. The situation, the timeline and whether we are the right fit.
A scoping note within a week: the shape, the deliverables, the dates and the fee.
A start date. For a deal it is usually inside two weeks.
A 30-day check-in with the sponsor and the CEO on whether the scope still fits.

Questions

Asked on most first calls

What is the difference between a fractional and an interim CHRO?

An interim fills the chair full time until a permanent hire arrives. A fractional CHRO owns the people agenda part time, with no fixed end date. Either one often defines and hires the permanent role.

Do you work for the sponsor or for the company?

Both, and the engagement letter says who we report to. Usually the CEO, with the sponsor's operating partner in the loop.

How is the fee set?

By the scope, in the scoping note, before any work starts. Fractional roles carry a monthly fee for the agreed days. Transition work is scoped to the deal.

Do you work outside Chicago?

Yes. Most work runs remote with time on site at the points that need it: day one, leadership sessions, and the hard conversations.

Next step

Start with the 20-minute call

The situation, the timeline and whether we are the right fit for it.

Book a call

Or write to lisa@hrcatalyst.pro