A fractional executive is a senior leader who works for your company part time, with real responsibility for one function. Indian startups and mid-sized companies have used fractional CFOs for years. The same model works for marketing, people and technology, at the stage when a function needs senior judgement but not a full-time salary.
What each role covers
| Role | Typical work | A sign you need one |
|---|---|---|
| Fractional CMO | Positioning, the marketing plan and budget, managing the team or agency | Marketing spend is rising, qualified leads are not, and nobody senior owns marketing |
| Fractional CHRO | Pay structures, policies, hiring, performance reviews, the new Labour Codes | You have grown past a few dozen people and HR is still payroll and onboarding |
| Fractional CTO | Architecture, build-or-buy decisions, hiring engineers, managing vendors | You depend on one agency or one engineer, and nobody senior can check their work |
| Fractional CFO | Board reporting, cash, fundraising, the finance team | Covered in our CFO guide |
How the time works
A fractional leader is not a part-time employee doing the same job slowly. They take the parts that need seniority: decisions, plans, hiring and reviews. The daily work stays with your team, which only works if someone on the team can carry it out.
Through Preconsultify, part-time work usually means 15–20 hours a week.
When it works, and when it does not
It works when:
- The function needs senior judgement, but not every day.
- You have, or will hire, someone to do the daily work.
- You want to test the role before committing to a full-time salary.
It does not work when:
- The function is in crisis and needs someone in the building every day. That calls for an interim manager.
- There is nobody to lead. A fractional leader with no team becomes an expensive individual contributor.
- The law requires a whole-time officer. Listed companies, and public companies with paid-up capital of ₹10 crore or more, must have a whole-time CFO and company secretary under the Companies Act. A fractional leader can advise, but cannot hold those posts.
Agree five things on day one
- 1The outcome
What should be different in six months, in numbers where possible.
- 2The time
Hours a week or days a month, and how quickly they respond in between.
- 3Decision rights
What they decide alone, and what goes to the founder.
- 4The team
Who does the daily work they direct.
- 5The review date
When you decide whether to continue, hire full time or stop.
