Interim CFO
An interim CFO is an experienced finance leader who takes charge of a company's finance function for a defined period, typically three to twelve months. The role is used to cover vacancies, to steer growth or crisis phases, and to lead transactions when senior finance leadership has to be available immediately.
What an interim CFO does
An interim CFO carries responsibility for the finance function, not just advice on it. That covers commercial leadership, liquidity management, reporting to shareholders and investors, budgeting and forecasting, and leading the finance team. Unlike a consultant, an interim CFO owns the outcome of the area they run.
When companies use one
The most common triggers are an unfilled CFO or head of finance position, an upcoming funding round or transaction, a restructuring, the rollout of new finance systems, or a growth step the existing structures can no longer carry. In every case the need is time-limited but the requirement is leadership rather than support.
How it differs from related roles
An interim CFO works for a fixed term, usually at a high weekly load of three to five days. A fractional CFO works permanently but partially, perhaps one day a week over several years. CFO as a Service describes the delivery model, not the person.
Contractual position in Germany
Interim CFOs in Germany are engaged under a service contract rather than an employment contract. Because the role sits inside the organisation, the boundary to the German Temporary Employment Act (Arbeitnehmerüberlassungsgesetz, AÜG) and the question of false self-employment both need to be settled in the contract before the assignment starts.
The first 90 days
A workable pattern is three phases: assessment and stabilisation of the monthly close, then the substantive priorities the mandate was given for, then documentation and handover. Success criteria should be concrete and agreed in advance – the close is finished by a fixed working day, the rolling cash forecast is current, investor reporting is in place, the successor is trained.