100-Day Plan for an Interim CFO: Template

The short answer

The first 100 days of an interim CFO engagement run in three phases: understand and secure (days 1 to 30), stabilise (days 31 to 60) and shape and hand over (days 61 to 100). First comes liquidity and an honest picture of the situation, then reliable processes, and at the end structure and the handover.

The plan is an example and depends on the situation and the assignment. Going through it with management before the engagement starts settles the most important expectations in one conversation.

Template to download: The plan as an Excel file with 19 tasks, phases, due dates, status and progress per phase. Download the 100-day plan (Excel)

Why a plan with fixed days

Without a plan, an engagement is steered by day-to-day business. With a plan there are three things both sides can check: what should be done by when, who owns it and how you can tell it is done. It also gives a basis for the conversation when priorities shift.

Phase 1: Understand and secure (days 1 to 30)

The first weeks serve one goal: knowing where the company stands and making sure nothing urgent burns.

Conversations with management, shareholders and team leads.
Access to bank, accounting, payroll and tax advisor.
Balances, open items and payment obligations for the next 13 weeks. This becomes the 13-week cash flow forecast.
Loan agreements, covenants and bank deadlines.
Status of the month-end close and open review points.
Contracts with deadlines and notice dates.
First assessment with priorities, handed to management.

At the end of this phase there is a picture of the situation that needs no sugar-coating: liquidity, risks, open points and an order for the coming weeks.

Phase 2: Stabilise (days 31 to 60)

Now processes become reliable. The tasks are less spectacular, but they decide whether the numbers are right at month end.

Weekly plan-versus-actual of cash.
Month-end close with a fixed calendar and owners, for example following the ten-day calendar.
Review receivables management and payment terms, define measures.
Agree budget and forecast with department heads.
Define approval rules for payments and contracts in writing.
Agree reporting for shareholders and board.

Phase 3: Shape and hand over (days 61 to 100)

The last phase looks ahead: what does the finance function need permanently, and how does it reach the next person?

Define the metrics set with definitions and report it for the first time.
Assess the structure and staffing of the finance team and prepare a recommendation.
Systems and processes: document gaps and priorities.
Create handover documentation for the successor or the next step.
Closing conversation with management and shareholders.

Even if the engagement runs longer, handover documentation makes sense in every phase.

How to recognise progress

The picture of the situation is in place. After four weeks management and shareholders can name the main risks and the liquidity on one sheet.
Numbers arrive on time. The month-end close follows a fixed process.
Decisions have owners. Approvals and responsibilities are fixed in writing.
Handover is possible. A new person could be productive within a week using the documentation.

How to adapt the plan

The plan is designed for a mid-sized company with one entity. In a restructuring, liquidity moves into the first days and the rest shifts. With a funding round or a sale, data preparation is added. With a vacancy without a crisis, more time remains for structure. What matters is that phases, sequence and owners are agreed beforehand.

How an engagement comes about is covered in How to find an interim CFO; the requirements for brief and offer are in The brief and comparing offers. The role itself is described on the interim CFO page.

Frequently asked questions

What is a 100-day plan for an interim CFO?

A 100-day plan sets out which tasks are done in the first three months or so of an engagement, in which order, who owns them and by when. It divides the engagement into three phases: understand and secure, stabilise, shape and hand over.

What happens in the first 30 days?

The interim CFO builds a picture of the situation: conversations, access, liquidity for the next 13 weeks, loan agreements and deadlines, status of the month-end close. At the end there is a first assessment with priorities.

Does the plan also apply to shorter engagements?

Yes, as a grid. In shorter engagements phases are tightened or tasks dropped; the sequence of situation picture, stability and handover remains sensible.

Who is responsible for the tasks?

The template lists a role per task, such as interim CFO, controlling, accounting or finance lead. What matters is that every task has a named person.

How do I use the template?

Enter the start date, adapt tasks and days, maintain owners and status. The template calculates due dates, marks overdue tasks and shows progress per phase.

Read on

Sources and status

The article is based on nugrow's engagement practice and describes an example; tasks, days and owners have to be adapted to your own company. As of October 2026.

100-Day Plan for an Interim CFO: What Happens in the First Months