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Whether you need an interim executive for corporate restructuring, sudden vacancy management, or scaling a fintech venture, we connect you with vetted, available executive leaders. Benefit from fast, precise AI matching to secure experienced C-level professionals.
About the role
Strategic Leadership in Germany's Financial and Corporate Hub
Frankfurt is a demanding business ecosystem, home to global financial institutions, digital scale-ups, and industrial companies. An interim Chief Executive Officer steps in to steer organizations through critical transitions, structural reorganisation, or sudden leadership departures. They take full operational responsibility, align stakeholders, and stabilize business processes from day one.
Key Executive Deliverables
The duties of a temporary chief executive go beyond day-to-day management to include structural and strategic transformation. Typical outcomes of an assignment include:
- Executing corporate restructuring and turnaround programs
- Managing post-merger integration and corporate carve-outs
- Bridging executive vacancies to maintain market confidence
- Leading digital transformation and modernization initiatives
- Aligning local operations with German regulatory compliance standards
Critical Skills and Local Market Navigation
A successful executive leader in the Hessen region must combine global business acumen with deep local market knowledge. They need familiarity with German corporate governance structures, including the two-tier board system of Management Board and Supervisory Board. Language proficiency in both German and English is crucial for managing relationships with local works councils, regional financial authorities, and international shareholders. This ensures seamless continuity in highly regulated sectors.
Strategic Reasons for Interim Executive Appointments
Companies in the Frankfurt metropolitan area hire temporary executives during phases of high urgency or complexity. This includes the sudden departure of a permanent leader, the rapid scaling of a venture capital-backed fintech, or a planned corporate turnaround. Bringing in an external executive provides an unbiased perspective, enabling tough operational and structural decisions to be made quickly without internal political friction.
Meet FRATCH Chief Executive Officers
Carolyn Shwash
Senior Business Development Manager
Last position:
VP of Business Development at VendueTech
Led business development across DACH for a PropTech platform digitising distressed real estate and NPL asset sales — unlocking liquidity for illiquid assets through structured digital bidding processes for brokers, investors and insolvency administrators.
Developed and managed enterprise relationships with real estate agencies, banks, servicers and PropTech platforms — driving pipeline generation, commercial negotiations and partnership development across Germany and Europe.
Replaced opaque one-to-one negotiations with transparent multi-bidder environments — supporting distressed real estate sales, NPL/REO asset disposals, portfolio sales and high-demand residential listings with speed, compliance and auditability.
Martina Peukert
CEO / Producer
Last position:
CEO / Producer at Programmaker Filmproduktion
- As a producer, I bring emotions to the screen and showcase your company in an unparalleled way.
- With my creative eye and technical know-how, I make your vision shine.
- Show the world who you are and what you have to offer.
- Let your audience dive into the captivating story your brand tells.
- Turn prospects into customers and boost your success.
Richard Reynolds
Vice President– Head of Claims Operations, Europe
Last position:
Vice President– Head of Claims Operations, Europe at SOMPO International
Managing TPA Manager and a team of 10 Claims Operation Assistants.
Designing and implementing processes and workstreams using Guidewire from the ground up with European claims teams across all lines of business.
Establishing service level agreements (SLAs) and detailed key performance indicators (KPIs) with new business intelligence (BI) reporting, payment and performance analysis.
Developing, steering and analysing 50+ strategic, operational and IT initiatives, driving digital change and AI automation in payments while meeting DORA, GDPR, ACM and BAIT MaRisk regulatory compliance.
Increasing customer satisfaction scores by 80%.
Attracting and mentoring market-leading operational and TPA talent.
Demonstrating strong stakeholder leadership and swift decisional influence.
Olga Laukart
CEO
Last position:
CEO at AssuranceLab UG
- Design, implementation, and testing of internal control systems / US SOX
- Consulting and compliance
Robert Book
Corporate Vice President, Global Supply Chain (Interim)
Last position:
Corporate Vice President, Global Supply Chain (Interim) at tesa SE
- Led the global supply chain at tesa, a €1.7 billion revenue producer of adhesives for industrial and consumer industries with multiple business units
- Led teams responsible for supply chain strategic projects and global fulfillment initiatives, including materials management, logistics, and demand management in Europe, US, Asia and Middle East
Jan Hanken
Product Lead
Last position:
Product Lead at GoDEAP.ai
- Leading the development of a virtual data scientist platform designed for business professionals, students, and SMEs.
Alexander Steiner
Vice President
Last position:
Vice President at Douglas – Beauty & Retail
- Organizations lead up to 700+ people in Düsseldorf and various European countries
- Building and transforming organizations
- Managing strategic IT projects and operational budget
- Organizations control (120m)
- Change management is a key factor to success
Bogachan Önal
CEO & Founder
Last position:
CEO & Founder at Bogaja LLC
- Web design
- Digital marketing
- Social media
- Graphic design
- Web maintenance
- Business consulting
Sebastian Krautwald
Ideagiver, Evangelist & CEO
Last position:
Ideagiver, Evangelist & CEO at OnlyLaw
- Ideagiver and CEO of ONLYLAW, a platform that makes legal advice more accessible to people with heart.
Kurt Bührmann
Logistics Manager
Last position:
Logistics Manager at Self-employed
- Support as Logistics Manager and Interim Manager hands-on in making logistics, purchasing and supply chain processes more effective and profitable
- Act as Logistics Consultant, Project Manager in Purchasing, eCommerce, ERP, IT, Logistics, Material Management, SAP, SCM and Forwarding
- Goals: process optimization, increasing productivity, efficiency, and quality
John Krämer
Vice President, Board Staff
Last position:
Vice President, Board Staff at Helaba, Landesbank Hessen Thüringen
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Chief Executive Officers statistics
Typical experience
23 years
Average project duration
5.8 years
Certifications per freelancer
2
Top business areas
Project Management, Strategy, Information Technology
Top industries
Professional Services, Information Technology, Banking and Finance
Most common languages
German, English, Russian
Bachelor's degree or higher
100%
Master's degree or higher
50%
Salary / Daily Rate Distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this role are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge within that range. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Average rates for Chief Executive Officers & Seniority distribution
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Frequently Asked Questions
Want to know more? Check out our simple guide about FRATCH
An interim Chief Executive Officer is hired for a specific timeframe or project objective, such as a restructuring or a transition phase. Unlike permanent leaders, they focus on rapid execution, objective decision-making, and stabilization rather than long-term career building. They leave once the objectives are achieved and a permanent successor is integrated.
Most interim executives can onboard within days due to their extensive experience and readiness for immediate deployment. In urgent situations, a local leader from the Frankfurt area can be on-site quickly to assess the situation and meet with key stakeholders. This fast deployment minimizes operational downtime and reassures investors.
Yes, for most organizations in Germany, a temporary CEO must be fluent in both German and English. While international fintechs or subsidiaries might operate primarily in English, negotiating with local works councils, regional banks, and authorities requires professional German language skills. Understanding local business culture is vital for successful stakeholder management.
A company should engage a freelance Chief Executive Officer during sudden vacancies, complex restructuring phases, or major corporate transactions like mergers and acquisitions. They provide the necessary leadership buffer, stabilize operations, and prepare the company for its next strategic phase. This avoids hasty permanent hiring decisions under pressure.
A top-tier executive consultant is evaluated by their track record of successfully managed turnarounds, transition phases, and industry-specific leadership. Reference checks with previous supervisory boards and financial stakeholders are crucial. Their ability to immediately grasp complex local regulatory environments, such as BaFin requirements in Frankfurt, is a strong indicator of quality.
Yes, an experienced interim manager operating at the executive level is highly skilled in co-determination and labor relations. They work collaboratively with German works councils to implement necessary restructuring measures or operational changes. Their objective, neutral status helps reduce tension and build trust during negotiations.
A professional interim leader operates under strict non-disclosure agreements from the very first meeting. They are accustomed to managing sensitive situations, such as planned divestments or executive successions, with absolute discretion. They establish clear communication protocols to protect proprietary data and corporate reputation.
The engagement of an interim director usually lasts between six to eighteen months depending on the complexity of the project. This timeframe allows them to stabilize the business, implement strategic changes, and ensure a smooth handover to the permanent successor. The contract is highly flexible and can be adjusted as project milestones are met.
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