Whatever the area, PMO, programme or supply chain, the question is the same: how much authority, time and presence the situation needs. Three models answer it. Each starts with a written mandate.
All three can be delivered hybrid or remote-first. The fractional model is remote by design.
Organisations engage me based on how much control, structure and executive involvement the situation requires. Four dimensions define each model:
How deeply I am built into the organisation and its line structure.
What I decide myself, what I share with the sponsor and what I only advise on.
Full-time or part-time, and for how long.
On site, hybrid or remote-first, with site presence planned in the mandate.
Senior ownership, part-time.
Not a retained advisor. The scope is smaller, but the ownership is real.
From execution to operating model: structure and scale.
Not a strategy project or a purely advisory role. It carries accountability for transformation outcomes.
Stabilisation and intervention, with direct control.
Not advisory work, PMO support or a classic consulting assignment. It requires line accountability and operational control.
| Model 1Fractional Executive | Model 2Embedded Transformation Lead | Model 3Embedded Executive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary intent | Steer a defined scope | Build structure & scale | Stabilise delivery |
| Authority | Defined in the mandate, narrower scope | Shared with the sponsor | Direct, within scope |
| Time commitment | 1–3 days a week | Full-time | Full-time |
| Typical horizon | 3–12 months, extendable | 6–18 months | 3–6 months |
| Delivery mode | Remote-first, planned site days | Hybrid or remote-first | Hybrid, strong on-site presence |
| Accountable for | Agreed scope and its results | Transformation outcomes | Delivery |
Horizons are typical, not fixed. An engagement can move from one model to another as the situation changes.
Every model starts with a written mandate. A mandate charter, attached to the contract as Annex 1, sets out what I decide, what I recommend and what stays outside my remit. It is the most effective protection against the most common interim failure: accountability without leverage.
Within the agreed scope, the call is mine.
I propose; the sponsor decides.
A joint call with a named executive.
Raised to the level that owns it, with a recommendation.
Outside my remit, and written down as such.
The mandate is reviewed at day 90. If authority erodes, the mandate is adjusted or closed. A clean exit is part of the design, not a failure.
In the last five years, more than 70% of my transformation work has been delivered in distributed set-ups. What makes it work is not video calls. It is a fixed rhythm, full transparency and presence that is planned rather than requested.
On-site days are agreed in the mandate charter: typically the kick-off, key workshops, steering meetings and time on the floor where the work happens.
A confidential call about the situation, then scope, decision rights, sponsor, delivery mode and success criteria agreed in writing.
Owners, commitments and open risks mapped. Realistic status replaces reported status.
Steering cadence running, reporting cut to what drives decisions, blockers removed.
Progress checked against the agreed criteria. The mandate is adjusted, extended or closed.
Most conversations start with the situation, not the model. A short, confidential call is usually enough to see which form of support, if any, makes sense.
The three areas I work in, with typical situations, deliverables and results from previous mandates.
