Octobiz · Based in Europe
Interim CEO Services
When a company loses its CEO mid-crisis, mid-growth or mid-transition, the gap at the top can stall everything below it. Octobiz places an experienced interim CEO in European businesses within days, not months: Someone who steps into the role with full operational authority and starts making decisions from day one. This is not a search process. It is a senior executive taking the seat and taking responsibility.
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Boards · Private Equity · Shareholders · Banks · Insolvency Advisors
Reviving mid-sized businesses across Europe
When a business needs an interim chief executive
A CEO gap rarely arrives at a convenient time. Common situations we see include:
- A founder or CEO departs suddenly during a scaling phase, leaving investors and the team without a clear decision-maker
- A funding round falls through and the company needs someone who can cut costs and reset priorities immediately
- An M&A transition or reorganization leaves the top seat vacant during a sensitive period
- The board needs a steady, experienced hand while a permanent search is underway
In each case, waiting for a traditional executive search process can cost months the business does not have. An interim chief executive fills that gap with immediate, hands-on leadership.
What an interim CEO from Octobiz delivers
Octobiz does not simply place a manager and step back. Our interim CEOs are experienced C-level executives with their own P&L track record, and we manage the assignment ourselves rather than handing over a candidate and disappearing. In practice this means the interim CEO takes real operational responsibility for the business, not just an advisory role, and works alongside our broader team of analysts and partners for financial and operational backup.
Case in point
Interim CEO in action: A technology sector example
One of the clearest examples of this work is in the technology sector. When a founding CEO or CTO departs mid-growth, investors and the remaining team are often left with a leadership gap they cannot fill quickly, especially while a funding round has left only a few weeks of runway and a cost base built for a scale the revenue cannot yet support.
In situations like this, Octobiz places an interim CEO who cuts non-essential spend, refocuses the product roadmap on revenue-generating features, and maintains investor confidence through structured, regular communication. The goal is not just to keep the lights on. It is to buy the business the runway and stability it needs to either stabilize or complete a permanent leadership search on its own terms.
Our approach
From diagnosis to handover: How a mandate runs
An interim CEO assignment with Octobiz typically follows three phases:
01
Understand
AI-assisted diagnostics across liquidity, P&L, and stakeholder mapping to establish a clear picture of the situation.
02
Design
A structured turnaround or stabilization plan, built to be credible with banks, investors, and the board.
03
Transform
Operational implementation, with the interim CEO leading execution and tracking measurable KPIs such as liquidity, EBITDA, and revenue.
Backed by a senior team
The people behind our interim CEO assignments
Octobiz interim CEO engagements are backed by a small, senior team rather than a large generalist bench. Managing Partner Oliver Herzog leads the practice, supported by Partners Aurelio Doetsch and Kevin Waugh, alongside a dedicated analytics team covering financial, cost, and data analysis. This structure means an interim CEO placed by Octobiz is never working alone. They have direct access to the same senior judgment and analytical support behind every Octobiz engagement.
Oliver Herzog
Managing Partner
Aurelio Doetsch
Partner
Kevin Waugh
Partner
Oanh Nguyen
Business Analyst
Elena Christoforou
Finance and Cost Engineering
Stella Badirkhanova
Senior Data Analyst
Anna Berheid
Data Analyst
Sector experience
Industries where we place interim CEOs
Octobiz has placed interim leadership across construction, civil engineering, real estate, manufacturing, hospitality and technology across Europe. Each sector brings its own pressures, from seasonal cash flow strain in hospitality to funding runway crises in technology, and the right interim CEO understands those specifics from day one rather than learning them on the job.
ConstructionCivil EngineeringReal EstateManufacturingHospitality & TourismTechnology
Why us
Why choose Octobiz for interim chief executive leadership
- We take on operational responsibility, not just recommendations
- Our interim CEOs are experienced executives with their own P&L accountability
- We work on a success-fee basis, so results are the priority, not billable hours
- We manage the assignment ourselves rather than simply placing a candidate and stepping away
Need broader interim leadership, not just a CEO?
If your gap is at a different level, such as COO, director or another key role, or if you are looking for wider interim management support across Europe, see our full Interim Management Services.
Facing a leadership gap at CEO level?
Speak with Octobiz about an interim CEO placement in Europe.
Confidential · Hands-on · Success-fee based