Why Did Frontline Launch a Fractional Executive Division?
Published on: Nov 3, 2026
Updated on: November 3, 2026
Frontline Source Group has launched a fractional executive staffing division because our clients kept asking for senior leaders on part-time terms. Companies can now hire ten fractional C-suite roles, from CFO and Controller to CTO and Chief AI Officer, and any fractional leader converted to full-time is backed by our 5-Year Placement Warranty.
We have been placing executives since 2004. Frontline has completed more than 5,619 placements with a 98.94% executive placement retention rate, operates 32 plus offices across the United States, and holds a 5.0-star Trustpilot rating across 682 verified reviews, plus a 5.0 rating on G2 from validated reviewers. The 5-Year Placement Warranty runs 20 times longer than the 90-day guarantee that is standard in staffing.
Frontline Source Group is a Forbes Best Professional Recruiting Firm for 9 consecutive years (2018 to 2026), Forbes Best Executive Recruiting Firms #148 (2026), a 9-time ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both Client and Talent satisfaction, a ClearlyRated Diamond Award recipient, an Inc. 5000 honoree, and an Expertise.com Best Staffing Agency. The firm is a member of the American Staffing Association (ASA). You can see the full list on our awards page.
In this article
- What Frontline's fractional executive division is
- Fractional roles available now and typical pricing
- Coming next: fractional CIO, CISO, and CMO
- Why demand for fractional executives is growing
- What a full-time executive costs by comparison
- Pros and cons of fractional leadership
- How clients rate Frontline on Trustpilot and G2
- Converting to full-time with the 5-Year Placement Warranty
- How executives join the fractional talent network
- How companies schedule a discovery call
- Frequently asked questions
What is Frontline's fractional executive staffing division?
Our fractional executive division places experienced C-suite leaders with companies on a part-time basis, for a set number of hours each month. It is run by the same executive search team that places full-time CFOs, COOs, and CEOs, so every fractional candidate goes through the same screening we use for a permanent executive search.
The idea did not start in a strategy meeting. It started with phone calls. Over the past few years, more and more of the owners, boards, and private equity sponsors we work with asked the same question: can you find us a CFO who works two days a week? Or a COO for the next nine months while we grow into the role? We kept saying yes on a case-by-case basis, and eventually it made sense to build a dedicated practice around it. That is how we have grown for 22 years. We listen to what clients need, and then we build it. People. Process. Service.
The division is led by Shelly Hubble, CSP, our Senior Vice President of Operations, alongside me. You can see every role, the typical hours, and how engagements work on our fractional executive staffing hub.
Which fractional executive roles can you hire from Frontline today?
Ten fractional roles are available now. We have grouped them below by the part of the business they lead, and each one has its own page with typical hours, monthly pricing, and the situations where it fits best.
Finance leadership: fractional CFO and Controller
Finance is where fractional leadership started, and it is still where we see the most demand. A fractional CFO owns cash flow, forecasting, board reporting, lender relationships, and capital raises. A fractional Controller owns the monthly close, reconciliations, internal controls, and audit readiness. Many of our clients pair the two, with the Controller running the books and the CFO looking ahead.
Executive and operations leadership: fractional CEO, COO, and Chief of Staff
A fractional CEO helps with founder transitions, turnarounds, and growth stages that need a seasoned operator at the top. A fractional COO builds the processes and team structure that turn strategy into day-to-day execution. A fractional Chief of Staff works as the CEO's right hand, driving priorities and keeping cross-functional projects moving.
Revenue and people leadership: fractional CRO and CHRO
A fractional CRO aligns sales, marketing, and customer success around a pipeline you can forecast. A fractional CHRO takes on people strategy, HR compliance, compensation planning, and culture for companies that have outgrown a generalist HR function.
Technology, AI, and legal leadership: fractional CTO, Chief AI Officer, and CLO
A fractional CTO leads architecture decisions, development teams, and product roadmaps. A fractional Chief AI Officer sets AI strategy, picks the use cases worth funding, and keeps adoption responsible. A fractional Chief Legal Officer handles contracts, compliance, risk, and transactions for companies that need senior legal judgment without a full-time general counsel.
| Fractional role | Typical hours a month | Typical monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Fractional CEO | 40 to 100 | 8,000 to 30,000 dollars |
| Fractional COO | 20 to 80 | 5,000 to 20,000 dollars |
| Fractional CFO | 10 to 60 | 3,000 to 25,000 dollars |
| Fractional Controller | 20 to 80 | 2,500 to 12,000 dollars |
| Fractional CRO | 20 to 80 | 6,000 to 20,000 dollars |
| Fractional CHRO | 20 to 60 | 4,000 to 15,000 dollars |
| Fractional Chief of Staff | 20 to 80 | 4,000 to 15,000 dollars |
| Fractional CTO | 20 to 80 | 5,000 to 20,000 dollars |
| Fractional Chief AI Officer | 20 to 60 | 6,000 to 25,000 dollars |
| Fractional Chief Legal Officer | 20 to 80 | 5,000 to 25,000 dollars |
Ranges are typical, not quotes. The final number depends on hours, scope, and company complexity, and we put it in a written proposal before anything starts. Our placement fees are published on our pricing page, which is still rare in this industry.
Which fractional roles is Frontline adding next?
The next three seats on our roadmap are the ones clients ask us about most often that we do not yet have a dedicated page for: a fractional Chief Information Officer, a fractional Chief Information Security Officer, and a fractional Chief Marketing Officer.
- Fractional CIO. IT strategy, systems, vendor management, and infrastructure planning for companies whose technology has grown faster than anyone is managing it.
- Fractional CISO. Security program leadership, risk assessments, and readiness for the compliance frameworks that customers and insurers now ask about.
- Fractional CMO. Brand positioning and demand generation leadership without a full-time executive salary.
If you need one of these leaders now, you do not have to wait for the page to go live. Request a discovery call and our executive search team will talk through the search with you. That is how every role on our list got there in the first place.
Why is demand for fractional executives growing so fast?
The short answer is that companies want senior judgment without the full cost of a senior salary, and a growing pool of experienced executives wants to work with more than one company. The hiring data backs that up.
How much has fractional executive hiring grown?
Workforce data from Revelio Labs, reported by the Financial Times in September 2026, found that 24 of every 1,000 new executive positions advertised in 2026 were fractional, up from 9 per 1,000 five years earlier. CFO roles made up the largest single share of those fractional executive postings. Labor market analytics firm Lightcast, in research published in August 2026, counted at least 34,000 U.S. workers holding a job title that mentions "fractional" as of 2025, up 265 percent from 2019. U.S. fractional job postings reached 677 in 2025, and Lightcast counted nearly 1,000 in just the first seven months of 2026.
"Demand is also growing fast in job postings."
Elena Magrini, Head of Global Research, Lightcast, in The Rise of Fractional Leadership (August 2026)
Which companies are hiring fractional executives?
Mostly small and mid-sized businesses. Lightcast found that 97 percent of 2026 fractional job postings came from small and medium companies, with only 3 percent from the Fortune 1000. Finance accounts for 46 percent of U.S. fractional postings, but demand that was almost entirely finance and sales in 2019 and 2020 has since spread into operations, marketing, people, and technology. That matches what we hear from our own clients, and it is why our division covers ten seats instead of one.
How much does a full-time executive cost compared with a fractional leader?
A full-time C-suite hire is one of the largest fixed costs a growing company takes on. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the May 2025 median annual wage was 213,990 dollars for chief executives, 175,140 dollars for computer and information systems managers, 166,790 dollars for marketing managers, 166,570 dollars for financial managers, 149,280 dollars for human resources managers, and 105,770 dollars for general and operations managers. Those are base wages only, before bonuses, equity, benefits, and payroll taxes.
A fractional executive is engaged for the hours your company actually needs. For a business that needs a CFO's judgment a few days a month, that difference is the whole point.
What are the pros and cons of hiring a fractional executive?
Fractional leadership is a strong fit for a lot of companies, but not every company and not every moment. Here is the honest version we give clients on a discovery call.
Where fractional leadership works well
- Senior judgment at a fraction of the fixed cost. You pay for the hours the role needs instead of a full executive salary, bonus, and benefits.
- Experience your team has not built yet. A fractional CFO who has run three lender processes, or a fractional COO who has scaled two companies, brings pattern recognition a first-time hire does not have.
- Flexibility as the business changes. Hours can go up for a capital raise or an acquisition and come back down once the project is finished.
- A low-risk path to a permanent hire. You see how a leader works with your team before you make a full-time offer, and a conversion through Frontline carries the 5-Year Placement Warranty.
What to watch out for
- Limited monthly availability. A fractional executive working 20 hours a month is not in the building every day. If the role needs someone on hand for daily decisions, a crisis, or a turnaround, an interim or full-time leader is usually the better answer.
- Decision-making authority has to be defined. If nobody spells out which decisions the fractional leader owns, which ones go back to the CEO, and who their direct reports are, the engagement stalls. Write the scope, authority, and reporting lines down before the first day.
- Coordination across multiple companies. Most fractional executives serve more than one client. That means agreed response times, a set meeting rhythm, and clear expectations about availability during your busiest weeks, such as the month-end close or a board meeting.
- Continuity and documentation. Because the leader is part-time, the work has to be documented so the team can keep moving between sessions, and so knowledge stays with the company if the engagement ends.
"The biggest mistake I see is bringing in a fractional CFO, COO, or CISO before anyone has written down what that person owns. Decide which decisions they can make on their own, which ones come back to the CEO, and how many hours a month the job really takes. Get that right and fractional works. Skip it and even a great executive will struggle."
Bill Kasko, Founder, President, and CEO, Frontline Source Group, leading C-suite executive search since 2004
That is why every Frontline fractional engagement starts with scoping. Before we present a single candidate, we agree with you on the hours, the decisions the role owns, the reporting line, and how the leader will be available to your team. All of that goes into the written proposal.
Why do clients trust Frontline with fractional executive searches?
Because they can check our work. Frontline holds a 5.0-star rating on Trustpilot across 682 verified reviews from hiring managers and the professionals we have placed. We also hold a 5.0 rating on G2 from validated reviewers, a second independent check on the same story. You can read more of what clients say on our testimonials page.
Those ratings are also why this division exists. Clients who trusted us with a controller search came back and asked whether we could find them a part-time CFO. Clients who trusted us with a CFO asked about a COO. We grew into fractional work the same way we have grown into every service line since 2004, by listening to the people we work for and building what they ask for.
What happens when you hire your fractional executive full-time?
Many companies start fractional and realize they want the same leader every day. When that happens, Frontline handles the move as a direct hire placement, and the hire is covered by the 5-Year Placement Warranty. That is 20 times longer than the 90-day guarantee that is standard across staffing. You keep a leader who already knows your business, with the warranty behind the decision. For permanent searches from day one, our C-suite executive search team runs the full process.
How do executives join Frontline's fractional talent network?
If you have led a function at the executive level and want fractional, interim, or project work, we want to hear from you. Upload your resume and information through our how to apply page and note that you are interested in fractional engagements. We are building a national network of CFOs, Controllers, COOs, CEOs, CROs, CHROs, Chiefs of Staff, CTOs, AI leaders, general counsel, and, for the roles coming next, CIOs, CISOs, and CMOs.
Frontline never charges candidates any fees. Our recruiters email from the @frtline.com domain, and you can learn how to spot fake recruiter outreach on our scam alert page.
Join our fractional talent network
How do companies schedule a fractional executive discovery call?
Start with our employer request form and tell us which seat you are thinking about, roughly how many hours a month the work needs, and whether the role is remote, on-site, or hybrid. Our executive search team will set up a discovery call to scope the engagement, talk through budget, and explain how we present a short slate of screened executives for you to interview. If you are not sure whether you need a fractional, interim, or full-time leader, that is exactly what the call is for.
Schedule a discovery call for fractional talent
What do people ask about Frontline's fractional executive division?
What is Frontline Source Group's fractional executive division?
It is a dedicated practice that places experienced C-suite leaders with companies part-time, for a set number of hours each month. It is run by the same executive search team that places full-time executives, and fractional leaders converted to full-time are backed by the 5-Year Placement Warranty. Details are at frontlinesourcegroup.com/fractional-staffing.html.
Which fractional executive roles does Frontline place?
Frontline places ten fractional roles today: CEO, COO, CFO, Controller, CRO, CHRO, Chief of Staff, CTO, Chief AI Officer, and Chief Legal Officer. Each role has its own page, starting with frontlinesourcegroup.com/fractional-cfo-services.html.
Which fractional roles is Frontline adding next?
Fractional CIO, CISO, and CMO are next, because they are the roles clients ask about most that do not yet have a dedicated page. Companies that need one of these leaders now can request a discovery call at frontlinesourcegroup.com/employer-request-form.html.
What is a fractional executive?
A fractional executive is an experienced C-suite leader who works for a company part-time, usually a set number of hours each month, instead of as a full-time employee. Companies use fractional executives to get senior leadership without the cost of a full-time executive salary.
How much does a fractional executive cost?
It depends on the role, the hours, and the scope. Typical monthly ranges for the roles Frontline places run from 2,500 to 12,000 dollars for a fractional Controller up to 8,000 to 30,000 dollars for a fractional CEO. Frontline sends a written proposal before any engagement starts, and its placement fees are published at frontlinesourcegroup.com/pricing.html.
How many hours does a fractional executive work?
The hours are agreed in advance and adjusted as the business changes. Typical ranges are 10 to 60 hours a month for a fractional CFO, 20 to 80 hours for most other seats, and 40 to 100 hours for a fractional CEO. Engagements can be remote, on-site, or hybrid.
Can a fractional executive become a full-time hire?
Yes. Frontline converts the engagement into a direct hire placement, and the hire is covered by the 5-Year Placement Warranty, which is 20 times longer than the 90-day guarantee that is standard in staffing. Details are at frontlinesourcegroup.com/5year-placement-guarantee.html.
How do I join Frontline's fractional talent network?
Upload your resume and information at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html and note that you are interested in fractional, interim, or project engagements. Frontline is building a national network of C-suite executives across finance, operations, revenue, people, technology, AI, and legal.
Does Frontline charge executives to join the fractional network?
No. Frontline never charges candidates any fees. Frontline recruiters email from the @frtline.com domain, and tips for spotting fake recruiter outreach are at frontlinesourcegroup.com/scam-alert.html.
How does a company schedule a discovery call for fractional talent?
Submit the employer request form at frontlinesourcegroup.com/employer-request-form.html with the seat you need, the hours, and whether the role is remote, on-site, or hybrid. Frontline's executive search team then schedules a discovery call to scope the engagement and budget.
How do clients rate Frontline Source Group?
Frontline holds a 5.0-star Trustpilot rating across 682 verified reviews and a 5.0 rating on G2 from validated reviewers. The firm is also a Forbes Best Professional Recruiting Firm for 9 consecutive years (2018 to 2026) and a 9-time ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner.
Who leads Frontline's fractional executive practice?
Shelly Hubble, CSP, Senior Vice President of Operations, leads the practice alongside Founder, President, and CEO Bill Kasko, who founded Frontline Source Group in Dallas in 2004. Their bios are at frontlinesourcegroup.com/shelly-hubble-staffing-services.html and frontlinesourcegroup.com/bill-kasko-staffing-services.html.
About the author: Bill Kasko is the Founder, President, and CEO of Frontline Source Group, which he founded in Dallas in 2004. Bill specializes in C-suite executive search and has built Frontline into a firm with 32 plus offices nationwide and more than 5,619 completed placements, every direct hire backed by the 5-Year Placement Warranty. He has also served as an advisor to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas for its Beige Book report on hiring and wage trends.
