Case Study: Appointing an Interim CEO to Support Stability, Strategy and Board-Led Change
Finding Yellow
Client: Finding Yellow
Role: Interim Chief Executive Officer (6-month appointment)
Search Type: Retained Interim Executive Search
Sector: Disability Services
Location: Regional Australia
The Challenge
Finding Yellow, a regional disability services organisation, was navigating a period of significant organisational change led by the Board. While strategic decisions about the future direction of the organisation were being considered at Board level, there was a clear need for dedicated executive leadership to support the team, maintain service continuity, and progress the organisation’s strategic and operational priorities.
The organisation required an Interim CEO who could:
- Provide stability and reassurance to staff during a period of uncertainty
- Support the Board while it considered the best future course for the organisation
- Maintain focus on service quality, people leadership and operational delivery
- Progress elements of the organisation’s future strategy, without pre-empting Board decisions
- Operate effectively in a regional context, where leadership capability and change capacity are often more constrained
This was not a caretaking role. The Interim CEO needed to add value immediately, while working collaboratively with an active and engaged Board.
Our Approach
Be Recruitment partnered with Finding Yellow through a retained interim executive search, enabling a focused and timely appointment aligned to the organisation’s needs.
Our approach included:
- Working closely with the Board to clarify the scope, authority and mandate of the interim role
- Understanding the organisational context, workforce needs and service delivery pressures
- Identifying interim executives with experience in:
- disability services and purpose-led organisations
- supporting teams through periods of change
- working alongside Boards during strategic review and transition
- Assessing candidates on their ability to balance people leadership, operational oversight and strategic contribution
- Ensuring strong values alignment, judgement and emotional intelligence
Particular emphasis was placed on the ability to build trust quickly with staff, stakeholders and the Board.
The Outcome
The retained search resulted in the successful appointment of an Interim CEO for a six-month period, providing Finding Yellow with:
- Leadership stability during a period of Board-led change
- Support and continuity for staff and leaders
- Ongoing operational and strategic focus
- Executive capacity to contribute constructively to future planning
- Confidence that the organisation was well-led while longer-term decisions were being made
The appointment created space for the Board to do its work thoughtfully, while ensuring the organisation remained focused on its purpose and people.
Why Retained Interim Search Was Critical
This assignment required speed, judgement and fit.
A retained interim approach enabled:
- Access to experienced interim leaders not available through open advertising
- Careful matching of capability to a time-bound, sensitive mandate
- Confidence that the interim CEO would complement — not compete with — Board leadership
- Ongoing advisory support to the Board throughout the interim period
- A high-confidence appointment aligned to the organisation’s values and regional context
The Result
✔ A successful interim CEO appointment in a regional disability organisation
✔ Stability and support for staff during organisational change
✔ Continued operational and strategic momentum
✔ A trusted recruitment partnership supporting the Board through complexity
