Every year, September brings a familiar rhythm to business. After the summer pause, organizations shift gears, sharpen priorities, and accelerate execution. Whether your fiscal year closes in December, March, or June, this period acts as a reset point: boards demand clarity, teams expect direction, and stakeholders are looking for results.
It is often during this period that companies discover a truth they cannot ignore: their leadership capacity isn’t fully aligned with their ambitions.
The Post-Summer Pressure
From September onward, businesses face a compressed timeline. Major initiatives—digital transformations, restructuring programs, integration of acquisitions, or growth pushes—must show progress fast. Even companies not tied to a December fiscal year still use this period to demonstrate traction and momentum.
But leadership gaps can derail these efforts:
- A CFO position left vacant slows critical financial reporting and capital planning.
- A CHRO stretched too thin delays culture and talent initiatives.
- A COO without bandwidth jeopardizes operational excellence at the exact moment demand picks up.
In short: every week counts. Waiting for permanent recruitment is simply not an option.
Interim Leaders: Results When They Matter Most
This is where interim executives change the game.
- Rapid onboarding – Available within days, not months, ensuring projects don’t lose momentum.
- Execution over transition – Focused on results and impact, not long settling-in periods.
- Specialized expertise – With proven playbooks for transformation, M&A integration, or crisis stabilization, they know how to accelerate outcomes.
- Strategic flexibility – Interim or fractional arrangements allow companies to bridge gaps without delaying permanent recruitment or overloading existing teams.
Unlike consultants who recommend, interim executives deliver. They join the leadership table, take responsibility, and make decisions that move the business forward.
A Recent Example: CFO Interim Support for Transformation
Recently, xNorth was asked to support a mid-sized company undergoing a major transformation. The leadership team recognized that without a strong Finance function, their objectives for the year would fall behind.
Together with the client, we defined a clear mandate for an Interim CFO:
- Strengthen cash flow management and financial visibility.
- Accelerate ERP and reporting improvements.
- Rework the company’s capex investment plan, ensuring it is fully aligned with strategic priorities and ready to be presented to investors and shareholders.
- Support decision-making with reliable forecasting and deliver measurable progress before year-end.
The assignment is being led by Benoît Créneau, CEO & Partner at xNorth, who works closely with the CEO, board, and interim executive. A clear timeframe has been established, with monthly steering committees in place to ensure progress is carefully tracked against defined objectives.
This is not about maintaining operations but about driving concrete results within a compressed timeframe—so the company closes the year with stronger financial clarity, sharper reporting, and a solid foundation for the next phase of growth.
Partner Perspective
As Régis Pichonneau, Partner at xNorth, explains:
“September is always a decisive moment for companies. It’s when priorities sharpen and expectations rise. Interim executives allow organizations to deliver results immediately while keeping longer-term recruitment and strategy on track. At xNorth, every assignment is partner-led, which ensures objectives are clearly defined, progress is measured, and results are achieved.”
Rethinking Leadership as a Business Tool
At xNorth™, part of the Valtus Alliance, we see interim leadership as more than a stopgap. It is a strategic business tool—one that enables companies to adapt quickly, achieve results under pressure, and build momentum for the future.
Whether your fiscal year ends in December or not, this post-summer window is a decisive moment. The organizations that act now will not only meet their current objectives but also position themselves for stronger growth in the months ahead.
The question isn’t whether leadership gaps exist—it’s whether you can afford for them to cost you results during the most critical stretch of the year.
