Fractional Executive Leadership
Fractional CHRO Services
People leadership that builds culture, develops talent, and creates the organizational strength your growth demands.
As companies scale, people challenges become the primary constraint on growth. Fractional HR leadership is one of the fastest-growing segments of the fractional market.
Your Top Performer Just Resigned. Your CHRO Saw It Coming.
You have lost three key employees in two months. The exit interviews say the same thing: no development path, unclear expectations. Your fractional CHRO designs a performance framework, rebuilds the compensation structure to match market data, and runs the first leadership development session within 30 days.
That is the fractional model. You get a people leader who has built HR functions from scratch and fixed broken ones. They know what retention actually requires and they build the systems so your managers can lead effectively.
What a Fractional CHRO Handles
A Fractional CHRO provides senior people leadership on a part-time or project basis. They own talent strategy, culture, and organizational development.
- Talent acquisition strategy - building a pipeline, not just filling requisitions
- Compensation and benefits design - competitive structures that attract and retain
- Performance management systems - frameworks that drive development, not just documentation
- Culture development - intentional culture that supports business objectives
- Organizational design - structuring teams for how the company needs to operate next
- HR compliance and risk management - protecting the business while enabling growth
The People Problem Is a Leadership Problem
A full-time CHRO carries total compensation between $275K and $375K annually. For companies with 50-500 employees, the people challenges are real but the role may not require full-time strategic attention every week.
Fractional CHRO engagements focus on building systems and capability. The goal is to create an HR function that operates effectively, then step back to an advisory role. You get the strategic leadership without the permanent overhead.
Turnover is expensive. Replacing a mid-level employee costs 50-200% of their annual salary when you factor in recruiting, onboarding, and lost productivity. A fractional CHRO pays for itself in retention alone.
Signs You Need a Fractional CHRO
People problems compound quietly until they become crises. If these sound familiar, the gap is at the leadership level:
- Turnover is climbing and you are not sure why
- Managers are struggling to lead their teams effectively
- Compensation has not been benchmarked in years
- You are growing fast but your HR function has not kept up
- Culture is drifting from what made the company successful
- You need to restructure or right-size and want to do it well
Meet Our Fractional CHROs
People and culture leaders across manufacturing, healthcare, professional services, and agriculture. The right CHRO matched to your industry and challenge.
Christy Marchand
Fractional Executive, CFO
Eric Van Roekel
Fractional Executive, COO
Whitney Brierly
Fractional Executive, CHRO
Anne Cooper
Fractional Executive, CHRO
Maureen Cahill
Fractional Executive, CHRO
Ready to Build a Stronger Team?
A 30-minute call to discuss your situation. No pitch, no pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a fractional CHRO do?
A fractional CHRO gives you senior people leadership on a part-time basis: building retention and talent strategy, shaping culture and leadership development, getting compensation and performance right, keeping you ahead of HR compliance and risk, and turning your people into a competitive advantage, without the full-time cost.
When should a company hire a fractional CHRO?
Common signals: turnover is climbing and you can't pin down why, you're scaling headcount fast, culture or leadership cracks are showing, compliance and HR risk are outrunning your team, or a big transition like growth, restructuring, or an acquisition needs a steady hand on people.
How much does a fractional CHRO cost?
Engagements average between $2,000 and $7,000 per month for basic services and scale from there based on your needs, priorities, and available internal resources. That's a fraction of the $275,000 to $375,000 in total compensation a full-time CHRO commands.
What's the difference between a fractional CHRO and a PEO or HR outsourcer?
A PEO handles HR administration: payroll, benefits, and compliance paperwork. A fractional CHRO works above that on strategy: retention, culture, leadership development, compensation design, and workforce planning, and can direct your PEO or HR team to execute it.
What's the difference between a fractional CHRO and an interim CHRO?
A fractional CHRO is an ongoing, part-time partner who scales with you over time. An interim CHRO steps in full-time and temporarily, usually to hold people operations together through a transition or until you hire a permanent replacement. Altus offers both.
What industries do your fractional CHROs work in?
Our fractional CHROs work across many sectors, and we're not limited to a fixed list. We match the right operator to your business whatever your industry. Our CHROs are most at home in manufacturing, healthcare, professional services, construction, cooperatives, agriculture, private equity, venture capital.