How we can partner
Every organization is different. I tailor each engagement to your needs, whether you need ongoing executive leadership, a trusted advisor, or focused support for a specific challenge. My role is to bring clarity, perspective, and the experience to help you move forward.
Fractional Chief People Officer
Executive People leadership, without the full-time commitment.
Best suited for: Organizations that need experienced CPO-level leadership but aren't ready to hire a full-time executive, or that need to elevate their existing People function.
What I deliver: I work alongside CEOs and leadership teams as an embedded executive partner. I can lead your People function, strengthen leadership capability, guide organizational development, and build the systems and practices needed to support your organization's next stage of growth.
What you get: A seat at the leadership table, people strategy tied to business goals, leadership, talent, and compensation frameworks, oversight of HR operations and clear reporting to the CEO and board.
Example Engagement: About one to two and a half days per week, with a 6 to 12 month minimum.
Strategic Advisor
A trusted partner for complex People and organizational decisions.
Best suited for: Leaders facing complex decisions, seeking an outside perspective, or looking for ongoing strategic guidance without an embedded executive role.
What I deliver: Sometimes you don't need another executive on your team. You need an experienced thought partner who understands the business, asks the right questions, and helps you see the bigger picture. I work with CEOs, founders, and leadership teams to navigate sensitive decisions, assess organizational challenges, strengthen leadership effectiveness, and determine the right path forward.
What you get: A regular sounding board for the CEO, candid guidance on leadership team dynamics, organizational design, and People risk, and a second perspective before the decisions that are hard to reverse.
Example Engagement: 8 to 16 hours per month, with a 3 to 6 month minimum.
Interim / Transition Leadership
Experienced leadership when continuity matters most.
Best suited for: Organizations navigating an executive departure, an unexpected leadership gap, a major change initiative, or the transition to a permanent People leader.
What I deliver: Leadership transitions and periods of uncertainty require steady guidance and sound judgment. I step in to provide People leadership during a CPO/CHRO vacancy, executive transition, restructuring, or other significant organizational change. I help maintain momentum, support the People team, guide critical decisions, and prepare the organization for a successful transition.
What you get: Immediate continuity at the executive level, a steady hand for your team during change, stabilized priorities, and a clean handoff to your fixed leader.
Example Engagement: Three to four or more days per week, for a fixed term of 3 to 9 months.
Strategic Project Leadership
Focused expertise to move important priorities forward.
Best suited for: Organizations with a specific priority, a time-bound initiative, or a critical project that needs experienced leadership to make progress.
What I deliver: Some challenges call for dedicated executive attention rather than an ongoing leadership engagement. I lead defined People and organizational initiatives from assessment and strategy through implementation, working with your leadership team and internal resources to achieve meaningful, sustainable results. Projects may include organizational redesign, culture transformation, AI workforce readiness, succession planning, compensation strategy, performance management, career architecture, or building and strengthening the People function.
What you get: A clear scope, defined deliverables, and a single accountable leader from kickoff through implementation.
Example Engagement: Fixed fee, billed in milestones, typically 60 to 250 hours depending on scope.
Executive Search & Talent Advisory
I help you find the leaders who will shape your future.
Best suited for: Organizations hiring a key executive, building their leadership team, planning for succession, or seeking independent guidance during an executive search.
What I deliver: I partner with CEOs, boards, and leadership teams to define the role, clarify leadership requirements, develop a search strategy, and evaluate candidates against organizational needs, values, and culture. I bring the strategic perspective of a Chief People Officer to identifying and selecting leaders who can make a lasting impact.
What you get: A clearly defined leadership profile, a structured and thoughtful selection process, deeper insight into candidates' capabilities and organizational fit, and greater confidence in one of your most consequential hiring decisions.
Example Engagement: Fixed-fee or milestone-based, depending on the scope of the search. Advisory engagements may be structured hourly or as a monthly retainer. Full executive searches typically span 8 to 16 weeks, depending on role complexity and candidate availability.
A FLEXIBLE APPROACH, BUILT AROUND YOU
These approaches aren't mutually exclusive. You may need a strategic advisor today and a fractional CPO tomorrow, or you may engage me to lead a specific project that evolves into an ongoing partnership.
We'll start with a conversation about your organization, your priorities, and what's getting in the way. Together, we'll determine the level of support that makes the most sense for your needs.
You don't need to have the solution figured out before we talk. That's where our work begins.
Let's Chat about how I can help
If your organization is at an inflection point, or you simply need experienced People leadership at the table, I'd welcome a conversation.
Mara Rae Rivera, MS, SHRM-SCP
Founder & Fractional Chief People Officer
Mara Rae Consulting, LLC
mara@mararaeconsulting.com | 802.299.7900
mararaeconsulting.com
