What a turnaround CEO does.
If the authority is partial, the turnaround does not happen. The role is CEO, with the latitude the board would give a permanent CEO on day one, only faster.
Full P&L authority
Owns revenue, cost and capital allocation. Signs every material decision.
Hiring and exits
Rebuilds the leadership bench. Removes the people the new plan cannot carry.
Contracts and pricing
Renegotiates supplier, customer and partner contracts. Resets the price book.
Cost base
Re-sizes fixed and variable cost to the focused business, not the legacy one.
Commercial engine
Owns sales, marketing and product priorities. One ICP, one offer, one motion.
Operations and systems
Kills the systems and processes that slow the company. Buys or builds what is needed.
Board cadence
Weekly numbers, monthly board, quarterly recalibration. No surprises.
Succession
Recruits the permanent CEO and hands over a working business.