What is Fractional Leadership?

A FSL is more than a consultant or outside advisor—they are embedded within your business, working alongside your team to provide hands-on leadership and execution.

Unlike consultants, FSLs often act on behalf of the company, may oversee resources, and will engage on a long-term basis, allowing them to build deep internal relationships and integrate sustainability into business strategy. While they work fractionally, they bring the same dedication, expertise, and impact as a full-time sustainability leader, ensuring sustainability becomes an operational advantage rather than just an initiative.

Expertise, experience, and leadership. A Fractional Sustainability Leader (FSL) brings the deep subject matter expertise of a sustainability professional and the senior leadership experience needed to integrate sustainability across a business. Unlike a junior hire, an FSL can navigate complex stakeholder dynamics, lead cross-functional initiatives, and drive strategic impact from day one.

Sustainability leadership is about understanding the bigger picture. An FSL ensures your company is equipped to address external impacts, community or investor relations, evolving regulations, and sustainability throughout your value-chain—helping businesses move beyond compliance to meaningful, long-term progress.

Not every company needs—or is ready for—a C-suite sustainability executive. Many businesses benefit more from a Director- or Vice President-level leader who can establish and scale sustainability programs effectively. Because every company’s needs are different, the term “Fractional Sustainability Leader” (FSL) was chosen to reflect this flexibility—including a fractional CSO—ensuring businesses can access the right level of expertise at the right time.

Not for FSLC members. Fractional work is their career—not a stopgap. FSLC isn’t a network of job seekers in transition—it’s a collective of dedicated professionals who have chosen fractional leadership as their model for multiplying impact. Instead of leading just one large corporation, they see their skills as a way to drive meaningful change across multiple businesses at once. Our members are fully committed to helping businesses succeed through strategic, flexible sustainability leadership. It’s what we do.

No. A FSL is a supplement, not a substitute.

FSLs work alongside existing teams, providing the expertise, leadership, and strategic direction needed to accelerate sustainability efforts. They fill gaps, strengthen internal capabilities, and empower teams—not replace them.

Rather than restructuring or displacing staff, a FSL helps enhance what’s already in place—bringing clarity, experience, and hands-on support for as long as needed. Whether guiding a company through sustainability program development or expansion, or stakeholder engagement, their role is to set businesses up for long-term success, then transition out if and when the time is right.