Why Connectd?
Register today- 68%
- Startup boards include Independent Directors
- 40%
- YoY increased in Independent Director searches
- 150+
- New startups per month
Connections facilitated
With members in 80+ countries, our platform brings together the world's most ambitious startups with expert fractional executives, preparing them to join the ranks of household names like Google, Meta, Shopify & more.
Programme Breakdown
Your Placement
Strengthen your resume, build practical boardroom skills, and gain invaluable experience through guaranteed pro bono Independent Director placements with high-growth companies. You'll develop core capabilities in areas including governance, strategic oversight, and risk, while learning to provide objective, impartial advice and constructive challenge to executive teams.
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Build confidence, experience and expertise during a 6 month placement
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Create lasting connections within the startup ecosystem, laying the foundation for further engagements
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Placement opportunities across over 100 sectors including emerging and disruptive industries
Programme Breakdown
Innovation Academy
Step into the Independent Director role with clarity, objectivity, and long-term vision. Our curated content is designed to get you ready to challenge, support, and guide without direct involvement in day-to-day decisions. Build the hard skills essential for effective board contribution, including governance, financial scrutiny, risk management, and strategic planning.
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Learn the fundamental skills, behaviours and attitudes of a fractional career across this 8 module programme
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Earn up to 30 CPD-accredited points upon completion of the course
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Curated by industry-leading specialists, educational materials will give you the foundations to succeed
Programme Breakdown
Mentorship
Harness one-to-one support from an experienced expert with a proven track record and their own varied fractional portfolio. Our mentors offer practical advice for building your brand, growing your network, maximizing placements and securing paid positions.
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Work with expert mentors spanning over 60 sectors, matched to your skills and goals
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Benefit from impartial insights and confidential conversations in dedicated one-to-one sessions
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Our flexible mentoring approach means you can enjoy support that fits around your schedule
Programme Breakdown
Our Community
From day one, you'll have access to a collaborative community of fractional leaders and dynamic companies. Join the the conversation on our dedicated community platform and access exclusive events, executive masterclasses, and peer-to-peer support from other experts working in this space.
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Join our engaged fractional community to create connections and build your reputation
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Upskill through webinars, roundtable discussions, and thought-leadership sessions
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Stay up to date with the latest fractional trends and industry insights
Frequently asked questions
Where do you operate geographically?
Our members are located across 40+ countires with our main regions in the UK and US. For now....
What's the difference between fractional leadership, board advisory and NED?
Fractional leadership is part-time executive support with hands-on responsibility. Board advisory provides strategic guidance without formal governance duties. Non-Executive Directors (NED's) sit on the board, offering oversight, governance, and strategic input, but don’t manage day-to-day operations.
How can Connectd guarantee my role?
We provide a guaranteed pro bono placement for every member who finishes the online Academy for a particular pathway (Fractional C-suite, Advisor or NED). This Academy provides the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake the placement, which in turn provides you with the practical, hands-on experience of working with a dynamic company, building your skills and competencies and allowing the company to access your expertise.
We have hundreds of high-growth companies, in over 100 sectors, actively seeking the talent they need to drive success. The Connectd platform intelligently matches fractional talent with companies looking for their specific skills and experience, meaning you will have access to a number of highly relevant opportunities; our placement team guarantees that we will find the right pro bono placement for you - and your career progress.
What’s more, once your pro bono placement comes to an end, you can continue to work with the startup if agreeable to both parties, providing the opportunity to negotiate your remuneration as you move forward in the engagement.
How does the Academy work? Is it recognised by an official provider?
The Connectd Academy offers on-demand video content alongside practical follow-up exercises designed to help you build a successful fractional career at your own pace. Simply log in to the platform to access a wide range of modules covering both hard and soft skills.
All content is created and curated by subject matter experts and is fully CPD-accredited, allowing you to leverage your learning outcomes as you expand your fractional portfolio.
How long is a reasonable time to transition into a fractional portfolio career?
Building a diverse and rewarding fractional portfolio can take several years, primarily due to the need for hands-on experience across the three to four core roles that typically define a successful fractional career.
Our Transition to Portfolio programme is designed to support this journey while you remain in full-time corporate employment. Through the Connectd platform, you'll gain practical experience across these roles by working with a range of partner organisations within the Connectd community - accelerating your development, delivering lasting value to companies, and advancing your career trajectory.
What's the difference between Fractional Leadership, Board Advisory and NED?
Fractional leaders are experienced professionals who work on a part-time basis in a senior leadership role (for example, a CFO or Head of Marketing). They are responsible for day-to-day leadership and execution in their area of expertise and will typically be embedded in the management team.
Board advisors provide - often highly targeted - advice to a company or leadership team, as well as mentoring, offering broader guidance and leveraging industry connections. Unlike non-executives, board advisors have no legal or fiduciary responsibilities.
Non-executive directors are formal board members but are not part of the executive management team. They provide oversight, governance and strategic direction, offering an independent and impartial perspective to constructively challenge the executive team. Non-execs must execute legal and fiduciary duties under corporate governance laws.
What is a vesting period and what is reasonable to expect, in terms of equity, as a fractional employee?
Companies, especially startups or early-stage ventures, often compensate fractional employees with equity rather than cash. This approach helps conserve capital while aligning interests, offering a stake in the company’s future success in exchange for expertise, guidance, or part-time leadership.
To manage risk and ensure continued contribution, this equity is typically granted over a vesting period, meaning it is earned incrementally over time or upon meeting certain performance milestones.
A time based agreement might be that a certain amount of shares will vest over an agreed period (commonly between three and five years), whereas performance milestones will typically be measured on key metrics (for example when a revenue target or profitability is met).