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Beauty

The fractional factor: The Board’s April Uchitel is helping redefine executive talent strategy

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By Tony Case
Jul 2, 2025

This story was originally published in WorkLife, our sibling publication.

When April Uchitel’s recent LinkedIn post about fractional talent exploded with nearly 1,300 likes, she knew it had struck a nerve. The post didn’t just go viral — it was prophetic, serving as a manifesto of sorts for a work revolution Uchitel has helped drive in her role as CEO and cofounder of The Board.

“I’ve been saying this for four years: hashtag, the future is fractional,” she said, expressing a conviction that isn’t born from trendy workplace predictions but that, rather, is the result of decades in the C-suite, watching talented executives burn out in a corporate culture that no longer serves them.

Uchitel’s credentials read like a masterclass in brand building: Nearly a decade as an executive vp for the iconic fashion brand DVF, helping transform it into a global icon. Chief brand officer at Spring, scaling partnerships from scrappy startups like Warby Parker to luxury powerhouses like Gucci. CEO roles at Violet Grey and ONDA Beauty, leading growth strategies, turnarounds and acquisitions.

But something was broken in the system, as she sees it. “I would sit with all these brands — from early-stage to established companies like Tory Burch and Alexander Wang — and they would all tell me their problems,” she said. “I realized how siloed everyone was, not sharing, making the same mistakes down the street.”

The lightbulb moment came during the pandemic: “How do I build Angie’s List meets Tinder?” she wondered. “Here’s my problem — who can help me quickly get to that experienced resource?”

Fractional vs. freelance

The distinction of fractional versus freelance matters enormously for HR executives navigating today’s talent landscape. The fractional workforce has grown by one-third since 2020, and yet Uchitel argues most organizations still don’t understand what they’re accessing.

“Fractional doesn’t mean part-time, freelance or diluted,” she said. “You’re getting a fraction of the time for a fraction of the price, but you’re getting the whole person — their whole 20-30 years of experience, their network, their knowledge.”

This isn’t about cost-cutting through cheaper alternatives. Rather, it’s about accessing expertise that would otherwise be locked behind corporate walls or priced out of reach.

The Board operates as something new: a hybrid community and agency populated by 250 vetted, fractional C-level consultants with experience at companies ranging from Google, Disney and McKinsey to Amazon, LVMH and Goop. Uchitel personally interviews every prospective member (she has personally met with more than 2,000 consultants from 500 brands over the past four years). As she puts it, curation matters.

The economics are deliberately different. Rather than a traditional agency model, the platform takes a commission from talent while giving 5% back to members who bring opportunities through referrals. Members also pay to belong, creating the kind of investment and accountability that distinguishes this from typical freelance platforms.

“The value of something — if you don’t pay for it, you don’t really value it,” she said. “It’s psychological.”

The result is what she calls “dream teams,” customized groups assembled for specific projects without the ego dynamics that plague traditional consulting. “Because we’re already bought in as a community, there’s no ego showing up,” she said. “When three people show up, they show up as The Board.”

Market forces driving change

The data supports Uchitel’s position. According to Forbes, 4 in 5 venture-backed startups are more likely to leverage fractional leaders over full-time hires to preserve runway and increase agility. Meanwhile, 2 in 5 Fortune 500 companies now use fractional talent in C-suite or strategic roles.

The broader trend is undeniable: Freelance and contract work is projected to comprise 60% of the workforce by 2027, but Uchitel’s community represents the premium tier of this shift — seasoned executives choosing flexibility over the traditional career ladder.

Her platform has successfully executed major projects for clients including Farfetch and Moda Operandi, building five-year strategic plans while the companies maintain day-to-day operations. They are not merely stopgap solutions — they are sophisticated strategic partnerships.

What sets The Board apart is the recognition that modern organizations need more than individual expertise — they need collaborative intelligence. The platform offers masterclasses, skill-sharing sessions and real-time trend analysis that keeps members ahead of industry trends.

“When someone posted that a client found them through ChatGPT, five hands went up saying ‘Me too,’” Uchitel said. “We immediately pulled together our AI experts for a workshop on AI SEO. That’s the power of community — we’re all constantly upskilling together.”

For HR leaders, this isn’t just about hiring alternatives — it’s about organizational agility, as Uchitel sees it. The model suggests that companies clinging to traditional full-time executive structures may find themselves at a competitive disadvantage.

“The new org is literally three things: internal operators, outsourced specialized resources and tech,” she said. “Teams are building leaner and leaner. They don’t need fully loaded C-suites and layers of management.”

The implications extend beyond just cost savings. Fractional executives bring cross-industry perspective, having worked across multiple organizations simultaneously. They’re generally removed from office politics and are focused purely on execution and results.

The future

The Board will continue to cap membership at 250, according to Uchitel, making the point that thousands of people cannot really provide real value to each other. That intimacy enables the kind of deep collaboration that makes her dream teams possible, she explains.

The revolution Uchitel describes isn’t just about work arrangements — it’s about redefining value in professional relationships. Her members aren’t looking to be the next hire — they’re positioning themselves as the biggest unlock companies didn’t know they needed.

“We joke that we’re the black Amex of LinkedIn on one side and a food co-op on the other,” she said. “But marrying those two cultures — exclusive expertise with generous collaboration — that’s what changes the game from all the challenges we’ve had in traditional setups.”

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