Acting head (Russian: VRIO, «temporarily fulfilling the duties of») is an official temporarily appointed to a leadership position pending confirmation of a permanent head. The abbreviation is widely used in Russian administrative and managerial practice.
In government institutions, commercial organizations, and research institutes, an acting head is appointed when:
- The previous head has left the position (resigned, retired, or been removed)
- The head is on an extended business trip or leave
- The head is temporarily unable to perform their duties due to health reasons
- A competitive selection process for the vacant position is underway
An acting head usually holds all the powers of a full head, but the status underscores the temporary nature of the appointment. In research and educational institutions, especially those with foreign funding, the acting-head position often becomes an object of competition, since it grants control over financial flows and administrative decisions.
In legal documents the abbreviation is often written with a hyphen (acting-director, acting-head), though in informal speech it’s more often written as one word.