Interim management

When to call an interim manager?

Before it's too late ! At the highest level in the Company, such as Managing Director or Financial Director, the Interim Manager assignment would generally have been more beneficial had it started earlier.

The Holding Company, confronted with a problem in what is often a small foreign subsidiary, in many cases hopes that the problem will simply go away. The problems noticed by the Holding Company are often the tip of the iceberg. By the time action is taken the situation has got worse and avoidable costs or revenue losses have accumulated.

Here are some examples of when an interim manager could be necessary :

Interim Managing Director

A subsidiary company Managing Director has left the Company. Finding a replacement takes time. An Interim Managing Director can identify Company strengths and weaknesses, suggest and implement improvements and re-organise the management team if necessary.

Through day to day management of the Company, the Interim Managing Director will provide insight into the Subsidiary's operational efficiency, commercial policies, pricing and profitability, internal rivalries and their effect on performance, managerial strength and weakness and in general give the Holding Company a clear picture of what the Subsidiary is like. Having no political allegiances, the Interim MD can provide impartial information.

He/she will also be invaluable in helping to define the profile of the next Managing Director and where appropriate can help in the selection process. Should several internal candidates be competing for the job, the Interim MD can advise the Holding Company on their respective abilities to perform.

Interim Financial Director

Often appointed following dismissal of the previous incumbent. Where a Financial Director has resigned it may be advisable to appoint an Interim FD to bridge the gap between the old and new Financial Directors.

The rôle of the Interim FD is often simply to ensure that the Financial Controls and reporting do not weaken during the change of FD. Where an FD has been dismissed the role may be enlarged to investigate past problems, recover a failing system or to substantially improve on recent performance in the Finance Function. In these circumstances it is advisable to take on an Interim FD who is over-qualified for the task in hand.

Advantages of the Interim Manager solution

  • Being able to use an over-qualified person for a short period of time
  • The possibility to use a person from a different discipline to the norm
  • Having a breathing space to profile and recruit the new permanent Director
  • The ability to use the Interim for a reorganisation before appointing a permanent
    Director from a different background
  • Having the option to stop the contract or reduce the working days per month at any time
  • The Interim Director may assist in the selection process for his permanent successor

Footnote

A headhunter once told me 'The problem is that when a head office selects a candidate in a foreign country they generally choose the person who speaks the head office language best, simply because the interview with that person was the easiest. Unfortunately the ability to speak the language shouldn't be the most important of the selection criteria'.

Print this page

Main interim assignments

Can I help you?

Quick profile

Interim Manager (Managing Director or Financial Director) since April 1997, based Madrid working both in France and Spain.

British national speaking perfect French and excellent Spanish.

Hands-on, pragmatic, natural leader.

French Version