The role of the interim executive

The term ‘interim management’ might have come into common parlance in the 1970s but it is still widely misunderstood. People tend to take the term on face value, assuming an interim executive to be a gap-filler instead of a highly experienced professional.

Organisations engage an interim manager to:

• Take the reins after a sudden departure
• Lead a turnaround situation
• Manage a start-up situation
• Speed up the momentum of a project
• Lead mentoring and management initiatives
• Brief teams facing an uncertain future

Interim management is about going into a business at short notice, making a snap assessment of what needs to be done and implementing the recommended changes. Unlike a management consultant, an interim executive does not just advise, they get the job done.