Pilot Management
Turnaround • Successions • Interim Management

• Departure of a Key Executive
  Sometimes companies find themselves having to deal with a senior level resignation on short notice. An interim executive can move into the vacant role quickly and smoothly. By maintaining its momentum, the company then has the time it needs to find a suitable permanent replacement for the position.

• Project Management
  Companies wishing to undertake a major strategic project often find they have insufficient internal talent to effectively manage the project or they are reluctant to take existing staff away from their current responsibilities. Interim managers provide the solution to the talent deficit problem.

• Change Management
  Change is commonplace in today’s modern business enterprise. New systems, a change of company culture, new government regulation, introduction of innovative new production processes, competitive challenges, taking on a major new contract, are just a few of the situations that could result in a company having to review they way in which it works. Many changes involve a considerable amount of staff upheaval and the revision of work practices which creates a great deal of uncertainty among the employee population.
  
  An interim manager is an excellent alternative (in particular to consultants) for any company that needs the objective leadership to effectuate the necessary change. He or she will have the skills and experience necessary to lead the project and ensure that the required results are delivered. Since the assignment has a finite timescale, there is no-one to ‘let go' or re-deploy at the end of the project. In addition to a wealth of experience from similar previous assignments, an interim manager can also provide a fresh perspective on the situation. Unencumbered with current processes and existing staff who are often inclined to protect the status quo, the interim manager has an unbiased and impartial outlook on what's best for the company.

• Crisis Management
  This issue could take many forms. Typically, unforeseeable economic circumstances put the company in grave danger and its survival is in real question. It could be the Managing Director of a poorly performing family business suddenly resigns and leaves to set up a competitive operation. Similarly, it could be a regional or global recession has caught the company ill prepared to deal with a sudden loss of business. The Chairman realizes that the incumbent management team is too inexperienced to take on the issue and is unsure of the best course of action to take.
  
  An interim executive would be able to step in quickly, using his experience of similar situations to protect the company from any competitive threat and to affect a turnaround in the company's fortunes. He could also mentor one or more of the existing managers to groom one of them to take over his role once the interim assignment has come to an end.
  
• Initial Public Offerings and Management Buy Outs
  When dealing with an IPO or an MBO, it is not unusual for the board and senior level employees to have had little or no previous experience of how to effectively manage a complicated corporate restructuring process. A public offering in particular is one of the pivotal events in a company's history and brings with it responsibility to a whole new set of investors and shareholders. Therefore, the timing, size and structure of an IPO are absolutely crucial to its success.
  
  Appointing an interim manager who has a track record of dealing with such situations will instantly provide the level of experience and knowledge needed to safeguard a company from some of the major pitfalls that are often common in these situations. Additionally, an interim manager should provide that ‘extra pair of hands' that will prove invaluable when dealing with an increase in workload in areas that are unfamiliar to the management team.
  
• Mergers and Acquisitions
  Mergers and acquisitions present key opportunities for the use of interim managers. Each instance involves a certain degree of corporate restructuring and possible resource and location issues. The objectivity of an interim manager could prove to be indispensable during such a crucial period.
  
  Critical strategic and financial decisions requiring experience, insight and focus lend to success of the venture. During deal negotiations in particular, the input of an independent viewpoint is often found to be invaluable.
  
  One common result from a merger or acquisition is that there may not be a suitable internal candidate who could immediately take control of the new company. In these circumstances, an interim manager would be able to undertake the day to day running of the business until a permanent replacement could be appointed.
  
  Similarly, during a merger, bringing in a temporary manager who is external to the companies involved can greatly assist in a smooth restructuring process - particularly when there is the potential for conflict among the ‘resident' CEOs.