Interim Management
When the seat is empty, it shouldn't stay empty for six months. We step in, run the operating cadence, hire the permanent successor alongside you, and hand over an organisation measurably better than the one we walked into.
Interim CEO, COO, CFO, CTO and Chief Digital mandates for companies in transition — across the DACH region, Poland and wider Europe.
By role: Interim CFO · Interim CTO · Interim CEO
What you get
- A functioning exec seat from week two. Team briefed, stakeholders mapped, operating rhythm running.
- A turnaround diagnostic by week three: the five things that are broken, the two that matter, the one we'll fix this quarter.
- Permanent successor hiring run in parallel — shortlist, interviews, structured handover.
- A written handover pack at the end: decisions made, decisions deferred, live risks, relationships built.
How we work
- Continuity protection. For multi-month mandates we brief a second senior — internal or from our network — in the first week, so an absence doesn't stall the programme.
- Day rate, capped month, written scope. We don't charge retainer for empty chairs.
- No lock-in. The mandate ends when the successor starts. We've never turned a six-month interim into an eighteen-month retainer.
- We write the handover, not the eulogy. By the last week, the successor has a one-pack briefing — not a 40-slide "state of the function".
Ideal for
- CEOs carrying a vacant direct report with no space in the diary to run recruiting.
- Boards bridging a leadership transition without stalling execution.
- PE funds dropping an interim into a portfolio company pre-sale or post-deal.
- Global teams bridging transitions across regions where continuity matters more than speed.
Typical engagement shape
- Duration
- 3–9 months, ending when the successor starts
- Team
- 1 principal in the seat, with a briefed senior continuity partner for mandates beyond 3 months
- Cadence
- Full-week presence first month, then 3–4 days/week
- Starts with
- A two-week scoped mandate letter — continuation is a mutual decision
- Exit
- Permanent successor in seat + written handover pack
Where we've run this before
Operational redesign and delivery leadership mandates across CEE growth-stage companies (Abris Capital portfolio including WDX and Versabox), and inside AB InBev's global digital transformation programme. See four engagements with real numbers →
Common questions
What is interim management?
Interim management is putting an experienced executive into a leadership seat for a defined period — typically three to nine months — to run the function during a transition, turnaround or gap. Unlike a consultant who advises, an interim manager holds the role, carries the decisions, and is accountable for the operating result while they're in it.
When should you hire an interim executive?
When a senior seat falls vacant and you can't afford a six-month gap, when a turnaround needs someone in the room full-time, when an integration or scale-up needs leadership the existing team can't spare, or when a board or PE fund needs an operator inside a company before or after a deal. If the cost of the seat staying empty is higher than a day rate, it's time.
How much does an interim manager cost?
We work on a day rate with a capped month and a written scope — not an open-ended retainer. The rate depends on the seniority of the seat and the intensity of the mandate. You pay for days worked against an agreed scope, and the mandate ends when the permanent successor starts. We'll give you a clear number against your situation on a first call.
Interim manager vs. management consultant — what's the difference?
A consultant produces analysis and recommendations; you still need someone to execute them. An interim manager is the executive — they sit in the seat, run the team, own the P&L or the function, and make the calls. You hire a consultant for a report and an interim for the result.
How quickly can an interim executive start?
Days, not months. We brief into the role, map stakeholders and have the operating rhythm running by week two, with a turnaround diagnostic by week three. For multi-month mandates we brief a second senior in the first week so an absence never stalls the programme.
Which regions do you cover?
We run mandates across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Poland and the wider European market, on-site and hybrid. Continuity across regions is the point — we bridge transitions where keeping the organisation steady matters as much as speed.