Interim management: the secret weapon for corporate growth

Growth opportunities must be seized when they arise—whether in new business areas, unforeseen large orders, or the takeover of other companies. This hot phase in companies is the ideal place for an interim manager.

To grow as an entrepreneur, you must often act quickly, flexibly, and purposefully. Recognizing and exploiting opportunities is one thing; leading them to long-term success requires a strategy. You may be entering business areas and markets with little experience. Rapid growth, in particular, can lead to chaos and uncertainty in the company. Employees need to be recruited or retrained. Sales processes and infrastructure need to be scrutinized and optimized. Additional capital or investors are often needed to cope with the expansion.

That’s quite a lot… This is where an outside perspective helps. An interim manager who is involved in decision-making in your company for a limited time helps set priorities and maintain an overview of their experience and network. Let me explain this using an example from my practice.

Practical example: Transportation company expanding in Europe

I was hired into the management team as interim manager by a group of companies that rents out trucks and trailers. During my assignment, the group wanted to open up new markets and had around 250 employees. The annual turnover was around 350 million euros. My task was to ensure that day-to-day operations continued to run smoothly and, at the same time, to support the company in its growth phase. Established processes and structures in the company had to be questioned, optimized, and, in some cases, redeveloped. At the same time, a strategy for the future had to be developed.

How can the group of companies grow healthily and grow healthily and remain successful?

Full trust and close cooperation with the managers were required to drive forward successful corporate development, which was absolutely the case in this company. This enabled me to play a key role in expanding the group of companies into five European countries.

Keeping an overview, taking action
Different countries, different customs—every market brings with it new customer needs, competitive conditions, legal requirements, and cultural aspects. The sales systems have been adapted accordingly. The financing strategy also had to be realigned for the long term to enable healthy growth. Structures were created that enable the Group to successfully refinance internationally and the associated reporting.

Avoiding conflicts within the company
Communication was among all the challenges that this group of companies mastered with me in the 19 months of my mandate. If the company only communicates vaguely or not about what the future should look like, this is the perfect fuel for conflict. Ignorance leads to fear and uncertainty in the departments, the individual companies, and among the employees. This is where a Group-wide reporting system, which I have introduced, can help.

“Every company, whether small or large, has to struggle with similar problems during the growth phase.”

Whether a medium-sized joinery suddenly gets to take over a rival company or an international mobility service provider with 250 employees, an interim manager will play a decisive role in both large and small companies so that the growth seeds can flourish and grow in the long term.

Finding new paths together.
Think boldly – dare to change
Alexander d‘Huc