An interim manager is the right call when an executive leaves and no successor is ready, during a crisis or restructuring, in a period of growth or merger, on a transformation project with no owner, and during a family business handover. The model, known as interim management, is a management assignment whose length and goal are clear from the start. For a definition of the concept, see our previous article: What is interim management, and how does it differ from consulting?
The decision comes not from an empty seat but from the lack of a ready solution to fill the gap. According to the Türkiye results of PwC's 2016 Global Family Business Survey, only 4% of family businesses in Türkiye had a written succession plan shared with the people concerned; the global average was 15%. The five signs below set out, with sources, the situations in which no ready solution exists.
Here are the five signs in brief:
- An executive has left and no successor is ready (Odgers, A&O Shearman).
- There is a crisis, restructuring or cost program (Kariyer.net, Hürriyet, Meritus).
- There is growth, a new facility, a merger or integration work (Kariyer.net, Hürriyet).
- A transformation project has no owner with authority (Hürriyet, Kariyer.net).
- A family business is in a handover period with no handover plan (PwC Türkiye, TKYD and Deloitte).
The reason for each sign, and the conditions under which it applies, follow below.
Do you need an interim manager when an executive leaves and no successor is ready?
Yes, if no successor is ready. Where no successor is available to step in immediately, A&O Shearman recommends an experienced temporary successor who can calm the crisis, even if not permanently. The same source notes that moving a promising person into the role too early and in a moment of crisis can harm both that person and the institution.
In interviews Odgers held in the financial sector, many institutions say they would bring in an interim manager after an unexpected departure. In small institutions, where internal candidates are few, this is often a necessity. In the same interviews, almost all institutions keep a list of stand-in candidates who know the role is temporary. In short, if there is a named stand-in and an internal candidate of proven competence, an outside executive may not be needed; otherwise one is.
Does a crisis, restructuring or cost program call for an interim manager?
Yes, these are among the most common uses of interim assignments. Kariyer.net, a Turkish source, reports that the model is used in organizational transformation, restructuring, business closures and cost reduction. According to a report in the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, interim executives mostly serve as CFO to solve financial problems.
In Germany, the "Interim Manager Agenda 2023" study that Meritus Business Advisors carried out among 346 interim managers in June 2023 shows that assignments are predominantly reorganization and operational restructuring; 49% of respondents are explicitly engaged as Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO) (ComputerWoche, 8 September 2023). This figure belongs to the German market; it has no direct equivalent for Türkiye. The common point is this: in a crisis, the time a permanent hire takes is time the decision cannot wait.
Does growth, a new facility or a merger call for an interim manager?
Yes, if the work must be done within a set time and at an intensity beyond the permanent team. Kariyer.net lists mergers and acquisitions, and the setup and relocation of production facilities, among the model's uses. Hürriyet likewise names acquisition and merger processes as critical.
The criterion here is that the work has a start and an end. Once the facility is up or the integration is complete, the need for a standing senior management position is a separate decision. In Hürriyet's report, interim assignments mostly last 3 to 18 months.
Can an interim manager solve a transformation project with no owner?
Yes, if the project has no single owner who makes the decisions and answers for the result. Hürriyet counts digital transformation among the critical processes in which interim executives serve; Kariyer.net puts organizational transformation on the same list. In Hürriyet's description, an interim executive finds the solution to the problem, draws up the roadmap, gets the system in place and hands the job over to the existing team.
A practical test: if the question "who is responsible for the result of this project?" cannot be answered with one name on an ERP, automation or certification project, what is missing is not technical knowledge but an owner with authority. A consultant leaves recommendations; a project with no owner needs someone to carry those recommendations into practice.
Does a family business need an interim manager during a handover?
Yes, if there is no handover plan or the next generation is not ready yet. In PwC's 2016 survey, 54% of Turkish family businesses had not yet made a succession plan; the global rate was 43%. In the same survey, more than half of family business owners in Türkiye planned to pass ownership to the next generation, and 35% planned to pass on management. The fact that ownership and management can be handed over separately opens room for someone to run management during the transition.
A 2007 joint publication by TKYD and Deloitte, a Turkish source, names the lack of a generational transition plan and a defined process as a leading reason why family businesses disappear. A&O Shearman, meanwhile, considers it ideal if the interim executive can mentor the permanent successor. That is why, during a handover, an interim manager does not decide on the family's behalf; they run management until the successor being prepared takes over.
When do you not need an interim manager?
In three cases. First, if an internal candidate of proven competence is ready to take over. Second, if the need is an analysis or a recommendation report; that is consulting work. Third, if the assignment is ongoing and open-ended; interim assignments suit work with a goal and an end.
What question should you answer before deciding?
One question is enough: what should have been handed over when the assignment ends? If the answer gives a clear goal, a limit of authority and a person to take over, interim management is a suitable tool. Orient Global offers its Interim Management service to companies that want to weigh this question together for their own situation: Interim Management page.
This article is for general information only and does not replace legal or financial advice.
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