What is Executive Interim Management?
When your organization faces a critical challenge, transformation, or a sudden leadership gap, Executive Interim Management is a fast, secure, and cost-effective solution.
An Interim Manager is an experienced leader or functional expert who quickly steps in to drive results from day one. Whether it’s leading change, filling a key vacancy, or solving a specific business issue, Interim Managers bring hands-on expertise, objectivity, and focus – exactly when and where it’s needed.
Temporary leadership. Immediate impact. Long-term value.
The focus is on creating improvement and driving change
Let us know what your business challenges are!
Executive Interim Managers Drive Change That Lasts
When organizations face transition, transformation, or urgent challenges, experienced leadership makes all the difference.
Executive Interim Managers are seasoned leaders with a proven track record in both private and public sectors. They have chosen to step away from permanent roles to focus on time-limited assignments where they can create immediate impact and drive sustainable results.
Change is at the core of most interim assignments. Interim Managers thrive in complexity — entering with a clear goal, leading teams through uncertain times, and delivering both strategic direction and hands-on execution. They are motivated by progress, energized by responsibility, and committed to delivering measurable outcomes.
Strategic mindset. Operational focus. Lasting value.
Read more about Interim Managers here.
Interim Management – The Best of Both Worlds
In a fast-moving world, organizations must be agile — ready to respond to change, risk, and opportunity at speed. Global competition and digital transformation demand swift action, realignment, and decisive leadership.
But what if you don’t have time to recruit or room for a traditional management consultant?
Executive Interim Management offers a powerful solution. With short notice, a senior, results-driven leader or specialist joins your organization — not to advise from the sidelines, but to take full operational responsibility from day one.
The outcome: maximum flexibility, hands-on execution, and cost-efficient results — exactly when and where you need it most.
Real leadership. Immediate impact. Strategic results.
3 examples of typical assignments within Interim Management
1. The CFO has left the company and there is no replacement in place.
The decision to hire an interim CFO to bridge the gap during the permanent recruitment is made. As the interim is overqualified, he/she can also review processes and structures during his/her assignment and hand over a well-functioning business to the new CFO.
Read more about interim CFO here.
2. A subsidiary performs poorly and shows red numbers.
It is not known where the problem lies. The current CEO is not functioning, and an interim CEO is engaged to analyse the business and provide clear and transparent information to the management and the board. A turnaround is performed by the Interim Manager.
Read more about interim CEO here.
3. A complex infrastructure project is to be implemented, and the right project manager competence is lacking.
A person who has previously run large, complex construction projects is needed. The assignment means working with many stakeholders, a strict budget and schedule, while the traffic should flow without major disruptions. An interim PMO who has done this before and has very good knowledge in the industry, leadership and operational work is engaged.
Read more about interim PMO here.
As an Interim Manager, you shift to a higher gear to quickly find solutions, create results and deliver value. You can rest after completion of the assignment!
Interim Management vs. Management Consulting – what’s the real difference?
The difference is straightforward and business-critical.
A Management Consultant primarily analyses the situation, provides advice, and delivers recommendations on what should be done.
An Interim Manager does all of the above – and takes full responsibility for execution. Interim Managers step into the organisation as part of the management team, lead from within, and implement the agreed actions hands-on, with clear accountability for outcomes.
In short:
Consultants advise.
Interim Managers deliver.
Read more about Interim Managers here.
Quality and commitment in Executive Interim Management
Since 2004, Nordic Interim has supported organisations across the Nordics and internationally with Executive Interim Management. We deliver tailored leadership solutions for complex and business-critical challenges in both the private and public sectors.
We combine deep business insight with extensive experience from line management and executive search, spanning a wide range of industries. Throughout the entire assignment – from needs analysis and selection to execution and follow-up – we ensure high quality, rapid implementation, and sustainable impact.
Our commitment, proven expertise, and structured approach make a measurable difference when it matters most.
FAQ about Interim Management
What is Interim Management?
An Interim Manager is a person with long experience of leadership and of driving change in a complex environment. The interim has a background in leading line roles within commercial businesses or government-controlled businesses. The interim has chosen to step down from a permanent role to take on time-limited assignments instead. Interim Management gives the business access to a very experienced leader when their own resources are not sufficient in the event of a challenge, crisis, or vacancy.
Examples of typical assignments:
A CFO has left the company and there is no replacement in place. An interim CFO was hired to bridge the gap while recruiting a permanent CFO. As the interim was overqualified, he immediately reviewed processes and structures and handed over a well-functioning business to the new CFO.
A subsidiary performed poorly and showed red numbers. It was not known where the problem lay. The CEO was let go the same day. An interim CEO was engaged to analyse the company and provided clear and transparent information to the board. A turnaround was conducted.
Do you want to know more about what interim means, or are you interested in becoming an Interim Manager, or if it can be a solution for your company?
Contact us
What is the difference between an Interim Manager and a Management Consultant?
Executive Interim Management has one foot in the headhunting industry and the other foot in management consulting. We have listed the main differences below:
| Interim Manager | Management Consultant |
|---|---|
| Principal Focus | |
| To execute and drive change to achieve operating results | Analysis, advice, transfer of best practice, solution design, and/or driving programme/project management |
| Skills Base | |
| Basing execution primarily upon long-standing operating experience, leadership and industry/functional experience. In certain cases with some years of prior work as a consultant | Basing execution primarily upon methods, processes and analysis combined with industrial/functional best practices collected from the consulting company |
| Execution Mode | |
| Acts as a part of your organisation, often with budget and/or responsibility for P/L | Acts outside the organisational framework (often in programme/ project form) |
| Age | |
| 40+ depending on the industry and functional background | Often 25-35 years old |
| Loyalty | |
| Completely loyal to you as a client and to your goals. Reports to you like an employee. No incentive to sell you more Interim Managers | Loyal to you as a client but also to his/her consulting company |
When is Interim Management a good solution?
When you urgently need an experienced manager or specialist within a specific area. When a recruitment process takes too long and/or when classic Management Consulting does not give you the hands-on implementation you need. It can be anything from filling a critical gap, reorganising a business, leading a digital transformation, expansion, establishing a foreign company, to divesting companies. The basic need that you want to solve is to get help from one or more active leaders who operationally make things happen.
Read more about the benefits of hiring an Interim Manager here.
What services can an Interim Manager perform?
Examples of services that an Interim Manager can perform are turnarounds, IPOs, build an HR organisation, set structures and processes, lead one or several business-critical projects, set the strategy for, and implement a company’s CSR program, lead a digitalization project for a function, a company or a group, lead an M&A project, or move production to another country including the closing of the old site and building the new production organisation.
Read about our services here.
What roles can Interim Management fill?
Our main focus is to solve challenges in company management positions or major initiatives/projects governed by the company management. Over the years, we have also developed networks in certain specialist branches, as well as with people with Management Consultant background and who have extensive experience of running larger complex programs/projects. Examples of roles are: CEO, CFO, Head of Business Control, Project Manager, or Supply Chain Manager. See more examples of roles here.
Read more about Interim Managers here.
Does Nordic Interim’s processes differ from other suppliers’ processes?
Yes. We know that our clients need to find a solution quickly, and – perhaps more importantly – they do not want to have endless interviews or evaluate CVs themselves to find the right skills and person. We are not content with merely matching suitable and available candidates, we work intensively for about 1-2 weeks to hand-pick people in our networks in Sweden and internationally. In this way, after a very short time, we can propose 2-3 people with exactly the right relevant background for the assignment.
Read more about our processes here.
How long does a recruitment process take?
The process takes 2-4 weeks and includes interviews with us and with the client and references.
Read more about how we work here.
How do you handle sensitive information?
Confidentiality is a matter of honour, both towards our clients and Interim Managers. At the beginning of each collaboration, we agree with the customer on the desired level of confidentiality, and we often use an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) before talking to the candidates. In our experience, this benefits all parties.
Do I have any guarantees if I engage you?
If an assignment should not develop as expected (which happens extremely rarely), we have termination clauses. These are assignment-specific, but the majority have one month’s notice. Of course, we help our client to find a replacement with equally strong qualifications. Nordic Interim has liability insurance for all our consultants, and all our interims at a leading level must take out a debit register certificate. We can also have a complete background check done.
Can I hire the interim after a completed interim assignment?
In our agreements, transitional fees for direct employment of an Interim Manager are regulated. We have a great understanding that this can be a win-win situation for our customers and Interim Professionals.
How long is an assignment?
Most of our assignments are directly linked to a major initiative, and often the assignment extends over 6–12 months, in some cases significantly longer. It is common for the assignments to be extended.
Do I need to pay a start-up fee?
Yes, we charge a small fee at the start-up of an assignment.
What does an interim solution cost?
The cost of hiring an Interim Professional via Nordic Interim depends entirely on the role, situation and length and scope of the assignment. Briefly, it is considerably cheaper than hiring a Management Consultant. Together, we go through the challenges and the assignment, and calculate an approximate range of the fee level to be able to attract and engage the right person with the right calibre.