Interim Management in Poland

To learn more about the Polish Interim Management industry, we have talked to Corinne Klajda, the founder and Chairwoman of Nuvadis Interim in Warsaw, a leading provider of C‑level Interim Management in Poland & the region.

“We were pioneers at the time, and the Polish labour market did not give Interim Management its due role. Philippe Soullier, CEO of Valtus, our partner within the Valtus Alliance network, helped us understand the industry better and inspired us to build a business model suited to our client’s needs locally. We were determined to build a strong brand in this sector.”

What does the interim market look like in Poland, and how has it developed in the last 5 years?

“The industry is still in its early years, but we invest in educating the market about the value of Interim Management. When a company recognises the need for an Interim Manager, they tend to look to other countries, not always being aware that we have this service available in Poland. Once Covid hit, the Interim Management industry grew very quickly as the recruitment for permanent roles collapsed, there was no time for trial and error. The strongest development was related to digital transformation & e-Commerce, and we have many assignments in this area.”

How is the balance between male and female Interim Managers in Poland?

“There are a lot less preconceptions against women here than in other European countries. Nowadays, it is easier for them to get, for example, board roles, but there are still more active male Interim Managers. Most professionals prefer permanent roles due to loans, living costs and mobility factors, and our culture of safety might be a reason for why many women do not choose Interim Management as a career. Ageism is a bigger problem than gender when it comes to permanent senior roles. If you are over 45, it is hard to find a satisfactory position which corresponds to your experiences. Our clients, when it comes to C-level Interim roles, want a “plug-and-play” solution and therefore age is not an issue.”

What kind of interim roles are most in demand?

“At the present, finance, and supply chain transformation leaders. Project managers responsible for redesigning the go-to-market strategies for e-commerce or marketplace are also in demand, followed by general managers to analyse and transform companies, mostly in the manufacturing and automotive industries. Simultaneously, due to the increasing costs & lack of resources, every business regardless of the sectors feels the need to re-evaluate the way of doing business forward.”

What characterises a successful Interim Manager?

“An Interim Manager should be financially independent, able to work intensively, fast and in an objective manner. He/she needs to have above-average personal and leadership skills. You must be able to talk in a simple manner and not just “corporate” and be very clear and pragmatic. An Interim Manager should also be good at dealing with the management team and his/her own team, be able to prioritise the client’s needs and be self-confident. Soft skills are more and more important, you cannot get your team onboard if they do not understand why the changes are being done and how they, as individuals, can add value to it.”

What is the next step in Nuvadis Interim development?

“Poland is nowadays an attractive place for foreign direct investments, there are a lot of new projects (mainly green-field) in sectors such as Energy, Manufacturing, IT and BPO/SSC businesses. All this is thanks to a sizable local market, a skilled labour force, a mature business environment and a good position at the axes of East-West and North-South EU transit corridors. When it comes to local companies, private firms set up in the 90ies are entering a period of succession and we will see a real boost of the interest in Interim Management.

Our team has recently been reinforced by of Michal Jakubowski, who spent 25 years in the industry and brings his general management experience and expertise, understanding our customers’ needs. Michal will actively support our brand, in order to scale up the Interim offer and address the growing demand.”