“Jan has worked in business development and general management positions for over 20 years, e.g., as quality, development, country, and managing director. Jan has extensive experience in finance and insurance, personnel services, private health care as well as building automation and energy management. He has worked in both international and Finnish companies, such as General Electric, OP, Terveystalo and Schneider Electric.”

How did you end up at Nordic Interim and when was your first contact with the company?

“I had done three Interim assignments, two of them through Nordic Interim. I already knew Kari Peuhkuri, and over the years we discussed the possibility of moving to Nordic Interim. About 2.5 years ago, Kari called and asked about my interest. At that time, Nordic Interim had grown both in Finland and internationally, and capital investors had joined. The company had a strong growth agenda and the goal of expanding into a global Interim operator. In addition, I truly believe that in Interim operations, all parties win. Interim managers can make versatile use of their expertise in interesting and challenging assignments, and client companies receive top expertise at their disposal for a limited period of time.”

How do you see the Interim industry in Finland now compared to the situation five years ago?

“The interim industry has grown, internationalized, and diversified significantly. I estimate that the growth of the market has been around 10–15% per year. Nordic Interim’s offices are now located in seven countries, and through the Valtus Alliance, our network already includes around 20 countries, so we can serve our customers globally. Assignments have also diversified. In the beginning, we did a lot of quick fixes, and the most common roles were CEO and CFO. These are still common, but assignments have been made to all management team positions, and in particular, the use of various project managers (PMOs) has increased. It is also gratifying to note that more and more women have found Interim opportunities, and hopefully, their share of Interim managers will continue to grow.”

How do you see the future of the Interim industry?

“I see the future of the industry as very positive. Several megatrends support the industry’s growth. The economic environment is unstable, future prospects are hazy, project-based work is increasing, Corona and the resulting digital leap enable remote work, and recruiting skilled personnel is difficult and slow. Customers therefore have a crying need to find competent personnel faster and more flexibly, and Interim meets this need.”

What should companies do when they need outside help? How long does the process take?

“Companies should contact us by phone or email and arrange a meeting. In the meeting, we map out the company’s situation, the goals during the Interim period, the profile to be applied for, the duration of the assignment and the starting date. We document these issues on a daily basis and ensure a common understanding of the situation and needs. We promise to introduce 2-4 suitable, interested candidates who are available immediately. If our customer needs to find a solution faster than this, that is also possible. At best, the suitable candidate has already been introduced at the client meeting for the next day, and the person has started the assignment within a week of the mapping meeting.”

The best customer feedback?

”Where do you find these magicians?”

What do you do in your spare time?

“I am an active person. Among other things, I enjoy road and mountain biking, playing tennis, going to the gym and play the drums.”

Fun fact about you?

“Before my actual working career, I was a professional athlete and played in the Finnish ice hockey league. I scored the first goal in Kiekko-Espoo’s league history.”