The role of an Interim Manager in the Consulting sector

The use of an Interim Manager to carry out a business consulting mission is a very classic reflex. Accustomed to working in project mode, able to carry out several strategic projects at the same time and experienced in the management of high potentials, Interim Managers are excellent elements for companies looking for cross-functional skills, in the transformation phase.
Focus on the role of the Transition Manager in consulting .

Why use an Interim Manager in consulting?

Impregnated with the stakes and problems of companies, Interim Managers are able to propose innovative and relevant solutions relating to business development.

They work closely with company employees to implement concrete actions. They analyze the situation and provide an advisory role in development missions as well as in crisis situations.

Like an external consultant, the Transition Manager makes it possible to pool internal and external skills. But unlike a consultant, the Interim Manager is not content to play an advisory role: he also works to implement his recommendations. Its mission is to also ensure the operational management of the teams in place to ensure the transformation of the company under good conditions.

In the consulting sector, the Interim Manager intervenes in situations such as:

• The creation of a new structure,
• The departure of a manager requiring the management of the company before the new management takes office,
• The restructuring of a company,
• The development of new products or services,
• Strategy changes.

What positions for an Interim Manager in consulting?

In business, it is common to call on an Interim Manager accustomed to agile project management methods to carry out a strategic project defined over time.

Experienced in change management, the Transition Manager can also be mandated to take charge of a new activity and ensure the management of a structure between two departments. In this case, the Interim Manager must get involved in the structuring of the project (recruitment, planning, etc.) and operational management.

On many projects, the interim manager benefits from support from an internal member of the team in order to be operational within the framework of a project within very short deadlines.

It must propose measurable indicators, analyze them and present them to management.

What profile for a Transition Manager in consulting?

Client companies expect their new temporary employees to have significant professional experience in management and change management.

The interim manager is generally around fifty years old and has around fifteen years of presence in the Comex.

He has cross-functional skills: he may be required to attend a board meeting at any time or lead a team on more operational projects.

Endowed with a clear and synthetic vision of the company, the Interim Manager relies on his experience to quickly integrate the issues and challenges he faces.

Moreover, his sense of leadership allows him to supervise high potentials in good conditions.

Accustomed to working in project mode on high-stakes issues, the Interim Manager is able to structure projects by analyzing the situation, setting up a precise action plan and closing the project at the end of it. this.

The Transition Manager specializing in the consulting sector must have the following skills:

• Knowledge of the financial challenges of the sector of activity of the company that calls on him, perfect mastery of the applicable legal and tax rules,
• Understanding of company values
• Ability to manage a substantial budget, lead a high-level team and be innovative,
• Ability to surround yourself and if necessary to recruit qualified people trained in the professions of the advisory function,
• Know how to establish a detailed action plan, with a budget and deadlines.

It is in this context that the interim management firm makes sense: it makes it possible to provide the hierarchical and operational skills of the interim manager to companies that need them, at a more affordable cost than that of a manager. in office.

How much does an Interim Manager in Consulting cost?

The average price of an Interim Manager is 4,000 euros per day for a company. This price varies according to different parameters:

• sectors of activity,
• The level of experience,
• seniority,
• The experience of the recruited person,
• The complexity of the mission,
• The team to be supervised.

It is advisable to add to the base salary of the Transition Manager bonuses on objective, which vary according to numerous indicators.
It is therefore essential to contractually define the objectives to be achieved and the amounts of the bonuses, which can considerably influence the cost of the Interim Manager.