Ecological and energy transition: 5 missions of an interim manager

Faced with the environmental emergency, companies must now activate their ecological and energy transition without delay. However, managing such transformations requires specific skills and specialized expertise. To activate and carry out these complex projects, the interim manager who is an expert in CSR is a strategic ally.

Focus on the 5 key missions of the interim manager in the context of an ecological and energy transition.

 

What is the role of the interim manager?

An interim manager is an expert external to the company, mandated for a period defined upstream (between 6 and 18 months on average), in order to help the company pass a decisive milestone or overcome a delicate period. Its intervention is most often the subject of an urgent need, for which the company does not have the necessary resources and means. This can be A transformation project policy issues (Digital Transformation, restructuring, Mergers and acquisitions, process optimization, governance change, regulatory compliance, etc.) ; d’Crisis management (financial crisis, logistics, internal conflicts, Crisis of strong growth…) or even a managerial emergency, for Replacing a manager or executive at short notice temporarily absent or having left office (this is referred to as Relay management).

The interim manager stands out first and foremost for his solid expertise, resulting from a career of 15 to 25 years in strategic positions, in complex and varied environments. He also stands out for his exceptional interpersonal skills, characterized by Outstanding managerial and human skills (listening, empathy, emotional and relational intelligence, charisma, natural authority, audacity, pragmatism, etc.).

 

Ecological transition project: why call on an interim manager?

Making an ecological transition within your company is a complex and long-term project, which is often difficult to deploy, manage and sustain internally.

To facilitate this transformation, the interim manager is an ally of choice. It will be able to help the company to:

• Define a transition strategy aligned with its strategic objectives and corporate culture;
• Identify the ecological transition actions best suited to the company’s sector of activity, its possible regulatory constraints and its current issues (decarbonizing the activity, promoting the recycling and reuse of materials, adopting manufacturing processes that are more respectful of the planet);
• Manage change and federate teams by ensuring the proper deployment of the actions defined beforehand;
• Train and raise awareness among employees about the challenges of sustainable development and the importance of the energy transition;
• Ensure rigorous monitoring of performance and measure the impacts of the initiatives put in place;
• …

The interim manager specialising in CSR and environmental transition also adopts a pragmatic approach, oriented towards obtaining concrete results, with measurable benefits in the short and long term.

Thanks to his strong sense of leadership, his external perspective, his business expertise, his interpersonal skills and his in-depth knowledge of the company’s sector of activity, he will be able to ensure the success of the ecological transformation in an efficient, tangible and sustainable way while strengthening the competitiveness and profitability of the company.

 

Ecological transition: 5 examples of the missions of an interim manager

Here are 5 examples of typical missions that an interim manager can carry out as part of an ecological transition project:

• Carry out an environmental diagnosis

The first step prior to any ecological transition project is to carry out a complete audit of the existing system. This includes a carbon footprint to measure CO2 emissions, an energy audit to identify the most energy-intensive sources of consumption, but also a product life cycle analysis to identify environmental impacts at each stage of the supply chain, among others.

The interim manager can support the company at each stage of this inventory, for a precise and exhaustive diagnosis that will make it possible to clearly identify priority actions and clear and measurable objectives in line with local regulations and market expectations.

• Reducing the carbon footprint of the activity

The interim manager can first intervene to help the company define and implement a strategy aimed at decarbonizing the activity. It will help the company identify the main sources of CO2 emissions and set up A plan aligned with its carbon neutrality objectives, thanks to several actions, such as:

• the optimization of industrial processes to reduce energy consumption;
• the adoption of low-carbon technologies and renewable energies (solar panels, wind power, biomass, etc.);
• the reduction of travel (carpooling, teleworking, provision of electric bikes,…);
• …

• Managing an energy performance improvement project

In the context of an energy transition, the interim manager may also be called upon to help the company improve energy performance of its activity. Thanks to their hindsight, technical expertise and extensive feedback, they will be able to identify the most appropriate and high-impact actions, after carrying out a complete energy audit, in order to promote the company’s energy sobriety (eco-gestures, intelligent management of buildings, better insulation, etc.). They will also be able to deploy monitoring tools to measure savings and take corrective action as needed.

• Adopting responsible production methods

The interim manager is also able to help the company transform its manufacturing processes, in order to adopt more responsible production methods through various actions:

• Favor sustainable, bio-based or recycled materials;
• Implement a circular economy that promotes repair and recycling;
• Limit superfluous packaging and favor recycled or biodegradable packaging;
• Optimize supply chain management to reduce inventory, limit unnecessary transportation and associated emissions;
• Promote short and local circuits to limit the carbon footprint of purchases;
• Turning to responsible suppliers who share the same ecological principles and values;
• …
  

• Raising awareness and training teams in the energy transition

Like any transformation project, the success of an ecological transition depends, in large part, on the commitment and buy-in of employees. To keep everyone motivated throughout the project, the interim manager plays a key role. He will indeed know how to effectively mobilising and federating the various stakeholders around a strong, engaging and motivating vision and coordinate the various players at all hierarchical levels (management committee, field teams, local managers, supply chain managers, service providers, suppliers, etc.). He will also ensure that the teams are trained in good eco-responsible practices and that they are made aware of the challenges of such a project.

 

Are you looking for an interim manager to support you in your energy transition project? Thanks to its large pool of highly qualified and experienced interim managers, WAYDEN identifies and assigns, as soon as possible, an expert in ecological transition, who accompanies you at each stage of your energy sobriety project.