Crisis management, organizational change, strong growth… Many situations may require the intervention of an interim CEO. But what exactly is its role? And when should you call on the expertise of this external professional? Discover all the advantages of interim management in general management in the industry through our customer case study.

Interim CEO: what is his role?

The Interim CEO is an experienced senior executive with 15 to 25 years of experience in senior positions.

As an external speaker, he or she is temporarily called upon to manage a company or a strategic project for a defined period, most often ranging from 6 to 18 months.

He also has targeted expertise in the sector of activity in which he operates: Industry, nuclear power, E-commerce, Construction, Health, Luxury…

When to use an interim CEO?

A natural leader and expert in his field, the interim general manager is often called upon to intervene in critical situations such as:

Reorganization following a merger or acquisition ;
The immediate replacement of an absent CEO (relay management);
Crisis management (drop in activity, restructuring, financial crisis, sudden growth, etc.).
The launch of a large-scale strategic project such as international development ;
…

Strong industry expertise and strong leadership, the interim CEO adapts quickly to the challenges and specificities of the company. It adopts a methodology oriented towards Delivering tangible results and demonstrating operational excellence from the moment they join the company . He very quickly identifies the issues, the problems encountered and the solutions to be deployed to quickly redress the situation.

Interim CEO: our case study for an industry mission

Our interim management company WAYDEN was called upon to support a French subsidiary of an American group specializing in the manufacture and sale of chemical products, located in the Oise region.

The company was facing a major managerial and social crisis. In the context of a massive strike and the threat of administrative closure of the site, the European management, not mastering French, called on WAYDEN to find an interim manager.

An interim manager, expert in the management of high-risk industrial sites, in crisis management and QHSE, was chosen to lead the mission. He has significant experience in the chemical sector and an ability to manage complex situations.

In the space of six months, the interim manager restores the stability of the site by carrying out several key actions :

Rebuilding trust with teams and unions.
Negotiate with the social partners and the Works Council.
Implement management tools and a training plan.
Rebuilding a new management team.
Participate in the recruitment and transfer of power with a new site manager.

The mission was a great success. The interim manager has managed this crisis with composure, regaining the trust of internal and external stakeholders. His human and empathetic approach was particularly decisive in remobilizing the teams. On the strength of this success, he joined the group on another mission as Global Chief HSE Officer.

To learn more about this mission, read our full case study.