An increasing number of women are defying stereotypes and rising to the challenges of the interim executive role

The Guardian, Wednesday

Suzanne and Charlotte (daughter) Dean at home in Gloucestershire, UK. Suzanne juggles a career and is a single mother.

Although more women are seeking work as interim executives, they still make up only about a third of the managers who work in this way. Some will have made a positive career choice, attracted by the flexibility and sense of control that the role can offer, while others may have been pushed into it through redundancy or job dissatisfaction.

Rachel Youngman, chair of website Interimwomen.com, which aims to encourage and support female interim managers, says it offers a simulating career but warns that it is not an easy option. "It's a tough way of working, particularly during a recession, because you're running your own business and you have to work to get the work," she says.

A year ago women made up a quarter of interim managers. That figure has increased to a third (32%), according to an Ipsos MORI poll for the Interim Management Association, the organisation for specialist agencies that supply interim managers. Youngman says that although some women may have been squeezed out of a permanent job and been motivated to move by the economic downturn, there are a healthy number of vacancies, particularly in the public sector, because of a shortage of permanent staff with relevant experience. Interims, she says, are typically in their late 30s to 50s with a solid track record of success in senior management.

Running your own business

Youngman began working as an interim six years ago after 20 years in the not-for-profit sector, including a role as deputy executive director of the International Bar Association. Her interim assignments have included work with the Cabinet Office, Home Office and the National Union of Students. She says : "Working as an interim will appeal if you want to work on your own initiative and run your own business, while continuing to operate at a very senior level in a diverse range of organisations. It's a demanding profession. You're expected to get results very quickly but that's the thrill of it; you're constantly testing your skills. You need drive and commitment but in return you get flexibility, diversity and challenge."

Her personal analysis is reflected in an Interimwomen.com survey, which revealed that 60% of women interims found the work more challenging and interesting than their previous roles, and about half (47%) said they had learned new skills and enjoyed working in different sectors. However, although half of the 700 respondents said interim management enabled them to balance work and home lives more successfully, 63% said the main drawback was working away from home.

"You can be called at short notice, and that can involve working away from home," says Youngman. "Those with caring commitments may need to be able to make alternative arrangements very quickly. The flexibility tends to come at the end of a contract when you can choose when to take another assignment." She advises women seeking interim work to network and to make contacts as well as signing up to agencies specialising in interim work. "The risk of just sitting on an agency database is that so much of the work is down to networking and keeping up with contacts." 

Anna Bishell, now head of interims for public sector recruitment agency Rockpools, helped to set up Interimwomen.com two years ago when she worked for rival recruitment company Russam GMS. "The proportion of women was very small then and we wanted to attract more women. There are a lot of women out there with incredible skills to offer who would like the flexible lifestyle," says Bishell. She says that the proportion of men and women on her books currently is about 50:50, with a particularly strong representation of women in the charity sector. It was also increasingly common, she says, for recruits from the private sector to find they were particularly sought after by public sector employers. Bishell says that, after a lull, the demand for interims has increased in recent months. "It's really turned a corner lately which I hope will mean we have a buoyant market over the next 12 months," she says.

Stephanie Bird, the director of HR capability at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the organisation for HR professionals, says the fact that the majority of interims were male probably reflects the disproportionate number of men in senior management, but says the work offered good opportunities for women. "In interim work there are fewer glass ceilings. Organisations are often more prepared to take a risk with a short-term contract, which may allow women to get more interesting roles," she says.

Interim managers need a high degree of resilience as well as good management and interpersonal skills, according to Bird. And, she says, organisations would find people with those attributes by looking at the whole population rather than relying on the old-fashioned stereotype of the middle-aged, male manager.

Women on top

Former teacher Barbara Hughes became an interim manager five years ago after spending some 20 years working in local autority education departments.

A former teacher, Barbara Hughes became an interim manager five years ago after spending almost 20 years working in local authority education departments. "It's the best thing I ever did. I love the challenge of going into places that want to change and develop rather than just carry on as before." Hughes's latest assignment is a 12-months contract working as interim executive director of children's services for North East Lincolnshire council. She spends four days a week at the council's headquarters in Grimsby, which means spending three nights away from her home in Cheshire. Her career as an interim manager for local authorities has also taken her to Powys, Croydon and Reading. She is used to the travel and constant change; in her former role as a full-time member of staff she moved house 14 times to work for local authority children's services around the UK including Dundee and South Tyneside. Hughes, 56, said: "The big downside of interim work is living away from home; you're in a strange place on your own, often living in a hotel or lodgings. It can get you down. But the massive plus is the excitement and pace of the job. I tend to get assignments where they need someone to restructure the service and give it a kick-start to get it going again. To do that you have to be able to come in and be up and running within a week and at the end you have to be happy to walk away and start afresh somewhere else." She adds: "I didn't make the move to interim until I was 50 but I wish I had done it earlier in my career. Interim has been one long professional development. I'm a miles better director than I was when I was permanent because I've worked in so many different contexts. I'm so much more confident and knowledgeable and I'm not fazed by difficult situations."  

Suzanne Dean worked in medical sales and marketing before becoming a public sector interim manager after the birth of her daughter.

In spite of the insecurity and long hours, single mother Suzanne Dean loves her career as an interim manager. "I thrive on deadlines, I'm often at my most creative close to the deadline. It's hard but it works for me," says Dean. After permanent jobs in sales and marketing for large medical companies, Dean, 38, decided to become a freelance manager following the birth of her daughter Charlotte, now aged seven. "Like a lot of women interims I realised that after I'd had a baby I needed to be able to work much more flexibly." She has made it a rule never to take assignments that involve overnight stays away from her home in Upthorpe, Gloucestershire, and has concentrated on work for NHS and other public sector bodies within commuting distance, such as Gloucestershire primary care trust, North Bristol NHS trust and the West Midlands NHS specialist commissioning group. Determined that Charlotte would not become a 'latch-key kid', she spends time with her daughter when she comes home from school and works late into the night after she has gone to bed. Dean completed an Open University MBA in 2002 and two years ago she set up her own consultancy business, based at her home which now employs three staff. Her company hires other interims, many of whom are working mothers. She says there was a demand for well-qualified interims and advises permanent staff considering the move: "Just go for it. I don't know anyone who's tried interim who's ever gone back to a permanent job. I certainly wouldn't, I love it." She adds: "I've never worked so hard in my life but I like the flexibility, the variety, and the adrenalin rush of getting results in a short time frame." Her only word of caution for new entrants to the market was to make sure they budgeted for a set-up period of 8-10 weeks and took into account the lack of paid holidays. 

Jacquie Findlay began working for herself after she was made redundant as director of human resouces in the recession of the early 1990s.

Jacquie Findlay began working for herself after she was made redundant from a high-powered job as a director of human resources in the last major recession in the early 1990s. Initially she worked as a consultant, offering advice on a short-term basis, but in the last five years she has moved to interim work which typically involves being a member of a management team on contracts of 6 to 18 months. "As a consultant I always wanted to have an on-going relationship with clients and that's what turned me into an interim, because I want to see the consequences of the work I do." Although Findlay, 55, began her career in human resources in the commercial world with firms such as the Royal and Sun Alliance insurance group and British Airports Authority her more recent roles have included stints at public and voluntary sector bodies including Amnesty International, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Department of Transport, for whom she has worked on and off for almost a decade. "I love that diversity of experience and being able to use that experience in future assignments has been an enriching experience," says Findlay. "I love the adrenalin rush and excitement of going into a new sector and analysing what's needed and challenging your own skills and competencies. It's fabulous to see people change and develop and know that when I leave people have gained a satisfaction in their job that was not there before." Findlay, who lives in Brighton, East Sussex, relishes her role so much that she struggles to think of downsides but she concedes that her husband, two step-children and one-year-old step granddaughter would say that while she is on assignment she can work very long hours. Findlay also has an elderly mother and father in law to consider. "It requires 100% commitment when you're working on an assignment and that can involve quite a lot of juggling; I couldn't do it without a husband who's virtually retired." 

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Interimwomen.com appoints new director to boost growth

Interimwomen.com, the business forum dedicated to promoting women working as interim managers, established by interim provider Russam GMS, is delighted to appoint Karen Oddey, a former defence industry group managing director and business development expert to lead the organisation and build its growth and development.

As director of interimwomen.com, Karen will promote Interimwomen.com’s networking events and forge links with businesses and potential partner organisations. Working with the existing interimwomen.com panel members and Chair, Rachel Youngman, Karen will be a key spokesperson promoting the benefits of a career in interim management to women.

Karen brings to Interimwomen.com many years’ experience helping new businesses develop, achieve profitable growth in challenging market conditions and improve the way they operate and organise and engage their teams for success.

Charles Russam, Chairman of Russam GMS, says, “We are delighted to welcome Karen to Interimwomen.com. She has the ideal background and experience to take the organisation to the next level of growth. We hope she will help forge new partnerships with organisations that provide complimentary services to interimwomen.com or share its aims of promoting women and diversity in the workplace.”

Karen says, “Interim management is a growth industry and I am excited about the potential development opportunities for Interimwomen.com. Our goal is to attract more women into the industry who are looking for a serious and challenging career alternative; provide them with the support they need to win assignments, and at the same time offer businesses access to a more diverse talent pool of senior executives.”

Karen is also co-founder of InfiniCorp, a business which helps small and mid-sized companies realise their growth plans and owner/investor exit aspirations. In addition, she is a senior advisor and business development expert with specialist service providers in the defence and ICT sectors and is pursuing non-executive director opportunities.

Previously, she held managing director positions at various businesses including divisions of QinetiQ, Thales and 3Com and before that, she was a production engineer at engineering company, NEI Parsons.

In addition to business management, Karen has particular experience in product management and marketing, strategy and organisation/people development. She has a MBA from London Business School and a first class degree in mechanical engineering from Leeds University.

The business forum dedicated to promoting interim management as a viable career option for women have appointed a new Director. Karen Oddey, a former defence industry group Managing Director and business development expert, will be responsible for InterimWomen’s growth and development.

She will work alongside Rachel Youngman, Chair, and existing InterimWomen panel members. Oddey will also act as a key spokesperson, promoting to women the benefits of a career in interim management.

Charles Russam, Chairman of Russam GMS, comments: “We are delighted to welcome Karen to Interimwomen.com. She has the ideal background and experience to take the organisation to the next level of growth. We hope she will help forge new partnerships with organisations that provide complimentary services to interimwomen.com or share its aims of promoting women and diversity in the workplace.” 

Oddey adds: “Interim management is a growth industry and I am excited about the potential development opportunities for Interimwomen.com. Our goal is to attract more women into the industry who are looking for a serious and challenging career alternative; provide them with the support they need to win assignments, and at the same time offer businesses access to a more diverse talent pool of senior executives.”

(Read the article here)

I have a successful interim career but have had to set clear boundaries to keep my work and family life in balance.

I have been an interim for six years. I am an engineer by profession, worked for eight years in the chemical industry then moved to Arthur D Little as a management consultant. I chose the interim path after having my first child – I was looking for a way to combine family life with a nevertheless rewarding and challenging career.

I now have three young children. Working is an essential part of my life and I am committed to my career, but like everyone, my life is multi-faceted and work needs to fit with this. On the one hand, I want to have breakfast with my kids as often as possible, make it to the school playground occasionally and yes, even be around for some of the
tantrums! On the other hand, if I did not work, I would go insane. I have therefore managed to develop a model that works for me.

My golden rules are these: firstly, to know my boundaries, and stick to them. In my case that means not staying away from home for more then 2-3 days a week, and working from my home office whenever possible.

Secondly (and crucially), I am always crystal clear with recruiters and clients regarding these boundaries. Of course, it’s also rather important to emphasise what I can do as well as what I can’t. For example, I often travel overseas, I can work long hours, and I am willing to call Japan at 2am every night for a week if needed! It’s simply a matter of lateral thinking, and if a client is willing to be flexible with me, I need to be flexible in return.

Not every client or assignment lends itself to this model. I have to work hard to find the “right” opportunities and occasionally find myself turning down work, or not being invited for interview in the first place. However I do take full responsibility for my situation, do not ask for any favours and only put myself forward for work that I know I
can handle just as well as, if not better than, anyone else. I usually find that if I am straight, honest and transparent with clients from the outset, and go on to deliver what they need, I can quickly gain trust and respect, and in the end, they often really don’t care where I am!

Lucy Hazell

Interim managers are independent business experts or project managers with specialist skills. They are hired by organisations to deliver specific strategic projects and usually have many years’ experience under their belts and a track record of achievement. They are highly adaptive, flexible and capable of going into different companies and delivering immediate results, which is perhaps why they are becoming increasingly popular in private and public sector organisations.

So what the main benefits for women working as Interims?
In January, interimwomen.com surveyed over 700 women working as Interim Managers and  found that 66% of women gave up their permanent roles to become Interim Managers in order to work more flexibly, 60% claimed that Interim work is more interesting and challenging  than their previous jobs, 47% said they had acquired new skills and enjoyed working in  different industry sectors and 37% of women said they are earning more money than previously.

Perhaps for a combination of these reasons, more women have come into the industry in the past couple of years. Russam GMS, a provider of interim managers in the UK, with a database of 11,000 Interims, reported that 25% of the total number of females on its database has registered since January 2008. And, an Ipsos MORI report by the Interim Management Association (IMA) this year claimed that women now make up a third (32%) of
interim executives, which is a 10% increase from last year.

Some of these women are those that in recent years have left senior management roles before they reach board level in order to take on new challenges, such as setting up their businesses or becoming freelancers or self-employed consultants.

This trend was identified in 2007 by Pricewaterhouse Coopers when it reported a 40% drop in the number of women holding senior management positions citing increased childcare costs and a streak of entrepreneurialism as the main causes. It could also be that senior level women are still in search of equal pay with men which a career in interim management affords. A report from the Institute of Directors in 2008 claimed that female directors still earn on average 26% less than their male counterparts. Male and female Interims can expect to earn on average around £600 a day depending on experience and industry sector, so it can be a lucrative career option.

What does interim management involve?

Interim management will suit someone who wants to run their own business. Interims operate through their own limited company, so if you are thinking about becoming an interim you will need to be able to do things associated with running a business, including drawing up business plans, marketing strategies, and potentially hiring an accountant to support you.

In addition, you will need to adapt your CV. An interim CV will look different to a standard CV and needs to be carefully tailored for each assignment, highlighting the key experience and skills that are relevant.

Then you need to get out there and network. If you’re leaving employment to become an interim make sure you retain as many contacts as possible with former colleagues and clients; go to events where your potential clients will be and join industry networking groups.

Get as much advice as possible from experienced interims through groups such as Interimwomen.com and get to know the Interim Management Providers that specialise in your industry sector.

You may also need to develop your professional skills. The IMA Institute also is a great source for training and development. It offers a workshop for new interims and a series of professional development courses in conjunction with the Open University.

Remember, you may need to be persistent and tenacious as it might take a few months to win your first assignment, but be patient and try to gain as much experience as you can in your chosen industry sector. When I become an interim, I wanted to work in the charity sector, however, I didn’t have enough experience behind me so I became a volunteer and my first assignment came as a result of my volunteer work.

Interim management is a challenging and highly rewarding career option for women and men, but it is not for everyone. If like me you enjoy a challenge and get excited about working for different organisations identifying and then fixing their problems, then I would recommend you take the leap.

Rachel Youngman is Chair of Interimwomen.com

If you are interested in finding out more about interim management, Interimwomen.com is holding an breakfast event on 25th November 2009 at the Athenaeum Club in central London. Guest speakers are David Harries from the IMA Institute and Pippa Blackemore, a business development and networking expert. Tickets cost £30 plus VAT and you can bring a  guest for half price. Contact Kathryn.hughes@russam-gms.co.uk to reserve a ticket.

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