2003 News & Articles
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| 2003 - a better
year |
June 2003 |
The most frequent question from both clients and
interim managers is “what is the current state of the market?”
For Interregna, 2003 has started well with new
assignments in a range of multinational companies, including
telecoms, pharmaceuticals and food manufacturing. We have seen
strong demand for a range of HR roles, as businesses balance
providing maximum incentives against the need to reduce costs.
Improvement in processes, often driven by IT and
supply chain issues, is another dominant theme.
Besides companies searching for reduced costs and
increased efficiency, many others are looking to expand, particularly
in Europe and Asia - there is an increasing demand for interim
managers with international experience and the languages to match.
But the shortage of good senior management people
with the right skills profile is highlighted by the January 2003
Recruitment Confidence Index, which states: “62% of companies
reported difficulties in finding appropriate managerial and professional
staff. Trends of previous surveys have continued: the more senior
the position the harder it was to find someone. The forecast
is that it is going to get harder.”
“Any organisation struggling to find the
right senior individual should seriously consider hiring an interim,“ says
Interregna managing director Malcolm Alexander.
“Not only do they bring additional experience
to the role, but they can provide invaluable input into the recruitment
of a permanent individual to replace them. “
Not surprisingly, we are therefore taking a positive
view of the economy and its impact on our business.
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| First choice
again |
May 2003 |
A year on, and a client’s needs have changed
again. Last year we reported on John Brocklebank’s successful
spell at Music Choice (see
news item, March 2002). John went in as an Interim CFO, and
indeed helped the CEO recruit the permanent appointee.
But now, new market and economic conditions have
forced change at the company; chief operations officer Margot
Daly has replaced the previous CEO and with the CFO also departing,
Daly’s first thought was to get Interregna’s Brocklebank
in again. Fortunately John was available, so he has swiftly returned
to his old desk to help the new management team face new problems
and opportunities.
But the comfort factor for the client was knowing
that had John not been free, we have a number of other interim
CFOs who could have been extensively briefed by John and then
left to get on with the job in hand.
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| DTI report
highlights needs which interims can fill |
May 2003 |
A Department of Trade and Industry report reviewing
Britain's competitiveness has revealed key weaknesses in Britain
of the sort which interim managers are ideally placed to help
companies overcome.
Compared to Germany, France and the US, Britain
is found wanting in output per hour in manufacturing, construction,
distribution and financial and - perhaps surprisingly - business
services.
The UK is also lagging on skills and investment
- French workers have 60% more capital, those in Germany and
America 25%-30%.
The DTI says the key to driving prosperity going
forward is now quality and innovation. But from the same workers
and processes, American managers deliver far more output than
their British counterparts. That partly reflects management weaknesses
and poor workforce skills but it is also down to the commercial
environment in which they operate.
So how can we improve versus other countries?
Because the UK is operating below potential gross
domestic product per capita, there are almost certainly relatively
easy wins to be gained.
At Interregna we have interim managers who add the necessary cutting edge to
introduce sustainable productivity gains across organisations.
If poor productivity concerns you in any
part of your business, contact us and we will provide an experienced
strategic and hands-on manager to improve work force skills,
invest wisely and solve your problem.
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| Interregna
stresses CPD-appeal |
May 2003 |
Interregna Associate Director, Spencer Wilcox and
client Anne Ridge, HR Director of Britannic Money, took part
in a debate initiated by the Interim Management Association on
the importance of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) to
career interim managers and our clients.
Asked whether evidence of a candidate’s relevant
CPD activity added any weight to their suitability for a specific
assignment, Anne said she is looking to interims to be able to
show that CPD in previous assignments has led to proven results,
or that involvement in a networking forum or association added
value to their performance.
As a provider of interim managers, Interregna’s
view is that if two candidates have identical appeal, the one
with CPD on their CV is more likely to be hired for three reasons:
Firstly, with no shortage of interim managers to
choose from, we are more likely to be convinced that one willing
to invest their own time and money in keeping their skills right
up to date should be short-listed to our clients.
Secondly, transferring those skills to the client
whilst on an assignment adds further value to their time in the
organisation.
Thirdly, in terms of successfully handling a role,
then the additional training and academic achievement can only
improve an IM’s chances of being successful.
Research indicates that CPD is widely practised
by interims, usually through their professional bodies and is
vital for their standing and marketability, driven by the individual’s
own discipline.
However CPD is only relevant to clients when it
impacts on the delivery of results.
 Based
on an article that first appeared in the Interim Management Association
Newsletter, Issue 4 – to read the article in full, click
here to download.
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| Interregna
and the IMA |
March 2003 |
 Interregna
managing director Malcolm Alexander has been elected Treasurer
of the Interim Management Association (IMA), in succession to
Richard Lambert, the new Chairman of the Association. Last year
Malcolm joined the IMA’s Public Affairs Committee.
The IMA - the trade association to which Interregna
and other leading interim management companies all belong - operates
a code of conduct for members and provides a quality guarantee
to members' clients.
The IMA continues to be actively involved in examining
proposed legislation which, if enacted, would reduce the considerable
benefits which interim management brings to business and the
economy. The IMA continues to voice its strong reservations about
the proposed changes and asks all concerned to lobby key decision-makers,
such as the DTI and relevant MEPs and MPs.
Malcolm Alexander is more than happy to commit
his time to this work: “We recognise the important issues
which will affect interim managers and our clients in the future,
and by participating in the running of the IMA we want to do
all we can to look after their interests."
Meanwhile Spencer Wilcox (seen here, left, with
Malcolm Alexander) continues to be involved with the IMA’s
marketing activities and was responsible for drafting the latest
Newsletter which can be downloaded by clicking here.
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