Interim Management

At the outset of an interim assignment, I establish a shared understanding of the initial situation with the client and the managers involved. We clarify objectives, decision-making authority and priorities. This creates a robust mandate that guides decisions and actions throughout the assignment.


On this basis, I assume the agreed leadership responsibility independently within the defined mandate and decision-making framework. I structure the tasks ahead, make the necessary decisions and lead the teams involved through implementation. I consider technical, organisational and commercial implications together – with a clear focus on deadlines, quality, costs and delivery capability.


My assignment ends when the task has been resolved on a robust basis and ongoing responsibility has been clarified. Depending on the mandate, this may involve stabilising a function, realigning an organisation, building a factory or ramping up production. Results, open issues and next steps are handed over in a way that enables the organisation to continue operating reliably.

Typical Assignments and Responsibilities

C-Level & Overall Responsibility

Interim Managing Director and CTO responsibility in smaller high-tech companies, subsidiaries, business units, and industrial start-ups and scale-ups. Bridging leadership vacancies, stabilising business operations, strategic realignment and building robust leadership structures.

Typical responsibilities:

  • Interim Managing Director or Technical Managing Director
  • CTO and Technical Director assignments
  • Bridging a leadership vacancy with a change mandate
  • Stabilisation, realignment and turnaround
  • Leadership of subsidiaries, business units and smaller high-tech organisations

Leading Technical Organisations

Leadership and development of R&D, engineering, industrialisation, production and operations. Clarifying responsibilities, priorities and interfaces. Improving collaboration, development performance, quality and technical delivery capability.

Typical responsibilities:

  • Interim Head, Director or VP of R&D or Engineering
  • Leadership of operations, production or cross-functional technical organisations
  • Organisational development and clarification of responsibilities
  • Portfolio, roadmap and resource management
  • Improving collaboration between development, production, procurement, quality and service

Technical Programmes & Projects

Responsibility for at-risk or business-critical development, industrialisation and production programmes. Creating transparency regarding status and risks, establishing realistic roadmaps, driving decisions and leading interdisciplinary teams through to results.

Typical responsibilities:

  • Technical project and programme leadership
  • Troubleshooting for projects in difficulty
  • Product and technology development
  • Cross-functional and cross-site coordination
  • Escalation, stakeholder and decision management

 

Industrialisation, Factory Build & Ramp-up

Building new technical and industrial capabilities – from the production concept, layout, plant and machinery procurement and commissioning through to production start-up. Stabilising processes, the supply chain, quality and yield, followed by handover into robust regular operations.

Typical responsibilities:

  • Greenfield factory and production build
  • Production layout, machinery procurement and commissioning
  • Building production teams and operating processes
  • Industrialisation and transfer of new products into series production
  • Production ramp-up, yield optimisation and delivery capability

Transformation, Restructuring & Turnaround

Stabilising and realigning technical functions or business units. Clarifying causes and risks, adapting the organisation and processes, setting priorities and implementing necessary changes. Advisory work and concept development support operational leadership and the delivery of results.

Typical responsibilities:

  • Analysis and stabilisation of technical organisations
  • Restructuring of R&D, engineering or operations functions
  • Turnaround of companies, business units or technical functions
  • Operational excellence and improvements in quality and efficiency
  • Change management with clear leadership and implementation responsibility