The majority of the interim management provider community wants to remain in Europe because they believe being part of the union is good for business.
In a recent survey[1] conducted by The Interim Management Association (IMA), which represents the interim management provider industry, 79 per cent of respondents voted to stay in Europe, while only 21 per cent said they were happy to opt out of the union.
IMA chairman and managing director of Russam Interim, Jason Atkinson, said the support for Europe was due to interim managers increasingly working on the continent, where their talents were in demand.
“The UK has the most established interim market globally, and the poll has highlighted that interims are a good export of talent,” said Atkinson.
“These top-flight executives have a strong understanding of governance and many also have strong language skills, enabling them to take their skills to new markets.
“The majority of those working in other territories tend to be posted on assignment within Europe, with a handful operating in parts of Asia.
“Both Germany and the Netherlands are very receptive of overseas talent. Germany, as an example, has more relaxed employment legislation than the UK – making it easier for business to make quick decisions around talent.”
CASE STUDYUK INTERIM WORKING OVERSEAS – INTERSTATE RESOURCES (EXECUTIVES ONLINE)The six-month assignment of an interim turnaround manager, sourced by leading interim management provider, Executives Online, has brought a staggering $2 million profit improvement for corrugated box manufacturer, Interstate Resources. Part of Indevco Group, Interstate Resources has 15 plants in the US, but was struggling to compete with large international paper companies. Executives Online put forward Andrew K, who has vast experience in this market, to solve the problem. The client specifically wanted a British or European interim manager for this work, because the corrugated sector here has already gone through the sort of restructuring that would be beneficial in the US. Andrew K identified $1.3m of savings in a poor performing plant, introduced radical changes in another plant by sub-letting some of the workload and concentrating on profitable lines, and introduced new long-term strategies throughout the company. |
[1] Survey ran on the Interim Management Association’s website throughout February-April 2013. A total of 615 responses were received. Credit: onrec.com
