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We identify experienced interim executives who can step in quickly and deliver against your critical business objectives.
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Interim Management Executive Search
Interim Management and Interim Executive Leadership
There are situations when an organisation needs senior leadership immediately. A permanent executive search may ultimately provide the long term solution, but businesses cannot always wait several months for a new executive to complete their notice period.
Novo Executive Search provides experienced interim executives who can enter an organisation quickly, assume responsibility and deliver against clearly defined objectives. Interim management is particularly effective when an organisation is experiencing change, investment, transformation, unexpected leadership departure or a period of significant growth.
An interim executive brings senior-level experience without requiring an immediate long term appointment. They can provide stability, maintain momentum and give the board time to assess what the organisation needs next. With a defined remit and timeframe, an interim leader can focus on immediate priorities while helping prepare the business for its next stage of leadership.
Why partner
with Novo
Why partner
with Novo
Novo Interim is built on partnership. We invest time upfront to truly understand your business, your people, and what success looks like for you. That insight allows us to introduce interim leaders who fit culturally and make an immediate impact.
We stay close throughout the assignment. Focused on outcomes. Focused on value. The result is stronger leadership, better decisions, and a business positioned for sustainable success.
How Interim Management Helps Our Clients
There are moments in every business where experience, clarity, and decisive leadership are needed fast. Interim management gives you access to senior leaders exactly at those moments. No long-term commitment. No delay. Just the right capability, at the right time.
With Novo Interim, experienced executives step in quickly and work alongside your team, not around it. They bring fresh eyes, calm judgement, and deep sector knowledge. Most importantly, they focus on what matters now. Stabilising performance. Leading change. Filling a critical gap. Giving your leadership team breathing space and direction when pressure is high, or opportunity is moving quickly.
The value goes well beyond delivery. Strong interim leaders leave a business better than they found it. Processes are improved. Teams feel more confident. Best practice becomes part of the day-to-day. When objectives and timescales are clear, interim management becomes a highly effective and commercially sensible way to accelerate progress while reducing risk.
When Organisations Need Interim Leadership
Interim executives can provide an effective solution when:
- A senior executive leaves unexpectedly
- A business is undergoing restructuring
- An acquisition or integration requires dedicated leadership
- Performance needs to improve quickly
- A transformation programme requires specialist expertise
- An organisation is preparing for investment or sale
- A permanent executive search is underway
- Growth has created a temporary leadership capability gap
- A specific project requires experience that does not exist internally
- An underperforming executive needs replacing while a permanent successor is identified
The requirement is normally different from conventional temporary management. A successful interim executive is appointed to deliver outcomes rather than simply maintain the existing position.
Interim Leadership During Change and Transformation
Major change programmes create additional demands upon existing management teams. Organisations may need to restructure operations, introduce new technology, improve productivity, integrate acquisitions, reduce costs or redesign their commercial strategy while continuing to manage day to day performance.
An experienced interim executive can provide additional leadership capacity and specialist expertise during these periods.
Because interim executives are appointed for a defined purpose, they can maintain a strong focus on delivery, implementation and measurable outcomes.
Typical mandates can include operational transformation, restructuring, integration, turnaround, commercial improvement, technology implementation and organisational redesign.
Interim Leadership Around Investment
Investment can create an immediate requirement for additional leadership. Private equity and venture capital backed businesses may need experienced executives to professionalise operations, strengthen financial controls, accelerate commercial growth or prepare the organisation for its next stage of development.
Novo can identify interim executives with experience of working within investor backed environments who understand the pace, accountability and performance expectations associated with these businesses. Interim leadership can be particularly valuable immediately following a transaction when the organisation needs additional capability before the permanent leadership structure has been determined.
Supporting a Permanent Executive Search
An interim appointment can also create the time required to make the right permanent appointment. Rather than compromising a search because the organisation urgently needs somebody in position.
An interim executive can provide stability while Novo conducts a comprehensive search of the external market.
This separates the immediate operational requirement from the long term leadership decision.
Importance of
Interim
Recruitment
Importance of
Interim
Recruitment
Interim recruitment is a vital change that can't wait. Whether managing a sudden departure, driving transformation, or navigating crisis. The stakes are high: interim executives make strategic decisions that shape your organisation's direction, often within days of arrival.
Getting this appointment right matters. You need an interim leader who absorbs context rapidly, earns credibility fast, and delivers results under pressure. They require both technical expertise and the influencing skills to bring your team with them during uncertainty.
Our interim management specialists understand this urgency. We identify executives who combine business acumen with adaptability—leaders who can step into complex situations, make sound decisions quickly, and execute the strategy your organisation needs right now.
Interim Executives Who Deliver
Novo focuses on senior executives with a demonstrable record of delivering within demanding business environments. Depending upon the assignment, this can include interim:
- Chief Executives and Managing Directors
- Chief Financial Officers and Finance Directors
- Chief Operating Officers
- Commercial and Sales Directors
- Operations and Manufacturing Directors
- Transformation Directors
- Technology and Digital Directors
- Supply Chain and Procurement leaders
- HR and People Directors
Our starting point is not simply availability. We look at what the organisation needs to achieve, the circumstances surrounding the requirement and the experience an executive will need to deliver successfully.
Interim Leadership Across Sectors
Interim leadership requirements differ according to the organisation, sector and situation. An interim executive leading a manufacturing transformation may require different experience from a CFO supporting an investor-backed business or a Commercial Director accelerating growth in a new market.
Novo combines executive search experience with specialist sector knowledge to identify interim leaders with relevant commercial, functional and industry experience.
Our work spans sectors including engineering, manufacturing and industrial, construction and property, technology, financial and professional services, renewable energy, healthcare and life sciences, and other specialist markets.
Permanent, Interim or Both?
Sometimes the correct solution is immediately clear. In other situations, boards need to consider whether the requirement should be permanent, interim or initially interim with a permanent search running alongside it.
Novo can help organisations assess the external market and determine the most appropriate search strategy. With more than two decades of experience recruiting senior executives, our focus remains consistent: providing organisations with access to leadership capable of making a measurable difference when that leadership matters most.
When the business cannot wait, the right interim executive can provide immediate leadership, stability and momentum.
Our focus
remains
consistent:
Our focus
remains consistent:
providing organisations with access to leadership capable of making a measurable difference when that leadership matters most.
When the business cannot wait, the right interim executive can provide immediate leadership, stability and momentum.
Why Choose Novo for Interim Management?
Executive-Level Search Expertise: Novo has more than two decades of experience recruiting senior executives across Board, C-suite and senior functional leadership appointments.
Focused on the Requirement: We look beyond who is immediately available to understand what the organisation needs the interim executive to achieve and the experience required to deliver it.
Sector Knowledge: Our specialist sector experience helps us identify executives who understand the commercial and operational environment in which they will be working.
Permanent and Interim Capability: Where an organisation requires immediate leadership alongside a longer-term appointment, Novo can support an interim solution while conducting a comprehensive permanent executive search.
Confidential Approach: Sensitive leadership changes, unexpected departures and executive replacements may require discretion. Novo can identify and engage potential interim leaders while protecting the organisation and the circumstances surrounding the appointment.
Our Interim Leadership Team
Susannah Mallaghan
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Dale Perrett
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Jo Watkins
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Dale Perrett
Founding Director
Dale is one of the Founding Directors of Novo Executive Search and Selection. He is part of the Novo leadership team that drives the business. He remains passionate about working...
LinkedIn Profile:
Jo Watkins
Director
Now a Director at Novo, Jo has spent over 14 very successful years with the business. Jo has extensive experience recruiting senior management and board-level professionals across a range of...
LinkedIn Profile:
Susannah Mallaghan
Division Manager novoElan
Susannah leads the novoelan division. She has worked with Novo for over 15 years. Prior to Novo, Susannah enjoyed a successful career with the Royal Mail, MM Teleperformance and RAC.
LinkedIn Profile:
Testimonials
Related Case Studies
Our interim assignments demonstrate how experienced executives can provide immediate leadership during periods of change, transformation, investment and unexpected leadership transition.
Need Experienced Leadership Now?
When change, growth or an unexpected leadership gap creates an immediate requirement, Novo can identify experienced interim executives capable of taking responsibility and delivering against clear objectives.
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Interim Management FAQs
What is interim management and how does it work?
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