EXP Group owns and operates a portfolio of companies that provide services and technology solutions to the real estate industry. Through Katapult, EXP Group also invests in startups that use cutting-edge technology to solve environmental and social problems. When chair Anders H. Lier needed an interim leader for one of his companies, he knew who to call.
A strong brand name
- Interimleder is a strong brand name, so it was natural to contact them, says Anders, when we get hold of him on the phone while he is strolling along the jetty in his hometown, Fredrikstad.
Lier had not hired an interim manager before and was excited about how quickly and how well Interimleder could deliver. He needed an experienced "heavyweight" to lead one of the group's largest companies, Invisio, the country's leading provider of digital marketing content to the real estate market.
- I was excited about the selection of profiles they could get from their network. They made a great first impression. Interimleder immediately understood our challenges and had substantial expertise and experience to show, says Lier.
It went exceptionally fast
- The process went exceptionally fast. During one workday, we received a profile description. Three days later, we had interviewed several candidates. The choice fell on Otto Sekkesæter, who was in place shortly after. It was impressive how fast it all went.
Extremely satisfied
- We are delighted with how Otto has solved the assignment. He is a competent and experienced leader, who was actually nominated for the Interim Leader of the Year 2019 Award. What I like about interim management is that you can solve an acute management need with a hired manager. In our case, we are happy that we also got a permanent solution. Today Otto is employed with us.
Interim leadership, a growing trend
Anders Lier believes that the age of lifelong employment is over and that the need for interim management is increasing. There are several reasons for this, he argues.
- First, the pace of change in business and society is higher today than before—secondly, the complexity of managing and developing companies increases. Global competition, technology development and industry fragmentation are factors that make the leadership role challenging. Interim management is a tool that provides the company with expertise, leadership and capacity during periods when this is needed. At the same time, interim management is an ever-evolving domain. If you can find even better models that link the interim manager's delivery with the company's drivers, objectives and KPIs, then I think it will be even more relevant and attractive in the years to come. I envision that we will have hired management expertise with us going forward, Lier concludes.
