When the company needs an experienced and skilled "doer" who can start immediately, the CEO of Elite Foto, Helge Lindalen, is certain of the solution.
Summer is the peak season for Norwegians passionate about photography. At Elite Foto they are working hard to launch a new photo album concept in which holiday memories can be captured forever on real photo paper.
Lindalen still manages to find the time to talk about interim management. "As a senior manager I have hired a number of interim managers for supervisor positions," says Lindalen.
Increasing trend
"There is clearly a greater need for interim managers today than 15 years ago. Sooner or later all companies will experience an expertise or resource gap. Interim management is the answer when you need experienced people quickly to maintain momentum," Lindalen explains.
From interim manager to permanent employee
"It takes time to find the right expertise but an interim manager can be in the job in just a couple of working weeks. This provides the company with time to find a solution," Lindalen says. In the company he currently manages, two of his colleagues started out as interim managers before becoming permanent employees.
"When you hire interim managers you have the chance to trial people that you may later offer a permanent contract to," Lindalen explains.
He too was an interim manager once
Helge Lindalen can look back at a long and exciting career. He has been CFO at Narvesen and CFO and Vice Group CEO of Bravida. But for the nine years before becoming CEO of the franchise-operated photo shop chain in 2011, Lindalen himself worked as an interim manager.
"I made a great number of new contacts and learned a lot about many new industries. The learning curve is steep for interim managers with hard work and focus as the criteria for success. As someone who has been seated on both sides of the table I can recommend interim management for both private and public sector companies that require quick access to qualified and experienced managers who can get stuck in for a shorter period until a permanent solution is in place," Lindalen concludes.
