interimCEO Publishes First Profile of Top Exec "Hired Guns" New Worldwide Network of Interim Execs Supplies the Data

Who are "interim" execs and what do they do? Until recently, not much data had been collected on this growing group of C-level executives-for-hire and how they work. The first detailed picture of this group--often thought of as "hired guns" brought in to fix a problem--has just been published in a white paper by interimCEO/interimCFO™, an international network for top-level executives who work on demand.

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Robert Jordan, founder of InterimCEO/InterimCFO

We're focused on delivering, not analyzing

Northbrook, IL (PRWEB) June 11, 2009

Who are "interim" execs and what do they do? Until recently, not much data had been collected on this growing group of C-level executives-for-hire and how they work.

The first detailed picture of this group--often thought of as "hired guns" brought in to fix a problem--has just been published in a white paper by interimCEO/interimCFO™, an international network for top-level executives who work on demand.

As to what kinds of assignments interim executives take on, these might include:

Opening a division in a new region or country
Launching a product or service
Guiding a start-up business through initial hurdles
Managing operations through a merger, acquisition or succession
Turning around and restructuring troubled companies or divisions

The white paper also contains insights about the dynamics of C-suite interim work. Based largely on interviews with the network's own interim executive members, the white paper makes the following key points:

Interim execs need to be quick studies, given the limited timeframes in which they must deliver results and operate effectively in an industry in which they may have little or no background.

Interim execs should be distinguished from consultants: "We're focused on delivering, not analyzing," points out interim CEO Brian Wygle, a network member who found his current CEO gig via the network.

Given their frequent role as change agents and the likelihood of surprises in every assignment, interim execs need a "high fortitude for chaos," as Anna Prata, a Houston-based attorney and interim CEO puts it. She also notes that interim execs typically work in teams, partly because "teams offer power in numbers", especially when big changes will be needed.

Cultural change requires a kind of emotional intelligence. For an interim assignment to be considered successful, an interim exec needs to be able to build or maintain a positive culture-- and leave it solidly in place when he exits, according to James Jones, an interim COO with The Executive Partners.

Interim work is not for everyone: "This kind of work demands that you be enterprising, think outside the box and abandon the old W-2 mentality," points out R.T. Burda, an interim CFO with a group called B2B CFO.

In the case of distressed or turnaround situations in particular, there are a variety of risks. Perhaps the biggest: "You take the assignment and then discover you can't turn things around," notes Wygle.

On the other hand, it's often the interim exec who is first to spot the "jewel in the mud"--the overlooked asset or value-creating process that will be instrumental in putting a company back on a solid financial footing.

One situation in which leaders should not hire interims is when the culture suggests there is so much defensiveness that failure is unavoidable. Network member Paul Travis, an interim CMO with OneAccord and author of the book "Leadership on Demand," quotes one COO as saying, "If you're an interim, your staff looks at you just like the child looks at the stepfather: 'You're not my daddy.'"

The Web-based interimCEO/interim CFO network, which serves this hitherto little-noticed group of professionals that has only emerged over the last decade in the U.S. workforce, is both a place for interim execs to post their credentials and a source of talent for firms looking to hire these plug-and-play executives.

After one year in beta, interimCEO/interimCFO's pre-launch membership is now well past the 1,300-member mark, with a majority of its members being CEOs, CFOs, and COOs, along with some CIOs and CMOs. About one-fifth of the network's members are non-U.S. execs, with a growing number based in Asia.

"We see the network growing in the short term to 10,000 members, and ultimately reaching 200,000 senior execs who take on project work," according to the network's founder and CEO Robert Jordan, who is himself an interim exec, having led a team of contract execs based in the Chicago area for twelve years.

"The majority of interim execs are solo operators, or they work within small groups of only two or three partners," Jordan points out. "As such, these professionals were asking for opportunities to collaborate, to meet more like-minded practitioners and ultimately to build their own capabilities and that of their teams."

Next in the works for interimCEO/interimCFO is the first national conference for interim executives, which the network is planning for early 2010. "We see conferences as another way to facilitate their networking, in addition to the free online network," says Jordan. For copies of the white paper, click here to download.

About interimCEO/interimCFO

The interimCEO/interimCFO Network is the free worldwide network for interim CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CROs, CIOs and CMOs.

The network was founded in 2007 by Robert Jordan as an open gathering place for interim execs; to help executives expand their online presence; and so that corporations could more easily find talent on demand.

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