Key takeaways
- Whether an interim mandate works is often decided before day one: in the mandate, the authority granted and a well-prepared start.
- The mandate sets out in writing the goals, role, authority, working model and the criteria for recognising the end of the mandate.
- Providers handle search and preselection, while with direct engagement you talk from the start to the person who will lead the mandate.
- The contract should cover scope, fees, term, confidentiality and insurance cover, plus powers of attorney and signing authority early on.
Contents
Whether an interim mandate works is often decided before the first working day: in a clearly defined mandate, in settled authority and in a start that quickly gives access to people, figures and decisions. This guide walks through the process from the perspective of shareholders, advisory boards and management – step by step.
01The process at a glance
Engaging an interim manager can happen quickly. To keep speed from coming at the expense of clarity, this sequence has proved its worth:
- Clarify the mandateClarify the mandate internally: define goals, role, authority and framework.
- Initial conversationHold an initial conversation and check whether experience and working style fit.
- Choose the routeChoose the route: direct engagement or via a provider.
- Contract & appointmentSign the contract and – for a statutory officer role – prepare the appointment.
- Prepare the startPrepare the start: briefing, access and an announcement within the company.
- Lead & reportLead and report: the first weeks with a fixed status rhythm.
- Orderly handoverPlan the handover and bring the mandate to an orderly close.
02Defining the mandate clearly
The mandate is the most important basis for working together. It does not have to be a long document, but it should answer these points in writing:
What should have been achieved by the end of the mandate? Three concrete results are better than a long list of tasks.
Which position does the interim manager take on – managing director, CEO or COO, for example – and who do they report to?
What can they decide alone, and what needs the approval of the shareholders or advisory board? Unclear authority slows down every mandate.
The duration often cannot be fixed precisely at the outset. That makes it all the more important to agree how you will recognise the end – a successor in place, a completed project or a stabilised situation, for example.
On site, hybrid or remote – and with how much presence in the first weeks?
03The initial conversation: what matters
In the initial conversation, both sides check whether there is a fit. Beyond the CV, what counts is how the other person thinks about your specific situation. Useful questions:
- Which comparable situations has the candidate been responsible for – and with what result?
- How would they approach the first weeks, and what do they need from you to do so?
- Which risks do they see in your situation that you have not yet mentioned yourself?
- How do they envisage the handover at the end of the mandate?
- Can referees confirm the results and the handover?
Practical tip
In the initial conversation, ask how the candidate would approach the first weeks and how they envisage the handover – the answers tell you more than any CV.
04Direct or via a provider?
An interim provider handles the search and preselection from its network and is usually your contractual partner. This helps if you do not know a suitable candidate or want to compare several profiles.
You sign the contract with the interim manager yourself. From the start, you talk to the person who will lead the mandate – with no intermediary.
Both routes are well established. What matters is not the route, but that experience, availability and working style fit your situation. Schneiders Ventures works directly, with no provider in between.
05Contract and cover
The basis is usually a service or consultancy agreement. At a minimum, it should cover these points:
- Scope of services, role and reporting line – ideally with a reference to the written mandate.
- Fee model, travel expenses and invoicing.
- Term, extension and notice.
- Confidentiality and the handling of documents and data.
- Liability and insurance cover, at C-level in particular D&O insurance.
Also clarify representation rules, bank mandates and signing authority early on, so that the interim manager can act from day one.
06Start, status rhythm and handover
Have current figures, plans, the organisation chart, ongoing projects and pending decisions ready – and say openly where things are stuck.
Systems, reports, banking portals and calendars should work on day one, not a week later.
The leadership team and workforce hear from you who is coming, with what remit and for what period. This builds acceptance.
A fixed meeting with shareholders or the advisory board – frequent at first, less often later – keeps goals, progress and pending decisions visible.
Who takes over after the mandate? The sooner that is clear, the more precisely the interim manager can align structures, documentation and team with it.
07In practice
At Klugo, the legal tech company of the DEVK Group, Jens Schneiders took on overall operational responsibility as interim COO in a hybrid set-up – together with three managing directors and in close coordination with DEVK as parent company. Together with management and the team, he built sound role and decision-making structures and, at the end of the mandate, handed them over so that management and the team can continue them independently.
Jens Schneiders
Interim CEO for mid-sized companies, scale-ups and corporate ventures. Transformation. Restructuring. Stabilization. Handover.