Interim management is the appointment of an experienced senior leader, for a defined period, to run part or all of a business. The distinction that matters most is accountability: an interim manager holds the role, makes the decisions and carries the results, where a consultant produces recommendations for someone else to implement.
UK businesses typically reach for interim management in one of three situations. The first is a gap — a general manager, operations director or regional manager has left and the business cannot wait three to six months for a permanent hire. The second is pressure — trading is deteriorating, a lender is asking questions, or the business has entered a formal process. The third is change — an acquisition, a disposal, a growth push or a site opening that needs experienced hands.
Cost is usually simpler than people expect. An interim is engaged on a day rate or a fixed monthly fee, with no recruitment commission and no long-term employment liability. Against the cost of a poor permanent hire, or of a quarter of drifting performance, the arithmetic is generally straightforward.
The best assignments have a defined end point from the start. A good interim stabilises the business, improves what can be improved inside the window, documents the operating rhythm and hands over to a permanent leader who can keep it running.