Why should our organization consider using or hiring a professional interim executive?   Professional interim executives provide leadership when there is a gap between the departure of one executive and hiring a successor. Interim management provides the organization with short-term executive expertise when hiring a long-term employee is not feasible or advisable. Using a professional interim executive is appropriate when:

• The organization wants to assess and/or stabilize operations before beginning an executive search for a successor executive, so that the incoming executive can hit the ground running and focus on strategic issues;
• There is insufficient time to conduct an executive search, which typically takes 6 months or longer to complete;
• The successor executive will follow a long-term executive or "Founder;"
• The organization has major upcoming events or is undergoing a major transformation requiring an executive who can manage the change process; and,
• Moving an organization to or from an association management company or moving the association's headquarters.

Without effective transitional leadership, organizations may lose momentum making the successor executive's entry and tenure more difficult. For additional information, see "10 Reasons to Engage a Professional Interim Executive".