“Expert, please take over!”

Temporary employment in the context of private equity is becoming increasingly prevalent. There are several reasons why this is happening, and what it means.

The private equity sector is booming. According to the ‘Deutsche Beteiligungs AG’, over 5 billion euros were invested in purchasing 47 German companies, in the last year. The goal of the investors is to increase the value of the companies, to be able to sell them at a profit. Investors look for attractive cost-benefit ratios with potential for development. Investors are increasingly relying on the expertise of interim managers. Ulrich Lehmann knows of such relationships from his own experience. He says “The placement of interim managers in the private equity sector is a growing segment. Interim managers are tailored for the requirements that this segment brings. Creating an increase in value in the limited frame of time between purchase and resale, is a task that interim managers are uniquely suited for.”

Added value over the entire lifecycle of a deal

Even before a purchase, interim managers can be a valuable asset to private-equity investors. Due to their extensive cross-industry knowledge, interim managers can provide insights into company potential throughout the due diligence process. After the purchase interim managers bring a set of core competences and accompany the so called ‘100 Day’ or ‘Full Potential’ program of the investors. During this phase typical projects concern themselves with product and sales innovation, cost optimization, and reduction of tied up capital. “Thanks to interim managers the investors can work together with a strong team whose focus lies on improving the performance of the company and increasing the return on investments”, explains Ulrich Lehmann. Furthermore, the change management knowledge that interim managers possess can prove invaluable to the private equity sector.

Also, before the sale of a company the input of an interim manager is valuable. “Interim managers can help optimize the sale of a company with their knowledge of evaluative measures”, says Ulrich Lehmann. He then adds “Finance investors should be aware of interim managers and the skill sets they bring. Cooperating with them pays off.”

Foto: iStock.