Kevin Briggs

Interim Financial Management

Key Staff Replacement or Backfilling

No-one in a company is irreplaceable, but when a key member of staff is absent whether it’s through illness, maternity, a big project needs backfilling or simply because an opportunity with another organisation cannot be turned down, there is a pressing need to replace that individual with someone who can hit the ground running. Even when there is a reasonable notice period before the staff member leaves, it’s usually a last-minute attempt to "get a temp".

Now, whether you consider the word "interim" to have a meaning or whether you regard them as all temps doesn't matter, but my understanding of the word "interim" means:

You can expect them to hit the ground running. They can be relied upon to have excellent controllership, business and team skills who are used to establishing internal as well as external networks and can learn quickly how the organisation works

· They are likely to trade through their own limited company or through an umbrella company, so you don't have to worry about putting them on the books, working time directives, or the taxman.

· An interim is likely to be insured

· The interim is likely to have a range of other skills at their disposal from which the business will gain (possibly unexpected) value

· Unlike a temp, an interim will see the assignment through and won't leave because they've just landed a permanent job.

I’ve completed 10 key staff replacement assignments (out of 20 assignments in total) at either director or controller level. A complete list of my assignments and the level of seniority is as follows:


Director	Controller	Project work & nature

Trutex	Royal Free NHS Trust	St Neots Packaging	Cash flow and margin consultant
Fiddes Payne	Olympic Delivery Authority	Abbey Bank	Divestment
SMF Displays	London Development Agency	J Sainsbury	Business integration
TTML	Oxfordshire County Council	Torex Retail	Business integration
TCI		Digipos Group	Business integration
Automatic Minibars		Bookham Technology	Business integration
		Anchor Trust	Year-end work
		Blackwell Publishing	Year-end work
		BP Fuels Marketing	Business integration
		Acco Europe	Year-end work