Turnaround & Crisis Management
Turnaround: stabilise first, then rebuild.
Interim management for restructuring and crisis situations: when a department has lost its people, a programme has failed repeatedly or daily operations are faltering, I take charge — with a situation report in ten days and a plan that holds.
In a crisis, time is the scarcest resource. Every week without a decision costs customers, staff and the trust of owners and banks. A crisis manager for a defined period brings three things that are missing internally right now: an outside view, freedom from old loyalties, and the experience of having brought it home before.
How to recognise the crisis before it escalates
Most crises announce themselves. Looking back, I see these signals in almost every turnaround mandate:
- Key people resign — and their knowledge leaves with them.
- Deadlines slip for the third time, each time with a good reason.
- The reporting is green, but the business units are complaining.
- External providers set pace and priorities, not the company.
- Owners and the supervisory board are the last to hear about problems.
If two or three of these apply, a conversation is overdue — not because all is lost, but because there is still room to act.
My approach in four steps
- 1. Situation report in ten days. Conversations with the team, business units, suppliers and owners. Numbers, contracts, open risks. The result is an honest assessment: what can be saved, what cannot, what it costs.
- 2. Stabilise. Operations must run before they get better. Critical tasks are secured, departures stopped or compensated, the most important stakeholders get a reliable point of contact.
- 3. Rebuild. Structures, roles and partners are designed to hold without permanent crisis — leaner than before, with clear accountabilities and measurable service quality.
- 4. Hand over. Permanent leadership is found or developed from within the team, decisions are documented, reporting continues without me.
Example: a department without a team
A European building-materials group called me in 2021 when only one of seven IT staff was still in the building. Daily operations depended on luck; the parent company wanted answers. I took over as interim head of IT and Operations, secured operations first and then built a new structure: three staff plus external partners, a company-wide security concept, new network and cloud partnerships coordinated with the parent group. After eight months, service quality was measurably higher than before — at lower cost.
Example: a programme after three failed attempts
An Austrian mobile operator had started the integration of three billing systems three times and abandoned it three times; the planned duration of one and a half years had passed. I took over programme leadership in 2020 — and shortly afterwards a second project of equal size with the same immovable end date. No new team, no additional budget: both projects were finished two months ahead of schedule.
The lever was not technology but leadership: priorities that apply every day, conflicts that are named, and a status everyone trusts. If the crisis sits mainly in IT, you will find more depth under interim CTO / CIO.
Communicating with owners and the board
In a crisis, communication upwards decides over trust and room to act. My standard in every mandate:
- A written situation report after ten days, with options and a recommendation.
- A weekly one-page update: progress, risks, decisions needed.
- Unwelcome news immediately, not at the next meeting.
- Decision papers that a board without a technical background can judge.
When owners know what is going on, they give backing. That is the precondition for a turnaround to succeed. How I structure mandates in general is explained under interim management; further results are under references.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How quickly can a crisis manager start?
Within days. In crisis situations I cut scoping to the essentials — role, authority, reporting line — and begin the situation report while the agreement is being finalised.
What is the difference between turnaround management and restructuring advisory?
A restructuring adviser produces opinions and concepts, often for banks or courts. A turnaround manager leads the department or the company and executes. The two can complement each other: where needed I work with your advisers, lawyers and auditors — operational responsibility stays with me.
What does interim management in restructuring cost?
A day rate based on responsibility, scope and duration. Crisis mandates are more intensive than vacancy cover because the first weeks run at high presence. I quote terms after the intro call; the basics are on the process and terms page.
How long does a turnaround mandate take?
Usually six to twelve months. Stabilisation often succeeds within the first weeks; rebuilding sustainable structures and handing over to permanent leadership take longer. The end is reached when the department runs reliably without me.
What happens to the existing team?
In most crises it is the most important part of the solution. The people who stayed know the business. I give them priorities, backing and a goal — and make personnel decisions only once I have formed my own picture.
Contact
Let's talk about the situation.
A confidential intro call — before the room to act gets smaller. You describe the situation; I tell you what I see and what I would do.
Confidential and non-binding.