What does an interim manager cost?

The average day rate in German interim management was 1,318 euros in 2023, and the DDIM market study expects more than 1,350 euros for 2024. C-level rates sit above that, depending on role, duration and how many days a week are booked. A common rule of thumb is one percent of the target annual salary of a comparable permanent role. We settle the actual range in the first call.

How long does an interim mandate run?

8.5 months on average according to the DDIM market study 2024. Six to twelve months is normal. Shorter mandates from three months work when the purpose is tightly cut. On longer mandates the handover is planned in from the start.

How quickly can an interim manager start?

An enquiry is answered within 24 hours. Once the mandate is agreed, a start within one to two weeks is normal. In critical situations it goes faster, and the work then opens with a two to five day assessment.

What happens in the first 30 days?

First an assessment built on numbers, conversations and a look at the systems, then a target picture with prioritised measures, then delivery with a fixed reporting rhythm towards management and the board. Quick wins get named, but never at the cost of the work that carries the mandate.

When is an interim manager the better choice over a permanent hire?

When a leadership position is vacant and a permanent hire will take months, when a programme is stuck between departments, when the situation is critical and someone with decision authority is needed now, or when governance has to be built without the role being needed permanently.

Which roles does Steffen Herr take on?

CIO, COO, chief restructuring officer, board member ad interim, and programme or transformation lead. The focus is mid-sized companies in the DACH region, onsite, hybrid or remote, two to five days a week.

Do you also work through interim providers?

Yes. Mandates through providers such as Atreus, Management Angels, taskforce or Bridge imp are standard and run on their framework agreement. Direct mandates with companies work just as well.

How is the effect of a mandate measured?

Success criteria are set before the start, for example a project completion, a cost level, a lead time or the stabilisation of a specific figure. During the mandate a fixed reporting format runs, and at the end there is a handover that leaves the result standing without the interim manager.

What separates interim management from consulting?

A consultant recommends. An interim manager decides and carries the responsibility. Interim management means operational leadership for a fixed term, often with budget and staff responsibility, sometimes as a formal officer of the company.

How soon are you available?

Mandate enquiries answered within 24 hours. First call usually within 48 hours. Discovery starts one to two weeks after the mandate is agreed.

Onsite, hybrid or remote?

All three work. CIO and COO mandates usually need two to three onsite days a week. Coaching and advisory run mostly hybrid or remote.

Market day rates for C-level interim mandates. The range depends on scope, sector, region and how full the year already is. Terms are agreed individually when the mandate is defined.

Willingness to travel?

Anywhere in the DACH region. Southern Germany and Baden-Württemberg preferred. International mandates on request.

Minimum mandate and contract model?

Mandates from three months. Standard: a direct consulting contract. Through interim providers on their standard terms. NDA as a matter of course.

Typical situations

If one of these sentences describes your position.

Interim management rarely starts with a job description. It starts with a situation that will not wait.

The head of IT has left and the ERP project runs on

A permanent hire takes months, the rollout does not wait. An interim CIO takes over steering, board work and decisions until the permanent appointment is in place.

Interim CIO

The ERP programme is not moving

The timeline slips, the departments do not pull along, the vendor points at open decisions. What is missing is usually not technology but someone with the authority to decide.

Programme lead or interim CIO

The numbers arrive late and are wrong

Reporting nobody trusts turns steering into guesswork. First the data foundation and the reporting line, then the figures, then the decisions.

Interim COO or CIO

The bank wants to see a plan

When financing partners ask for clarity, speed and evidence count. Immediate measures, a liquidity view, an approach that holds up in the meeting.

Chief restructuring officer

Delivery performance is dropping

On-time delivery falls, rework rises, the team works on everything at once. Stabilisation while the business keeps running, without bringing the organisation to a halt.

Interim COO

There are no rules for who decides what

Roles, reporting lines and escalations are unwritten. Governance costs less than the tool bought instead of it.

Interim CIO or executive advisory

AI is supposed to arrive, but nobody knows where

A pilot without a process stays a pilot. First the process with a real benefit, then the model, then the rules for roles, risks and evidence.

Digitalisation and AI

None of these quite fits? Then we work it out in the dialogue or in the first call.

Zur Startseite

Interim management & C-level ad interim

C-level responsibility for a fixed term. Effect in quarters, not years.

Steffen Herr takes operational and strategic leadership responsibility as CIO, COO, board member or chief restructuring officer for a fixed term. A clearly defined purpose, fast effect, a handover that holds.

Straight to WhatsApp

Availability
Reply < 24 h
Mandate length
3–18 months
Days per week
2–5 days / week
Region
DACH · onsite · hybrid · remote

Days per week

Effect inside mandates

Reference case
Interim CIO, Telelift GmbH (2025)
As interim CIO at Telelift GmbH in 2025, Steffen Herr owned the IT strategy and the rollout of Microsoft Dynamics 365 for over 200 staff. Result: IT operating cost down 18 percent and a digitalisation roadmap through 2028.

−28%
IT cost
−35%
Time to market
+30%
Process efficiency
−25%
Lead time

Sectors worked in

Mid-marketBanking & financeMachineryTechConsulting

Available mandates

Six roles, clearly bounded.

Interim CIO

IT strategy, IT governance, digital execution and transformation steering. Building clear decision and steering structures.

IT roadmap & governance model
ERP rollout & cloud strategy
Stakeholders & steering up to board level
Change management for 200+ staff

Interim COO · operations transformation

Operational stabilisation, process improvement, delivery performance and lean management.

Value stream & process redesign
Lean & Hoshin Kanri
KPI and steering systems
Supply chain & operations

Chief restructuring officer (CRO)

Restructuring, reorganisation and cost-out under time pressure. Stabilising critical situations.

Immediate stabilisation
Cash & cost programmes
Reorganisation & structural reform
Stakeholder & bank communication

Board member · executive advisory

Strategic realignment, steering, stakeholder communication and decision architecture.

Strategy & target architecture
Board & steering reporting
OKR cascading
Sparring for CEO and managing directors

Transformation programme lead

Setting up a PMO, multi-project steering, prioritisation and governance rules for complex programmes.

PMO setup with RAID logs
3–12 sub-projects in parallel
Escalation matrix & OKR alignment
Programme reporting to steering

Executive coaching & sparring

Confidential support for managing directors, board members and key roles during change.

1:1 sparring · 60+ coachings
Conflict facilitation & mediation
Leadership development
Crisis and transition coaching

How a mandate starts

From the first call to the handover.

A
First call
30–60 min · purpose, situation, expectations, stakeholders. Possible within 24–48 h.
B
NDA & mandate outline
Confidentiality agreement, scope sketch, success criteria, stakeholder map and mandate briefing.
C
Contract & terms
Defined scope, period, days per week, day rate. Direct contract or provider construct.
D
Discovery (week 1–2)
Stakeholder interviews, current-state analysis, quick wins identified, steering routine established.
E
Effect (from week 3)
Operational responsibility, steering, reporting to board or sponsor, mandate adjusted as it runs.
F
Handover & follow-up
Knowledge transfer, structures anchored, documentation, the line enabled to carry on. Optional 60/90-day follow-up.

Contract models

Six ways of working together.

Interim mandate

Operational leadership for a fixed term. Own responsibility with a clear mandate definition.

3–18 months · 2–5 days / week · onsite, hybrid, remote

Executive advisory

Strategic advice and sparring at C-level without full operational responsibility.

Retainer or day rate · 0.5–2 days / week

Transformation lead / PMO

Programme responsibility including PMO setup and multi-project steering.

6–24 months · project-based · onsite + hybrid

Coaching & sparring

Confidential, solution-focused. DIN EN ISO 17024 · INQA coach (BMAS).

By the hour or as a mandate · discreet & protected

Through interim providers

Standard terms through interim providers (Randstad Professional, freelancermap, freelance.de).

Provider contract · provider day rate · DACH

Funded advisory (BAFA / INQA)

Funded advisory mandates for SMEs. BAFA certified (ID 193982) and INQA coach (BMAS).

Up to 80% funding · standard process · SME

Sectors & company settings

Machinery
Industry & manufacturing
Banking & financial services
Skilled trades
Services
Consulting
Mid-market, 25–500 staff
Owner-managed companies
Family businesses
Group subsidiaries

Common questions from recruiters and interim providers

Talk about an interim mandate.

First call within 24–48 h · DACH region · full profile on request.

E-Mail anfragen

Proof of authority

Interim executive for transformation, governance and digital execution.
20+ years in leadership, transformation and advisory roles.
13 years on the board. Interim mandates in IT, organisational and business transformation.
Works with mid-sized companies, technology-driven firms and complex change situations.

Role: C-level ad interim · interim CIO · transformation lead · board member for a fixed term
Focus: Business transformation · governance · organisational design · digital execution · restructuring
Responsibility: Led up to 150+ staff · multi-project environments · steering & stakeholder management
Working models: DACH · onsite · hybrid · remote · interim · advisory · sparring

15+
transformation and change mandates
IT transformation · PMO · governance · reorganisation · digitalisation · leadership
9
sector contexts
Machinery · banking · industry · trades · services · consulting · mid-market
150+
people supported in transformation and leadership settings
Management · department heads · project organisations · external partner structures

Selected areas of effect

Stabilising critical organisational and IT structures

Immediate effect in complex change situations where responsibility is unclear.

Building transparent decision and governance models

RACI, RAPID and steering structures with clear escalation and reporting paths.

Improving steering and prioritisation

KPI logic, OKR cascades and routines for the board, departments and operational teams.

Structuring complex project and transformation landscapes

PMO setup, multi-project steering, RAID logs and programme reporting.

Establishing strategy-to-execution that lasts

Target architecture down to sprint level. Strategy translated into delivery with commitment.

Enabling leadership and the line to carry on alone

Knowledge transfer, coaching and new structures anchored in the organisation.

Mandate focus

Interim CIO
IT strategy · governance · prioritisation · digital execution · transformation steering
Interim COO / operations transformation
Process improvement · lean management · delivery performance · operational stabilisation
Chief restructuring officer (CRO)
Restructuring · reorganisation · cost-out · stabilisation under time pressure
Board member / executive advisory
Strategic realignment · steering · stakeholder communication · decision architecture
Transformation programme management
PMO setup · multi-project steering · prioritisation · governance rules
Executive coaching & sparring
Management · leadership · conflict facilitation · clarity in decisions

How I work · CORE+ execution framework

01
Discovery & diagnosis
Analysis of critical structures, stakeholder interviews and assessment of operational bottlenecks.
02
Stakeholder alignment & mandate definition
Agreement with management, sponsors and key roles. Clear target pictures, expectations and boundaries of responsibility.
03
Target picture & roadmap
Workable target architectures, priorities and steering logic on a quarterly basis.
04
Governance & steering setup
Decision, escalation and reporting structures. Steering routines and clear ownership established.
05
Execution & performance steering
Hands-on transformation work with clear ownership, KPI tracking and decision routines.
06
Stabilisation & handover
Knowledge transfer, structures anchored, teams and leadership enabled to carry on.

Typical starting situations

Transformations lose speed.

Missing governance, unclear ownership and weak prioritisation block decisions.

Strategy never reaches delivery.

Without steering structures, strategy-to-execution does not happen.

Restructuring under time pressure.

Organisations need fast stabilisation, transparency and a basis for decisions that holds.

Digitalisation adds complexity.

ERP, process or tool rollouts run without enough stakeholder alignment.

Project landscapes become unsteerable.

Too many sub-projects, no prioritisation and unclear escalation paths slow delivery down.

Leadership loses its bearings during change.

Resistance, uncertainty and communication problems destabilise teams and ownership.

Verified & certified

BAFA certified management consultant · ID 193982
INQA coach · BMAS
Scrum.org · Professional Scrum Master I & II
Lean management qualification
Certified mediator
Business Transformation Expert (Chamber of Commerce)

References

Mandates that can be checked.

Sector, size, role and result. Company names and contacts are shared after clearing it with the client, not in public.

September to December 2025

Interim chief information officer

Sector: Machinery and intralogistics
Size: over 200 staff

Full responsibility for IT, rollout of Microsoft Dynamics 365 including migration and integration of the existing systems, governance built on SLA, RPO and RTO plus RACI.

Digitalisation strategy with a roadmap through 2028, IT operating cost reduced by 18 percent.

January to April 2026

Senior management consultant, digitalisation and organisational development

Sector: Manufacturing
Size: Mid-market

Four-month advisory mandate on digitalisation and organisational development.

Results are added once the mandate closes and the client has cleared them.

Further references

Documentation exists for mandates from thirteen years of board responsibility and more than 150 advisory projects. Reference contacts are named during a selection process, after clearing it with them.

Market

The market this mandate takes place in.

Interim management is a billion-euro market in the DACH region with steady demand. The figures below come from the studies of the two industry associations, not from our own estimate.

DDIM and AIMP draw the boundaries of the market differently and therefore report different volumes for the same year. Both figures stand side by side here rather than mixed together.

Market volume, Germany

Einheit: bn euros · DDIM market study 2024

Marktvolumen Interim Management Deutschland 2021 bis 2024 in Milliarden Euro, letzter Wert Prognose. Quelle: DDIM market study 2024
Year	bn euros	Type
2021	2.2	Actual
2022	2.5	Actual
2023	2.7	Actual
2024	2.9	Forecast

Prognose

Average day rate

Einheit: euros · DDIM market study 2024

Durchschnittlicher Tagessatz Interim Management Deutschland 2021 bis 2024 in Euro, letzter Wert Prognose. Quelle: DDIM market study 2024
Year	euros	Type
2021	1,229	Actual
2022	1,256	Actual
2023	1,318	Actual
2024	1,350	Forecast

Prognose

Utilisation of interim managers

DDIM market study 2024

142 T

163 T

162 T

Average mandate length

DDIM market study 2024

Common range six to twelve months

DACH volume 2024

3.09 Mrd.

Euro

Germany around 2.4 · Switzerland around 0.4 · Austria around 0.26 (rounded, study total 3.09)

AIMP market study 2025

Fee

The fee follows the DDIM market level for senior interim management. As a guide the association names one percent of the target annual salary of a comparable permanent role as the day rate. We settle the actual range in the first call, depending on role, duration, days per week and travel.

DDIM, fees in interim management

Put the fee in context

What does leadership for a fixed term really cost?

The German interim association DDIM gives one percent of the target annual salary of a comparable permanent role as a rule of thumb for the day rate. Set what the position would cost you permanently.

Target annual salary of the permanent role

€160,000

€90,000€300,000

Day rate, as a guide

€1,600

At 120 billed days

€192,000

Permanent role per year, including on-costs

€200,000

Department or programme responsibility

Typical for head of IT, operations or programme steering in mid-sized companies. The market average for senior interim was 1,318 euros a day in 2023, C-level above that.

Factor 1.25 for social contributions, holiday and absence, calculated conservatively.

A guide, not an offer. The actual rate depends on role, duration, days per week and travel, and is settled in the first call. DDIM, fees in interim management

Common questions

What clients want to know before the first call.

: The average day rate in German interim management was 1,318 euros in 2023, and the DDIM market study expects more than 1,350 euros for 2024. C-level rates sit above that, depending on role, duration and how many days a week are booked. A common rule of thumb is one percent of the target annual salary of a comparable permanent role. We settle the actual range in the first call.
: 8.5 months on average according to the DDIM market study 2024. Six to twelve months is normal. Shorter mandates from three months work when the purpose is tightly cut. On longer mandates the handover is planned in from the start.
: An enquiry is answered within 24 hours. Once the mandate is agreed, a start within one to two weeks is normal. In critical situations it goes faster, and the work then opens with a two to five day assessment.
: First an assessment built on numbers, conversations and a look at the systems, then a target picture with prioritised measures, then delivery with a fixed reporting rhythm towards management and the board. Quick wins get named, but never at the cost of the work that carries the mandate.
: When a leadership position is vacant and a permanent hire will take months, when a programme is stuck between departments, when the situation is critical and someone with decision authority is needed now, or when governance has to be built without the role being needed permanently.
: CIO, COO, chief restructuring officer, board member ad interim, and programme or transformation lead. The focus is mid-sized companies in the DACH region, onsite, hybrid or remote, two to five days a week.
: Yes. Mandates through providers such as Atreus, Management Angels, taskforce or Bridge imp are standard and run on their framework agreement. Direct mandates with companies work just as well.
: Success criteria are set before the start, for example a project completion, a cost level, a lead time or the stabilisation of a specific figure. During the mandate a fixed reporting format runs, and at the end there is a handover that leaves the result standing without the interim manager.
: A consultant recommends. An interim manager decides and carries the responsibility. Interim management means operational leadership for a fixed term, often with budget and staff responsibility, sometimes as a formal officer of the company.

A mandate to fill? An answer within 24 hours.

Availability, terms and fit settled up front. Directly, without detours.

Last updated: 27/08/2026