Whether as shareholder or manager, you are forced to confront a deteriorating situation that poses a short-term threat to the very existence of your company or of one of its subsidiaries.

What is the actual operational and financial status of the company? What emergency measures are in place and what are the alternative action plans available? What management resources may be deployed to overcome the crisis? How do you involve the various teams and reassure clients, suppliers, banks and managers?

How do we help you overcome such potential crisis. Within a matter of days we take control of the situation, under your supervision, ‘taking stock’ as quickly as possible. We start by offering recommendations, working with you to launch and implement an action plan that has been agreed by the company’s shareholders and other stakeholders, all the while making sure to communicate with the management team and employees.

Close to 40% of our interim assignments focus on crisis management on behalf of family-run businesses, companies acquired by private equity funds and subsidiaries of both European and worldwide companies. When tackling any of these issues, we rely on the cross-sector experience of our partners who are experts on the subject as well as our pool of skilled and seasoned stakeholders.

Some sample assignments

  • Recovery of a business involved in higher education
  • Continuity plan and partial divestiture of an internet company following acquisition by a private equity fund
  • Transport, family business: diagnosis and recovery
  • Specialised distribution, acquisition by private equity: reorganisation and takeover
  • Services cooperative: customer care crisis and reorganisation
  • Distribution consortium: social diagnosis and treatment
  • B2C services company: acquisition by private equity: employee policy
  • Pharmaceutical industry, subsidiary of international consortium: R&D crisis and reorganisation
  • Property market, acquisition by private equity
  • Industry, subsidiary in Eastern Europe, acquisition by private equity: recovery
  • E-commerce, subsidiary of family-run consortium: recovery
  • Renewable energy, subsidiary in Europe of family-run consortium: diagnosis and recovery
  • Family-run industrial company: diagnosis of problems and reorganisation
  • Transport, subsidiary in Europe of family-run company: recovery
  • Public sector building organisation, acquisition by private equity: diagnosis and recovery

Case study

Executive Interim Management assignment for a Managing Director of an e-commerce website in need of recovery

Background

  • Well-known non-food e-commerce company, subsidiary of large consortium
  • Company failing to meet strategic expectations of its shareholder and experiencing significantly reduced performance levels with serious operational difficulties
  • After existing Managing Director failed to resolve problems, company was forced to make urgent decisions in order to overcome the crisis before it could addresss changes to its share capital

Exec Avenue’s engagement

Exec Avenue recommended hiring an Executive Interim Manager to overcome the crisis.

The assignment roadmap comprised the  following steps:

  • Assume immediate full general operational management of the company
  • Identify any urgent measures
  • Provide shareholder with overview of situation, initial recommendations and draft action plan
  • Implement chosen action plan
  • Support shareholder through divestiture
  • Support buyer as long as necessary until recruitment of new permanent management team

Results

After 14 months:

  • The company’s performance stabilised and its operational difficulties were resolved
  • The divestiture was completed and successful
  • After a few weeks of support, the new shareholder took charge of operational management