26 March 2024
On March 19, we had the privilege of hosting a gathering of interim managers within the Higher Education sector. The night was filled with insightful discussions, networking opportunities, and valuable presentations. If you weren’t able to attend, we’ve collated the highlights of the night.
Catch up with old colleagues, connect with new ones and deepen your relationship with AQ.
The event kicked off with a warm welcome from Claire Carter, Partner at Anderson Quigley. Claire extended her gratitude to the attendees, acknowledging both familiar faces and newcomers from various disciplines and universities across the country. She introduced her colleagues, the Anderson Quigley team, who ensured everyone felt at home throughout the evening.
Speaker Highlights
The evening featured two speakers who shared their expertise with the audience. Helene Usherwood, Senior Partner at Anderson Quigley, provided valuable insights into building a Non-Executive Director (NED) portfolio. Her presentation offered practical advice for interim managers looking to expand their horizons beyond traditional roles.
Following Helene, Tony Evans, Chair of the Institute of Interim Management (IIM), enlightened the audience about the annual survey conducted by the institute. This survey, now in its 15th year, serves as a vital resource for understanding trends in the interim market. Tony emphasised the growing representation of the Higher Education sector in the survey and encouraged increased participation from interim managers in this space when the survey launches next month.
Networking Tips and Tricks
In addition to the presentations, attendees were treated to valuable networking tips from Claire. She shared a simple yet effective method for keeping track of contacts using LinkedIn QR codes, facilitating seamless connections and follow-ups post-event.
Insights into the Interim Market
One of the highlights of the evening was Claire’s insightful discussion on the current state of the interim market in Higher Education. She highlighted the increasing demand for interim managers, particularly in change-related roles. Claire emphasised the pivotal role interim managers play in guiding universities through periods of transition and strategic realignment.
This may not come as a surprise considering the economic landscape that the HE sector faces. But as many universities start to report huge losses, the use of interim managers is emerging as a strategic and cost-effective solution.
We see this translate into interim requirements, such as:
Change in target operating model – The types of roles we have had here range from pan university to departmental changes to increase efficiencies, remove duplication and ensure operations are running at the optimum rate.
Project & Programme Management – Covering, marketing, finance, PMO set up and everything in between.
Organisational design skills – discreet projects of work to align top tables following restructures and / or departures.
Marketing and Student recruitment –The focus here has been on student numbers and creating a more customer centric approach.
Finance – Critical gap fill and financial recovery.
These are just a few of the areas we see in demand at the moment.
Turning Adversity into Advantage
Drawing from her recent article, Claire underscored the potential for interim managers to help universities turn adversity into advantage. By offering strategic guidance and operational expertise, interim managers can support institutions in implementing change and achieving long-term sustainability.
The interim management networking event was a resounding success, fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and professional growth within the Higher Education sector. We look forward to future gatherings and the continued exchange of ideas and expertise. If you’d like to be included in future events or learn more about becoming an interim candidate with Anderson Quigley, please contact Claire Carter.
