Meet the best Interim Managers in Germany matched in minutes from over 15,000 CVs with the power of AI.
Access experienced executives for restructuring, post-merger integration, and sudden leadership vacancies. We ensure fast, precise matching with vetted, available freelance managers to stabilize your operations and drive strategic change.
About the role
Demands on modern leadership in Germany
The German business landscape faces rapid shifts, from digital transformation in the Mittelstand to restructuring in classic manufacturing sectors. Companies frequently encounter critical gaps due to sudden departures, planned transitions, or sudden market disruptions. In these high-stakes situations, traditional recruitment takes too long to address immediate operational risks.
When to deploy an external leader
A freelance executive enters an organization with a clear mandate, bringing objective outside perspectives without internal political bias. They are typically hired to manage specific phases that require specialized expertise or immediate action.
- Sudden departure of a C-level executive or department head
- Restructuring, turnaround, or insolvency management
- Large-scale post-merger integration and corporate alignment
- Launching major strategic programs or digital transformation initiatives
- Bridging leadership gaps during long-term recruitment processes
Key skills and operational toolkit
Effective leaders in this field combine functional expertise with rapid diagnostic skills. They must assess complex situations within days, align stakeholders, and implement decisions without hesitation. Their toolbox includes agile framework mastery, change management methodologies, and deep financial acumen. In Germany, navigating co-determination and working closely with works councils is also a vital competency for driving organizational change smoothly.
Delivery and collaboration model
Most projects require a heavy on-site presence at first to build trust, understand the local company culture, and lead teams effectively. Once operations stabilize, a hybrid model combining remote strategic work and on-site alignment is common. This approach ensures maximum efficiency while keeping close contact with local operations and decision-makers in German headquarters.
Meet FRATCH Interim Managers
Beate Peters
Interim Head of Service
Last position:
Interim Head of Service at Altendorf Group
- Strategic and operational leadership of the technical service organization
- Improvement of all processes and workflows
- Development and introduction of a service management IT tool incl. AI database, customer app, and self-service portal
Alwin G.
Head of IT
Last position:
IT Interim Manager & AI Strategist
- AI product development: Design of an AI-supported GRC platform to automate compliance processes.
- AI expertise: Strategic deepening in Agentic AI and GenAI as a core asset for modern IT governance
- IT interim management and strategic consulting
Marco Steidel
IT Interim Manager | Interim CIO | Transformation Lead | IT Project Manager & Program Manager | Digital Advisory Board Member
Last position:
IT Interim Manager & Digitalization Consultant at paarprojekt GmbH
- Project management and consulting services with a focus on IT interim management: digitalization of business management including processes and applications
- Assessment of the entire IT infrastructure including applications, core processes, and contracts, including cost optimization
- Evaluation and implementation of solutions to advance digitalization in the company in the areas of: property management, CRM, invoice review and approval processes, smart metering, DMS, time tracking
- Digitization of filing cabinets and introduction of SharePoint and Microsoft Teams as central document and communication platforms
- Design and delivery of an AI workshop including rollout of AI tools to increase efficiency and transparency in key business processes
- Creation of training materials and delivery of user training for newly introduced digital processes and solutions
Sabine Liberty
Expert & Interim Manager B2B Communications, Change Communications, Content Creation
Last position:
Communications consultant for crisis communication/issue management at AQIM – Association for Quality in Interim Management
Planning, execution & moderation of crisis communication and reputation management
AQIM is a non-profit organization based in Austria. An association of interim managers from Germany and Austria. Founded in December 2024. Multi-part training with workshops and consulting for preventive crisis communication, in cooperation with the founding members and those responsible for communication. To assess crisis potential for the market entry strategy and ahead of a digital campaign.
The project in a nutshell:
Consulting and training for the purpose of:
- Analysis of crisis potential as a new market entrant and its internet-based communication activities
- Planning and developing crisis communication with targeted measures
- Developing a crisis plan to minimize reputation risks in an emergency
- Conducting training and information sessions
Success:
- What started as a one-time consulting event for preparing an information campaign became a multi-part workshop on preventive crisis communication. This not only gave the organization expertise and confidence in the event of acute challenges, but also gave the participating interim managers new skills for their day-to-day work on assignments
- The workshop enabled those responsible to launch the information campaign that was being prepared at the time and planned for six months, as scheduled at the end of January 2026 on social media
- Careful scheduling and defining how to handle critical voices in terms of terminology and tone, as well as compliance rules, ensured a smooth start and run of a 3-month information campaign
Serkant Türemiş
Interim Manager Finance & Controlling
Last position:
Interim Manager, License Controlling at Tonies GmbH
- Prepared and reviewed quarterly royalty settlements for licensors across music, publishing and media brands, including minimum guarantees, recoupment, returns reconciliation and process optimisation.
- Reconstructed historical licensing data for an external audit by a major US studio, covering music publishing and recorded music across ROW and AUS, and coordinated the resulting statements with the licensor.
- Supported the reconciliation of music royalties with the German collecting society and its international hub for 2018 to 2024.
- Assessed licensing data for accruals and provisions, and structured metadata for contract negotiations.
- Designed target processes and SOPs for a royalty automation tool and accompanied testing during rollout.
Christian Florschütz
Interim Manager Customer Service, AI, ESG | Expert for Customer Satisfaction, Revenue and Sustainability
Last position:
Freelance Interim Manager, Head of Operations & Service at DK Household Brands
- Stabilization of customer service, logistics and order processing during a transformation phase
- Management of the international warehouse relocation from Switzerland to Germany
- Optimization of processes and reduction of manual steps in day-to-day operations
- Coordination of international stakeholders to ensure on-time delivery of strategic projects
Firas Jradi
IT Governance & IT Compliance Expert
Last position:
Interim Management Group Head of IT Governance & IAM at French-German Private Bank
- Head of the group-wide, international, and cross-functional IT Governance & IAM department within the central IT division of a large French-German private banking group. Disciplinary management of around 30 employees at five different locations within the group (Frankfurt, Paris, Tunis, Saarbrücken, Düsseldorf). Head of IT committees and key role in direct communication with management, the supervisory board, external stakeholders, and regulators.
- Definition and establishment of a state-of-the-art IT strategy process and related IT governance structures for the group's IT department with more than 600 employees (testified by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority and the ACPR) and successful process run.
- Establishment of a new future-oriented process framework for IT and necessary governance structures (process squads) for the continuous improvement of IT processes with regard to new regulatory requirements (including DORA, EU AI Act, etc.).
- Establishment of stringent processes to close a historical backlog of findings (> 100 IT findings, 40 overdue findings in 2022) from internal and external auditors (WP, ACPR, BaFin). Successful reduction of stock of overdue findings to 0 at the end of 2025.
- Supporting more than 20 IT audits per year and establishment of regulatory monitoring processes. Introduction of ServiceNow to revolutionize regulatory change and IT compliance processes with advanced AI functionalities.
- Realignment of IT control processes in conjunction with the newly established ICT risk function under DORA and the three lines of defense concept using the TopEase GRC solution.
- Reduction of the application landscape, by systematically analysing the purpose with application and business owners, identifying duplicates while implementing a One-Tool Strategy throughout the group. Successful reduction of one third of the application landscape within the CMDB.
- Onboarding of all group applications into One Identity's group-wide IAM solution, as well as operation and further development of the solution in connection with segregation of duties (SoD), role-based access management (RBAC), etc.
Robert Karash
Interim Manager | Group Leader in the IT Operations & Digitalization Division "Databases, Operations & Support" (DOS)
Last position:
Interim Manager | Group Leader in the IT Operations & Digitalization Division "Databases, Operations & Support" (DOS) at Landwirtschaftliche RentenBank
- Technical leadership and further development of a team of 28 IT staff (internal & external) in the areas HelpDesk/HelpLine, RHEL (Red Hat), MUREX (trading system & applications), SAP basis operations
- Managing external service providers (including FI-TS for SAP basis operations)
- Personnel, resource and budget planning for the IT department and projects
- Introducing and establishing regular communication formats (weekly status meetings, team and cross-department meetings)
- Ensuring application operations in a hybrid environment (Windows/Linux with database and web/application servers)
- Supporting transformation projects to modernize the application landscape (e.g. DevOps approaches)
- Setting up and implementing a digital IT procurement for hardware & software (e.g. with DELL)
- Developing and managing the "IT Operations DOS" department based on corporate strategy
- Preparing management reports & decision papers on IT projects, optimization potential and automation opportunities
- Representing the department in the advisory boards of the Rentenbank and ensuring regulatory compliance (BaFin §44, GDPR, BSI, MaRisk)
Andreas Schott
Interim Manager / Consultant
Last position:
Interim Manager / Consultant at BTC AG
- Support in steering complex projects in agile, classic, and hybrid environments
- Setting up and implementing governance structures for clear roles, responsibilities, and decision paths
- Designing and moderating workshops (e.g. kick-offs, retrospectives, lessons learned)
- Developing and introducing standardized processes and templates for project, portfolio, and change management
- Supporting companies in their development toward agile or autonomous structures
- Analyzing and improving cooperation between line organization, project management, and operations
- Introducing role profiles and competency models for new ways of working
- Developing guiding principles for decision-making (e.g. based on company strategy, profitability, customer focus)
- Moderating conflict discussions and decision-making meetings between stakeholders
- Developing and applying guidelines for communication in change processes
- Supporting managers with feedback and reflection formats
- Visual preparation of complex topics for management decisions
- Developing use cases for AI-supported automation in project work
- Supporting the evaluation and introduction of digital tools to improve processes
- Operational responsibility for Citrix & AD/Access: ensuring stable IT operations incl. incident management, handovers, and quality assurance in day-to-day business
- Eliminating operational gaps through clear separation of responsibilities between BTC, BITS, and service providers
- Carrying out a structured gap analysis of existing service descriptions, make-or-buy decisions, and role clarification with KPI anchoring
- Escalation management with fast intervention in case of conflicting goals and unclear responsibilities
Ralf Roßkopf
Project and Interim Manager Marketing | CRM | CX
Last position:
Program and Campaign Management at PAYBACK GmbH
- Project management in the area of "Campaign, Offer and Performance Management Classic" for PAYBACK partners from the retail, FMCG and financial services sectors
- Campaign planning, development and implementation of offer-specific concepts and measures for the channels newsletter, digital advertising (web and app), stand-alone mailings and the print mailing "PAYBACK points overview"
- Coordination with PAYBACK program partners (including American Express, Netto, EDEKA, Marktkauf & Trinkgut), PAYBACK specialist departments and agencies
- Documentation of tasks and processes as well as onboarding of the future role holder
Klaus Zwingel
Head of HR, Machinery and Plant Engineering
Last position:
Head of HR, Machinery and Plant Engineering at Interim Management (freelance)
- Acting as a professional sparring partner for management and leaders on HR topics
- Advising employees on HR matters
- Maintaining department capability during transition
- Analyzing weaknesses in the performance appraisal process
- Integrating the SAP appraisal tool
- Negotiating and organizing short-time work
- Analyzing and consolidating employment contracts
- Preparing references and recruiting
- Advising on organizational development
Philip Scott
Interim Management - OPEX, BPM, LEAN CI, Quality
Last position:
Interim Management - OPEX, BPM, LEAN CI, Quality at SCOTTSPOT
Thomas Wüst
EXECUTIVE INTERIM MANAGER
Last position:
Interim Sales Manager at Inovan GmbH & Co. KG
Situation:
- Declining revenue
- Need for support in identifying and opening up new sales markets
TASK:
- Expand the B2B network and develop new strategic partnerships to open up additional sales opportunities and new markets.
MEASURES:
- Identification and approach of potential B2B customers and partners
- Expansion of existing contacts in the market environment
- Development of new strategic partnerships
- Customer and market discussions mostly in the field
- Support in opening up new sales opportunities
RESULTS:
- B2B network expanded in a targeted way
- new strategic partnerships initiated
- additional market and sales potential made visible
- stronger presence with customers through personal market work
Jürgen Kasch
Management Consultant · Interim Manager, Cloud & IT Service Management (freelance)
Last position:
Interim Management / Business Succession – Process Analysis & Stakeholder Management
As part of the preparation and operational support of a business succession:
- Company analysis: Analysis of the overall economic, organizational and structural situation (current state, strengths/weaknesses, risk potentials)
- Process analysis: Recording and documentation of all relevant business processes (BPMN, UML) in the areas of management, finance, procurement, sales and operations
- Process optimization: Identification of weaknesses and inefficiencies, development and operational implementation of improvement measures
- Stakeholder management: Identification and analysis of all relevant internal and external stakeholders; structured communication and coordination with previous and future owners, shareholders and employees
- Change management: Supporting the workforce and management through the handover process; building acceptance and trust among all participants
- Governance & documentation: Creation and handover of structured operation manuals, process documentation and organizational handbook for the new business owner
- Risk & vulnerability analysis: Assessment of operational and strategic risks in the handover process and development of recommended actions
- Operational support: Interim takeover of leadership tasks; ensuring business continuity during the transition phase
Georg Hüwel
Independent Consultant & Interim Manager
Last position:
Independent Consultant & Interim Manager at RTB Consult
- Corporate management, business consulting and interim management in leadership, general-, business-, change management & transformation, e2e supply chain, procurement
- Building the go-to-market and sales organization of a software company to launch a new HR ERP solution
- Supporting investor search for a legal tech start-up offering AI-based software for law firms
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Interim Managers statistics
Typical experience
102 years
Average project duration
5.4 years
Certifications per freelancer
3
Top business areas
Project Management, Strategy, Operations
Top industries
Professional Services, Manufacturing, Information Technology
Most common languages
German, English, French
Bachelor's degree or higher
83%
Master's degree or higher
50%
Doctorate
11%
Salary / Daily Rate Distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this role are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge within that range. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Average rates for Interim Managers & Seniority distribution
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Frequently Asked Questions
Need clarity? Check out our simple overview of FRATCH
While a consultant primarily analyzes problems and suggests strategies, an interim manager takes active operational responsibility for implementing those strategies. They step directly into a line function or project lead role, make executive decisions, and are fully accountable for the final results.
Because these professionals are highly specialized and accustomed to rapid onboarding, a seasoned interim leader can usually start within a few days. In Germany, local availability allows them to be on-site quickly to handle urgent corporate crises or sudden leadership vacancies.
They are heavily utilized in manufacturing, automotive, logistics, and technology sectors undergoing transformation. An interim executive is also highly sought after in healthcare and retail during restructuring or digital migration phases.
Hiring a freelance interim specialist provides immediate access to overqualified talent for a defined period without long-term overhead costs. This setup avoids complex severance packages and allows organizations to solve specific, short-term challenges with a highly focused mandate.
Experienced interim managers in Germany possess deep knowledge of local labor laws and have extensive experience working with works councils. They prioritize open communication and transparent negotiations to secure buy-in from all stakeholders during organizational transitions.
You should evaluate an interim professional based on their track record of successfully completed projects in similar situations rather than just their academic credentials. Look for strong crisis management skills, active leadership experience, and immediate availability.
While the primary goal of an interim manager is to resolve a specific crisis or bridge a temporary gap, some assignments do evolve into permanent placements. However, most top-tier freelance leaders prefer the variety and challenge of rotating project-based assignments.
The collaboration model depends on the project phase, but an interim director usually works on-site during the initial diagnostic and stabilization phase. Once teams are aligned and processes are running smoothly, they often transition to a hybrid schedule.
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Philipp Thomaschewski
FRATCH CEO
