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Interim Executive

OVERVIEW

How Do We Work

Watermark's Interim practice is the pre-eminent Interim Executive practice in Australia.

Having started in 2009, we have dedicated interim partners who are passionate about solving our clients' problems through an interim solution and working with those choosing a Portfolio Career.

Key aspects of our interim executive service include:

We carefully select and vet our interim executives - they are senior executives with demonstrable track records of success.

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We support our interims on assignment, providing detailed feedback, proactively managing the relationship.

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Our knowledge of the interim marketplace means we have years of experience in ‘getting it right.’

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The collective experience and networks of our partners adds business intelligence.

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The majority of our interim executives are prepared to temporarily relocate to another state or territory.

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DOWNLOAD NOW

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Our analytic data on the Interim Executive market in Australia.

Download your copy of Watermark's Interim Executive Annual Survey today.

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KEEP UP WITH US

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Interim Webinars and Blogs

LEARN MORE

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About Interim

​Two of our partners, Caroline McAuliffe and Jacinta Whelan have written a book –The Rise of the Interim Executive. For any senior executive thinking about ‘what next’ for your career, what new opportunities exist and how to craft a longer, more fulfilling lifestyle, The Rise of the Interim Executive, A Guide to Navigating your Success is for you.

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The Rise of the Interim Executive is the first book to unlock the Interim Executive marketplace for executives. It provides insights, guidance, tips and case studies to help you proactively explore if being an Interim Executive is right for you and, more importantly, if you have the right mindset for it.

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Drawing from their experience in global Interim Executive Search, Jacinta Whelan and Caroline McAuliffe offer a simple framework based on three fundamental principles (Environment, Executive, Experience) to give you the tools to navigate the challenges and achieve success in the next phase of your career.​

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To read more about the book or buy, click here. If you would like to discuss your interim executive career please contact one of the team for a confidential discussion.

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Buy the Book

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Organisational structure - Business used to be shaped like a pyramid but then due to a global market place and changes like outsourcing, off-shoring and digitalisation, business is now shaped like a rocket. Contingent workers are the boosters – they augment a company’s workforce.

Demographics - Baby boomers are the largest population group and market forces have created an opportunity for them to stay engaged in meaningful work for longer. Additional supply in workers at the executive level is leading to a change in how we all work.

Intersection point between an excess supply of people at the executive level and leaner organisations created the portfolio professional.

Recent global events have presented leaders with a distinctive blend of challenges and empowering opportunities. We’ve grappled with a global pandemic, navigated complex economic shifts and embraced cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) in our daily lives and workplaces.

The future has arrived in the shape of a new economy for the Intelligence Age which is driving dramatic changes impacting the workforce.

The path forward involves reimagining leadership and implementing innovative and future-fit operational systems. We are also seeing a rising demand for organisations to infuse cultural purpose, values and meaning into their strategic decisions.

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In this ever-evolving work environment, Interim Executives play a pivotal role:

  • Interim Executives offer more than just experience; they embody flexibility, agility and adaptability to change. Their leadership transcends traditional boundaries, providing organisations with the dynamic guidance needed to thrive in an unpredictable world.

  • Interim Executives provide specialist skills on demand. The need for business reskilling is becoming far more relevant and important for organisations as talent shortages and the lack of specific skills in the marketplace force them to rethink their skills strategies.

Interim Executive has indeed become a significant and mainstream talent pool in the global labour market.


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MEET THE TEAM

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Our Interim Partners
Caroline McAuliffe

Caroline McAuliffe

Senior Partner

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Jacinta Whelan

Jacinta Whelan

Lead Partner, Melbourne

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Donna Burr

Donna Burr

Partner - Interim Executive, Melbourne

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Alex Brown

Alex Brown

Partner - Interim Executive

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Francesca Conquest

Francesca Conquest

Associate Partner - Interim

View profile
Pip Westhoff

Pip Westhoff

Associate Partner, Interim

View profile

Meet the Whole Team

When could you use an

Interim Executive?

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Recent global events have presented leaders with a distinctive blend of challenges and empowering opportunities. We’ve grappled with a global pandemic, navigated complex economic shifts and embraced cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) in our daily lives and workplaces.

The future has arrived in the shape of a new economy for the Intelligence Age which is driving dramatic changes impacting the workforce.

The path forward involves reimagining leadership and implementing innovative and future-fit operational systems. We are also seeing a rising demand for organisations to infuse cultural purpose, values and meaning into their strategic decisions.

In this ever-evolving work environment, Interim Executives play a pivotal role:

  • 1. Interim Executives offer more than just experience; they embody flexibility, agility and adaptability to change. Their leadership transcends traditional boundaries, providing organisations with the dynamic guidance needed to thrive in an unpredictable world.

  • 2. Interim Executives provide specialist skills on demand. The need for business reskilling is becoming far more relevant and important for organisations as talent shortages and the lack of specific skills in the marketplace force them to rethink their skills strategies.

Interim Executive has indeed become a significant and mainstream talent pool in the global labour market.

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Contact Us

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    We can solve your problem!

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    Our Interim business solves 3 client problems a week, on average

    Immediate problem solving

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    We will provide you with a shortlist of 2-4 immediately available, expert candidates within a matter of days

    Success rate

    97

    We have a 97% assignment completion rate

    Contingent workforce

    2025

    Some commentators are predicting a 25% increase in global contingent workforce participation by 2025

We can quickly solve your problem

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Typical timeline for Interim Executive Placements:

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​Day 1: Client briefing, define client needs​, develop assignment profile with detailed criteria to evaluate potential candidates.

Days 2-4: Shortlist presented to the client​ (typically this is between 2-5 candidates who meet the brief and are available at immediate or short notice.

Days 4-5: Client interviews with one or several of these readily available candidates.

Day 5: Client to confirm successful candidate, contract paperwork and compliance documentation can be completed by Watermark within 12-24 hours.

Day 6: Interim Executive to start on client assignment.

  • ​Wow and blown away!!! I was on the hunt for an immediately available Executive and working with Watermark was more than amazing. We have been more than pleasantly surprised by the quality of the candidate and the superior experience we received from the Watermark team. This is by far one of the most memorable and high standards I have experienced.

    Chief People & Culture Officer, Retail

  • ​Thank you for nailing the brief! I couldn’t have been more pleased with the calibre and capability of the candidates we were presented with, in such a quick time frame. They were exactly what we were looking (and hoping) for.

    CEO Australia, Junior Adventures Group

  • ​I am really appreciative of the work you have done in sourcing an Interim CFO and a leader for our NDIS business. The way you went about understanding the culture of our organisation and our needs was fantastic, as was the quality of the candidates you sourced. I know from talking to the successful candidates that they also felt well supported through the process... I felt your team listened and responded to our needs from the initial engagement to the end.

    Large NFP Provider of Community & Mental Health Services
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Why would I call Watermark Interim Executive?

  • You need a gap filled urgently

    🔹 Backfill a C-Suite role

    🔹 Caretaker role

    🔹 New business set up

    🔹 Restructure with an expert

    🔹 Unique skills for a point in time

    🔹 Interim to Permanent

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    You need a problem solved

    🔹 Business transformation

    🔹 Free up a senior leader

    🔹 Adding skills to the current executive team to help them deliver

    🔹 Capability or capacity not available in-house

    🔹 Grow an area of the business or the business as a whole

    ​🔹 Succession planning

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    You want to win the War for Talent

    🔹 Executives are reconsidering how they wish to work

    🔹 Rather than exiting the workforce completely, many more executives are now considering an Interim Executive career

    🔹 The Interim Executive pool brings a whole new cohort of talent to the market

    🔹 They have many years’ experience, deep subject matter expertise, are immediately available and ready to embed very quickly to transform organisations effectively

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Thinking of becoming an

Interim Executive?

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Why become a Watermark Interim Executive?

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🔹 You will have access to our networks and new interim opportunities, many of which are exclusive to us.

🔹 We support you fully when on assignment and provide fellowship through our networking/development events.

🔹 We will help you establish yourself as an interim executive.

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At Watermark we believe that Interim Executives have an edge in the market by remaining relevant. They actively pursue development opportunities such as courses, research, reading, networks, professional development, industry forums, and a variety of assignments and projects.

Two of our partners, Caroline McAuliffe and Jacinta Whelan have written a book –The Rise of the Interim Executive. For any senior executive thinking about ‘what next’ for your career, what new opportunities exist and how to craft a longer, more fulfilling lifestyle, The Rise of the Interim Executive, A Guide to Navigating your Success is for you. To read more about the book or to buy a copy, please click here.

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Contact Us Now

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Be prepared and successful

Make sure you’re properly prepared for your next Interim role with the below guides. Click on the appropriate link below to begin download:

  • ​Wow and blown away!!! I was on the hunt for an immediately available Executive and working with Watermark was more than amazing. We have been more than pleasantly surprised by the quality of the candidate and the superior experience we received from the Watermark team. This is by far one of the most memorable and high standards I have experienced.

    Chief People & Culture Officer, Retail

  • ​Thank you for nailing the brief! I couldn’t have been more pleased with the calibre and capability of the candidates we were presented with, in such a quick time frame. They were exactly what we were looking (and hoping) for.

    CEO Australia, Junior Adventures Group

  • ​I am really appreciative of the work you have done in sourcing an Interim CFO and a leader for our NDIS business. The way you went about understanding the culture of our organisation and our needs was fantastic, as was the quality of the candidates you sourced. I know from talking to the successful candidates that they also felt well supported through the process... I felt your team listened and responded to our needs from the initial engagement to the end.

    Large NFP Provider of Community & Mental Health Services

Mechanics of an Interim Assignment

  • ​The brief - client conversation

  • Shortlisting candidates - finding you and your superpowers

  • Speed of delivery - interim executives are immediately available

  • Rates, contracts, governance and onboarding - the ins and outs of the assignment

  • Check ins - we check in with you to make sure the assignment is going well

  • ​End of assignment communication - Discussion about ending the assignment or is an extension necessary?

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