Interim Management in China - Foreign Executives have been working in China and Asia for decades.

Originally on expatriate contracts, a high number of them have now decided to st ay in China. This is either done by renewing their contract, making the transiti on over to another company or by using their experience and expertise in an Inte rim role. In China, there is only a small group of senior interim turnaround professionals with the experience and track record to make a difference. The best aren't easy to find or attract these individuals are always in demand, since there are alwa ys both local and foreign invested companies struggling, regardless of the state of the market. Mick McGeehan, Managing Director of Interim Management Solutions, says that the d emand for temporary assignments of highly experienced executives is dramatically increasing. Whether the term Interim Management is used or not, temporary exec utives with 10+ years experience are extremely valuable in Chinas current economi c climate. He continues, when tough decisions need to be made, a fresh pair of eye s is an excellent way to ensure challenges are seen from the right perspective. This, I believe, is one of several key reasons for the sudden increase in deman d. The vast majority of Interim Managers working in China are foreign and currently there are very few Chinese Interim Managers carrying out regular assignments. T his could be due to a number of reasons. Firstly, Chinese society extols the vir tues of security the irregular nature of an Interim Managers income and the lack of long term contracts certainly wards off a number of would be Interim Managers . Secondly, experienced Chinese managers who are already secure financially are usually in their late 50s - some of these managers may have limited English langu age skills which would make them less appealing to MNCs in China. Nevertheless, there are a number of Chinese in their late 30s to early 40s who are adventurous, entrepreneurial and interested in becoming Interim Managers. One function in China that seems to be attracting a burgeoning number of Interim Managers is in Human Resources. A growing number of HRDs are looking to provid e consulting or training services on a project or freelance basis, rather than b eing tied down to long term contracts. Interim assignments are therefore appeali ng given the greater flexibility and control over ones working life they can prov ide. A typical Interim assignment can last from six months to over two years. An exam ple wold be an Interim Manager named John, a British citizen and a highly experi enced IT Professional, providing IT Project Direction and Management, with over 15 years experience in the IT field of which 3 years were working in China (main ly Beijing &; Shanghai). He has vast experience with Microsoft Systems and has e ven managed the relocation of an entire IT division to a new facility in the UK. He carried out an assignment for Interim Management Solutions as Director of Inf ormation Technology for a textile company based in Nanjing, Jiangsu province whe re his main KPI was to specify and deliver a new ERP system. John s hands-on experience proved invaluable in bringing the company s IT infras tructure up to the required standards necessary prior to rolling out a successfu l ERP platform. Being able to adapt and provide solutions not in the original as signment are all part of the skill set of an Executive Interim. Interim Management Solutions (IMS), based in Shanghai, is the leading provider o

f Interim Management services in China. Dealing with both foreign and local exec utives, IMS currently holds the largest database of Interim Managers in China. I MS places Interim executives in a variety of different industries all over Asia, from Luxury goods and Retail to machine manufacturing. They are part of the J.M Gemini group, one of the longest running and most successful recruitment agenci es in Asia, and aim to keep up with the current demand for interim managers and executives and provide the Chinese market with Interims capable of transforming businesses. Should you wish to learn more about Interim Management Solutions and the service s they provide, or if you have an enquiry either as a client or candidate, pleas e send and email to ims@jmgemini.com, or visit our website here at http://www.im sinchina.com/