Case Study: Leading Public Sector Organization Turns to Our Interim Executive to Launch Their Transformation Office

In their first 12 months, this interim executive facilitated stakeholder alignment for a new transformation strategy, built the internal team, and initiated a wide variety of projects to improve customer service, driving better value for Canadian taxpayers.

Finding an exceptional leader for a transformational project

Our client, a large, complex broader public sector organization, had a vision for a new transformation office that would utilize technology to modernize operations, drive efficiencies, and improve the value to taxpayers. However, they did not have a clear vision on who should lead this initiative—they could hire a permanent person, promote someone internally, or utilize a consulting firm, but there were drawbacks to each of these approaches:

• When an organization hires a permanent person, it is usually done at the minimum to mid-point of the salary range as it is desirable to hire someone to grow in their career with the organization. However, most candidates at this level are either step-up candidates or have fewer than three years of experience operating at that level and will be slower to impact.
• Promoting internally usually happens at the expense of the candidate not having the depth of experience at that level or the objectivity to be a true strategic advisor.
• Hiring a consulting firm is a good solution for organizations looking for a purely strategic mandate, but this approach often proves to be very expensive and does not necessarily help to operationalize the strategy.

When the client came to us, we recommended an interim executive—someone who had experience with this type of assignment across multiple organizations and brought objectivity and a depth of knowledge that allowed them to hit the ground running and drive immediate change.

The solution

The interim executive began with the complex task of setting up a transformation office to look at enterprise-wide opportunities. They utilized their experience to engage with diverse stakeholders and gain alignment on a five-year strategy which included an overview of potential projects, timelines, and costs. They built their team and immediately began to drive results, reduce inefficiencies, and improve the staff and customer experience. The interim made such a significant impact during their term that the client extended them for another 12 months and broadened the scope of the initial assignment.

The results

According to the organization’s Chief Administrative Officer, “[The interim executive] has been truly transformative during their two years with us. He came to the organization with the experience we needed having driven change in large, complex, publicly funded environments. This enabled him to hit the ground running and help us shape our approach to transformation. He and his team have had a huge impact on the organization creating sustainable change.”

If you need to add capacity and capability to your organization to elevate a function or drive a critical initiative, explore hiring an interim executive. In only three to five days, we can present you with a shortlist of candidates, and you only pay us if we find you the perfect solution. Reach out to me today at stephen.bell@lhh.com and let’s start a conversation.