An interim CEO can be a valuable tool in ensuring continuity of operations and effective change management when an association loses their CEO. This crucial role within the management team requires an experienced and skilful person, and the Board should not rush the recruitment of a new CEO. Instead, an interim CEO can be used to handle operations and maintain the association’s objectives.
The Chief Executive Officer is the most important figure within an association. They are responsible for all operational decision making and
action, taking the vision of the association as defined by the Board and implementing it.
CEOs are typically full-time employees who devote all their time and energy to the day-to-day running of the association. As such, they are normally the most informed person when it comes to operations, performance, staff and more. They have a wide range of duties and hold an enormous amount of key information.
A volunteer Board manages most associations. Their primary focus is on governance matters, policy and strategy. The Board should leave the
organisation's operations to the CEO or Executive Officer.
This means that if a CEO decides to depart at short notice, there is often a gap left in knowledge and expertise. Often, the Board may hire
someone quickly to keep everything going. However, when the decision to hire is rushed, associations can end up hiring the wrong person who
is not appropriately equipped for the role of CEO.
Due to this, there is a new trend in associations to take more time in the CEO recruitment process and hire an interim CEO in the meantime.
Association Executive Services offer an Interim
CEO service to
assist associations in this position.
There are a several reasons why an association may require an interim CEO. One of the most common is a situation where the CEO has resigned,
and there is a need for someone to lead the association so that the new CEO can be recruited and begin working on critical essential action
items.
Additionally, some associations will use these services to guide them through periods of change. They may require a short-term CEO to deal
with change issues that the Board wanted to implement. Or the association may not usually have a full-time CEO, but they want someone
temporarily in the role to implement their strategic plan on a part-time basis.
Big projects and significant pieces of work are another impetus for associations to bring in an interim CEO for assistance. The interim CEO
can work on a significant project for the association and represent the association with funders' meetings.
In most cases, experienced interim CEOs oversee board changeover issues, a significant initiative like a merger or organising government funding.
All CEOs of associations need to be highly competent individuals that bring a breadth of understanding and experience to the role.
The interim CEO needs to embody of all these attributes, while also possessing a range of specific skills that make them ideal for managing an organisation for a short period of time.
Experience as a CEO in several associations or organisations
Interim CEOs should be highly experienced and understand the workings of associations and organisations from many different perspectives.
This diverse experience helps them come into a new association and act quickly.
Skilled in implementing change in a short time
Typically, interim CEOs will spend only a few months in the role. It is vital that they are able to hit the ground running and make meaningful change from the outset.
Ability to build a close working relationship with the Board and President
It is vital that management works well with the Board. A close working relationship ensures that the vision and mission of the association can be realised through daily operations.
Build trust with key staff and stakeholders
A good interim CEO will be able to build relationships quickly and manage many competing interests and ideas to achieve the best outcome for the association. Working well with key people is vital to this success.
Be able to identify areas for immediate improvement and act on them
Because they are working in a tight timeframe, interim CEOs need to be able to quickly see any growth opportunities within the association. They use their strong influencing and change management skills to implement improvements quickly.
High-level communication skills
All CEOS require excellent communication skills to ensure they can efficiently convey information and bring their team along on the journey.
Develop a handover plan for the new CEO so they can quickly move into their new role
One of the key roles of the interim CEO is preparing the association for its new leader. They should develop a comprehensive handover plan for a smooth transition.
With over 30 years of management expertise, Executive Director and Founder of AES, Nick Koerbin is one of the most experienced NFP
leaders in Australia. He has held positions as the CEO of Materials Australia, the National Parts Code, as well as senior positions in the
Institute of Insurance, Australian Quality Council, the Financial Planning Association, the Australian Human Resources Institute, and the
Furniture Industry Association of Australia. Nick created AES with a vision of creating a set of management practices that could be
consistently followed to ensure success. Over his 30 years in the industry, he noticed that inconsistent management practices often impeded
delivery of services to members, which in turn created issues with membership renewal. By establishing AES and creating the NFP Association
Best Practice Self-Assessment, Nick has been able to assist leaders in becoming more confident and informed decision makers so that they
can create more effective strategies and implementation plans.
Disclaimer: The articles on our website are intended to stimulate interest in the subject matters. All comments and articles are for information purposes only. Professional advice should be sought on specific matters, and with lawyers under Costs Agreement and to which Legal Professional Privilege (LPP) applies.
For over seven years during the 1990s, I was involved with the Total Quality Management Institute, formed by leaders of some of Australia's major corporations.
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