Structural hurdles: Why women are often ignored in interim management

"Marketing - that's just colorful pictures." Interim manager Corinna Schmidt still hears statements like this today. In many companies, communication is still considered an accessory, not a strategic success factor. As an interim manager with many years of professional experience, she regularly finds that she is either involved in projects too late or that success-critical challenges in the areas of marketing or change communication are simply taken on by others. In the sixth part of our series Women in Interim Management she talks about structural hurdles in the market, the lack of visibility of women and why more experienced female specialists are needed right now.

Dear Ms Schmidt, as an interim manager you specialize in marketing and communication. How did this come about?

Corinna Schmidt: I set my course after leaving school. I completed a dual degree in communications, worked full-time at an advertising agency during the week and attended a vocational academy on Fridays and Saturdays. My managers recognized my potential very early on. I was given a lot of responsibility right from the start. I learned the tools of my trade from scratch.

At the age of 23, I took over the management of the newly founded advertising department in a medium-sized management consultancy. I was responsible for both the creation and management of seven key accounts. After other positions - including as head of a small full-service agency and marketing manager in the sanitary wholesale trade - I became Head of Marketing Communications at an international sanitary technology group at the age of 29. There, I was responsible for Germany-wide brand communication for all end-consumer-relevant products in the B2B and B2C context with a team of twelve. I had a marketing budget of around 5.6 million euros at my disposal for my product range.

I later took over the position of Head of Business Unit Industry in strategic marketing and product management at a Swiss manufacturer of sensor solutions. The focus was on international market strategies, pricing policy and the further development of the global business unit. After extensive restructuring, I returned to Germany in 2016.


What happened next?

CS: After my return, it was surprisingly difficult to find a suitable permanent position despite my experience. During this phase, I first came into contact with Interim Management as a working model through advice from the Hanover Economic Development Agency and personal research. Self-employment was never a goal for me - partly because I came from a self-employed family and knew what it meant to be on the go 24/7. Nevertheless, I applied for a start-up grant and decided to give it a try. I've been working as an interim manager since August 11, 2016 and - despite the difficult coronavirus period - I would choose it again at any time.

Looking back, are you happy with your decision?

CS: Yes, absolutely. For me, self-employment means above all self-determination - not, as the saying goes so dramatically, "yourself and all the time". I have responsibility, but I experience much less pressure than I used to in middle management. Today, I decide which customers I work with and to what extent. This freedom is a great benefit for me. Even though the topic of working from home has now become very popular among employees due to coronavirus, working from home was not permitted back then. Presence in the office was mandatory. That was also a decisive factor for me to get into interim management. driving 50 minutes one-way to work, being in the office from morning to evening or even at night and at weekends literally made me sick.

Women are a minority in interim management. How do you experience this?

CS: The market is still dominated by men, that's true. One example: I joined an industry association last year in order to network better. When I tried to join a specialist group for restructuring and transformation, I was denied eligibility unseen and unheard, even though I have been involved in transformation projects for many years. As a much younger woman, I was confronted with entrenched role models before a conversation had even taken place. I suddenly felt like I did 15 years ago as a young manager in a male-dominated industry. And at the age of 44, I definitely don't want to have that feeling anymore, especially not as a self-employed person.

How do you deal with it?

CS: I drew the consequences for myself. I left the association and consciously returned to the style of work that has carried me successfully since 2016: I focus on my mandates, on my performance and on the people I work with in a trusting relationship. I tend to work independently and don't need a large network that doesn't really involve me or where I have to tilt at windmills again. Instead, I cultivate a small but very reliable environment of colleagues with whom I work as equals and where mutual support is a matter of course. This gives me the freedom and clarity to go my own way without having to conform to structures that don't help me progress. It works better for me both professionally and personally. Quality instead of quantity.

So you think that nothing will change?

CS: No, I don't think that nothing can change, but I also believe that we need to take a very honest look. In almost 25 years of professional experience, I have often seen that women are underestimated or deliberately kept on the sidelines - whether in interim management or in salaried positions. Many of the women who have made it to the top were over 50 and often had to be tougher, louder and more uncompromising on the way there than they perhaps wanted to be themselves.

I think we should ask ourselves: Why is that the case? Why do women often have to be more masculine than their male colleagues in order to be taken seriously? I don't think that should be our goal. I would like us to finally think differently about leadership: less power games, more togetherness. And that diversity is not treated as a trend, but as a real opportunity. This would not only benefit women, but all of us.

What needs to happen for things to change for the better?

CS: Women need to become more visible, not as women, but as what they are: highly qualified specialists and managers. Prejudices still persist: people are less likely to trust women with complex tasks or see them as a risk because they could get pregnant. And sometimes, my impression is that competent, self-confident women are - consciously or unconsciously - perceived as a threat.

What is needed is more openness in thinking and the courage to fill positions according to qualifications, not according to old patterns. This also includes equal pay for equal performance. And it means finally understanding leadership in a more modern way. I am convinced that leadership can work very well on a part-time basis, in tandem or decentralized. This old image of the manager who has to give 180 percent, is constantly available and always goes the extra mile is completely outdated for me and is also toxic. Here too, it's about quality rather than quantity, smart decisions, good prioritization and real responsibility. Not a culture of presence or self-exploitation. So it's not about being louder, more present or "tougher" than men, but about finally being perceived as equals, with modern, contemporary ideas of leadership and collaboration.

What can women themselves do to ensure that something happens here?

CS: We should support each other more, especially in interim management. Men network strategically, recommend each other, get each other involved in projects. Women too often see themselves as competitors. We could achieve more together, recommend each other, share knowledge and use synergies. Networking is not a natural reflex for me as an ambivert personality type, but I know how valuable it is.

An example: A few months ago, I approached a colleague from a previous project who was now self-employed. I asked her if she could cover for me when I was sick or on vacation. She did a great job, the client was very satisfied and I actively campaigned to bring her into the project on a permanent basis. She had never heard of the interim management model before. She was a freelancer, where every small project was renegotiated. Today, she has a well-paid long-term project, a stable monthly income and I finally have a colleague from my own specialist area at my side with whom I really work as equals. That makes the work much more pleasant and motivating. Experiences like this show me that when we support each other, everyone benefits in the end.


How do you experience the interim market - in general and specifically in your field?

CS: The interim market is not an easy one at the moment, and this is particularly true for communication and marketing. The number of relevant mandates is very limited and management roles are rare. In my opinion, the reason often lies in the incorrect classification of the areas: Many see marketing and communication not as value-adding, but as supportive or "nice to have". As soon as savings have to be made, we are the first to be cut - regardless of how crucial our work is for positioning, brand loyalty or change processes.

In large transformation projects - for example with public or semi-public clients - the system often prevents access for highly qualified interim managers. Tendering logics and compliance requirements ensure that entire project lots are awarded to large consultancies, which then bring their own teams, including team leads, often regardless of their specific experience in marketing and communication. We are then booked in a specialist role as an "extended arm" for content or operational implementation, but not as strategic and expert management.

And good results are correspondingly expensive.

CS: That's right. But it can't be down to price alone. After all, in other areas such as IT, HR, transformation or turnaround, we see companies working with interim managers or consultants as a matter of course. Or for customer loyalty projects in sales, companies are freeing up large budgets. Only communication and marketing are difficult. It would make sense to take an equally strategic approach here.

In many companies, the C-level takes over marketing and communication itself or outsources it to an agency. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with that. I come from the agency world myself and really appreciate good agency work. It only becomes problematic when companies cut back on qualified employees internally and at the same time allocate large budgets for external outsourcing. In transformation projects in particular, proximity to the core is crucial: speed, understanding of the culture and clear internal management. This cannot be completely outsourced. Agencies can do a lot, but without internal contact persons or project managers who can manage the topic professionally, delays and friction arise. Effective change communication always requires a combination of internal expertise and external support.

What happens when companies neglect marketing and communication?

CS: The brand loses visibility, trust dwindles and the company becomes irrelevant. Many save money when things are going badly, but also when things are going well. According to the motto: "Things are going well, we don't need marketing." Brand work must be constant. If you don't advertise, you die (Henry Ford) - this is still true today. Communication is essential, especially in transformation projects. Employees need to understand why something is changing and what it means for them. If communication is too late, rumors, resistance and grapevine rumors arise. Good communication acts like a catalyst. It makes change possible in the first place.

But surely there are companies that rely on professional change communication?

CS: These companies are the exception. And even where communicative support is planned, it is often assumed that a single person will suffice or that another department will take on the communicative tasks. This does not usually work, neither in implementation nor in strategic management. Change communication is always a team effort: analysis, internal formats, stakeholder management, executive communication, external messages. This cannot be bundled into one person.

What is missing is a fundamental understanding of the value of communication in the change process. As already mentioned, public sector clients are somewhat of an exception. Not out of conviction, but because they are obliged by law to digitize and transform. But even there, the relevance or raison d'être of communication is regularly questioned, especially if, for example, the management changes or the project is realigned differently.

What do you think: Why is it that there are so few mandates for management positions in your field?

CS: There are many open management roles in marketing that are designed for permanent employment. But instead of filling them temporarily with interim managers, they often remain vacant for a long time. I find that difficult to understand. Of course, at first glance we seem more expensive than permanent employees. But interim professionals do not incur any non-wage labor costs, have no vacation entitlement, can be terminated at short notice and the costs are clearly calculable from the outset. Above all, however, we bring a lot of experience to the table, are ready to go quickly and deliver results right from the start.

So why is this solution so rarely used, especially in management positions? I suspect it's less due to economic reasons than to structural thought patterns. And for a manager, it also looks good in the figures not to fill positions. In addition, there is often a lack of knowledge about the interim management model or there are reservations, for example due to bogus self-employment or internal compliance requirements.

However, I do see movement in the market. Recently, I have been receiving more inquiries for marketing mandates at management level than before. Perhaps a new awareness is emerging here. I very much hope that the interim market in marketing and communication will become as professionalized as in areas such as restructuring, IT or HR.

I hope that not only women in interim management will become more visible, but also the interim management model itself. Especially in marketing and communication, companies could benefit enormously if they were to shed their fear of costs, compliance issues or the supposed danger of bogus self-employment. Interim management is not a risk, but a solution that relieves teams and professionally closes specialist and management gaps.

Are you working as an interim manager and would like to share your experience and insights? Deutsche Interim AG invites you to take part in the interview series Women in Interim Management. You will have the opportunity to share your professional perspective, experience and sound advice with the di community in a personal interview. In this way, you will help to increase corporate awareness and sensitivity to this key topic.