Following Gray’s medical analogy, Midlands-based Celia Adams believes there’s no cure without diagnosis. “A turnaround specialist has to take a forensic approach,” she says. Adams has a niche interest in transport and distribution, but gets a kick out of community projects too. She has several not-for-profit rescues in her portfolio. Last year she joined the board of Worcester City Football Club, helping it survive a critical phase and continue to buy players while preparing to sell its prime site ground for development. “I took the football club on pro bono, for the experience,” she says.
Like many interims, Adams keeps many irons in the fire, holding a full hand of non-executive directorships and also acting as an angel investor, adding her money to her expertise in early-stage companies. It all adds to the value she can deliver to her clients, she says.
Real opportunity
The interim relationship is an equal one and inverts the traditional selection process. You have to convince them that you will gain from their attention. Gray has only ever turned down two requests for his services. “They didn’t have a viable business model,” he explains. “I pride myself that I haven’t lost one, so I won’t take on a hopeless case.”
With more interims on the market than ever before, there is a genuine opportunity to benefit from some of the best business talent in the UK and employ them in a flexible, cost-effective way that suits your business needs and your budget.
