Interim leadership is often viewed as a short-term solution to a temporary problem. In reality, the most effective interim executives deliver far more than continuity. They bring fresh perspectives, specialist expertise, and the ability to drive meaningful change at pace.
In the latest edition of Macmillan Meets, Consultant Sophie Atkinson sat down with Sharon Green, an experienced interim transformation leader whose 20-year interim career has spanned global corporates, professional services firms, financial services organisations, membership bodies, start-ups and scale-ups. Their conversation explored the realities of interim leadership, the changing nature of transformation, and why successful change is ultimately about people as much as technology.
Taking the Leap Into Interim Leadership
For Sharon, moving into interim management was driven by a desire for challenge, variety and greater control over her career.
Having built a successful, cross-sector permanent career, including roles within international law firms, she felt ready to take a calculated risk. The appeal was not only the opportunity to work across different sectors and organisations again, but also the freedom to shape her own professional path.
Twenty years later, that variety remains one of the most rewarding aspects of interim work.
“I wanted to work with different businesses, across different sectors, and solve different challenges,” she explains. “What keeps me motivated is the variety, the clients, and the challenge of running my business by finding the next project.”
The Intersection of People, Technology and Culture
A clear theme throughout Sharon's career is her ability to lead transformation programmes that bring together technology, people and culture.
As organisations have become increasingly technology-driven, transformation initiatives have evolved. Whether implementing new HR systems, optimising existing platforms or navigating the opportunities presented by AI, technology alone is rarely the answer.
Instead, Sharon believes successful transformation requires organisations to balance technical implementation with employee experience, communication, engagement and cultural change.
She describes the breadth of her experience as a “Mary Poppins kit bag” that can be adapted to each organisation's specific needs. For clients, this provides access to a diverse skillset that goes beyond a traditional functional hire, allowing them to address multiple dimensions of change simultaneously.
Why Technology Projects Fail
Having sourced and worked with platforms such as Workday, Rippling, Cornerstone, Glint, Peoplefluent and many more, Sharon has seen first-hand where organisations often go wrong when selecting and implementing people technology.
The most common mistake? Starting with the technology rather than the business need.
“The biggest mistake is starting with ‘what’s the best technology?’” she says. “My answer will almost always be ‘it depends’.”
Instead, she advises organisations to invest significant time upfront defining requirements, understanding current and future processes, auditing data quality and ensuring key stakeholders are involved from the outset.
The organisations that achieve the strongest outcomes, she argues, approach implementation as a people-led transformation programme enabled by technology, rather than a technology project that people must adapt to.
Building a Culture From the Ground Up
One of Sharon’s standout assignments was supporting Insight Investment as it launched a brand-new Agile technology hub in Manchester as part of an Agile transformation.
Joining when the team consisted of just two people, she was tasked with helping rapidly scale the organisation to achieve ambitious growth targets.
The challenge was not creating something entirely new but articulating and then activating an employee value proposition that would resonate in a highly competitive technology market and be deliverable.
Sharon sat in the tech team and worked closely with technology, HR and business development colleagues to develop an EVP that reflected both the organisation's culture and local market expectations.
A key ingredient was co-creation.
“Co-creation is my preferred way of working as this leads to better results and ones that stick even when I have left,” she explains.
Combining Strategic Thinking With Delivery
One of the defining characteristics of successful interims is their ability to operate at both a strategic and operational level.
According to Sharon, organisations often engage interim leaders because they need someone who can quickly understand business priorities while also delivering tangible results.
“It's a blend of a consultant skill set with an operational mindset and the experience of delivery,” she says.
Equally important is understanding organisational pace. While momentum is critical, sustainable transformation requires leaders to bring colleagues on the journey rather than overwhelm them.
Sharon highlights the importance of regularly checking whether the pace of change remains aligned with organisational capacity, a lesson she has refined over years of leading complex transformation programmes.
Establishing Credibility Quickly
Interims are often brought into organisations during periods of uncertainty, challenge or significant transition. Building trust rapidly is essential.
Sharon views every interim assignment through a simple lens:
“An interim is a business guest.”
Without the benefit of onboarding programmes, interim leaders must establish credibility almost immediately. For Sharon, that starts with listening before speaking, understanding organisational history, asking thoughtful questions and adapting to the client's language and culture.
One principle has remained constant throughout her career: “Trust arrives on foot and leaves on horseback.”
Seeking regular feedback is also crucial. When stakeholders feel comfortable challenging ideas or raising concerns, it's a good sign that genuine trust is being established.
Communication as the Heartbeat of Change
Transformation programmes succeed or fail based on many things, a key one being communication.
Drawing on years of experience leading change initiatives, Sharon believes communication should never be treated as an afterthought.
“Good comms are the heartbeat of a change and transformation project.”
Her approach centres on developing communication plans from the beginning, understanding the needs of different stakeholder groups, selecting appropriate channels and continually refining messages based on feedback.
The result is greater engagement, stronger buy-in and more sustainable outcomes.
The Value of Cross-Sector Experience
Having delivered transformation programmes across industries including financial services, construction, media, healthcare, membership organisations and SaaS businesses, Sharon has developed a broad perspective on organisational change.
Rather than positioning herself as a sector expert, she focuses on bringing expertise in transformation itself.
The benefit of cross-sector experience is the ability to identify patterns without making assumptions. Similar challenges may appear across industries, but the solutions must match the organisation's unique context and culture.
“I spot similarities, but I don't bring in ‘here's one I made earlier’ solutions,” she says. “It's tailored.”
Defining Success
When asked which project she is most proud of, Sharon's answer is telling.
Rather than focusing on the largest programmes or highest-profile transformations, she measures success by longevity.
The most rewarding moments come years later when she sees initiatives still delivering value long after her assignment has ended.
“For me that's the real measure of success. It's not all about delivery, it is about what sticks.”
It's a perspective that perfectly encapsulates the role of an exceptional interim leader. The best interims don't simply fill a gap. They create lasting impact, leave organisations stronger than they found them, and ensure meaningful change continues long after they've moved on.
Interested in featuring in Macmillan Meets?
Every HR and People leader has a story worth telling.
Macmillan Meets is our interview series, shining a spotlight on inspiring professionals from across the HR and People community. Through relaxed conversations, we explore career journeys, leadership lessons, personal experiences and the ideas shaping the future of our profession.
Whether you're a Chief People Officer, HR Director, People Leader, Reward Specialist, Talent Professional, DE&I Expert, L&D Leader or simply have an interesting career story to share, we'd love to hear from you.
Thank you to Sharon for taking the time to share her story and insights with us.
Get in touch
If you would like to discuss this article, be featured in a future Macmillan Meets interview, or talk about your search for work or recruitment needs, please contact Sophie Atkinson directly at satkinson@mdhr.co.uk or connect with her on LinkedIn.
