Permanent contract or interim management: what changes?
For an executive who has spent their career on a permanent contract, what changes when becoming an interim manager is above all the posture. You lead your team exactly like a permanent manager, but senior management listens to you as an outside perspective. This position between insider and outsider lets you move faster, explains Luc Marot, President of ADN Transition and an interim management professional since 2005.
In short
– On assignment, the interim manager leads their team as if they held a permanent position.
– Some friction is possible at the start, but it is competence that establishes authority.
– Their big advantage: senior management listens to them as an outside perspective, which allows them to move their projects forward faster.
Permanent contract or interim assignment: what difference day to day?
The manager’s job does not change: you lead a team, human resources, a plant or a finance department. What changes is your position within the company.
| Criterion | Executive on a permanent contract | Interim manager |
|---|---|---|
| Position | Insider | Between insider and outsider |
| Team leadership | In a permanent position | Exactly as in a permanent position |
| Start of assignment | Not applicable | Some friction possible, quickly overcome |
| Authority | Linked to the position held | Established through competence |
| How senior management listens | As to an internal employee | As to an outside perspective: their views carry more weight |
| Project pace | That of the organisation | Faster |
What really changes when you leave a permanent contract?
Many executives considering interim management ask themselves the same question: what will change for me? The answer comes down to one word: posture.
You remain a fully-fledged manager, at the head of a team. But in the eyes of management, you are no longer quite an employee like any other.
Luc Marot, President of ADN Transition, sums it up:
“What essentially changes when you move from a permanent contract to interim management is the posture.”
How do you lead a team as an interim manager?
Like any permanent manager. You are at the head of the team, and therefore in an internal position, and you lead it exactly as if you were there for the long term.
At the beginning, there may be some friction: the team is discovering a new manager whom they know is there for a limited time. This does not cause any lasting problem.
For Luc Marot, the key is simple:
“Your competence will allow you to establish your authority.”
Why does senior management listen more to an interim manager?
Because it partly perceives them as an outsider. An interim manager is not caught up in the company’s history, habits or career stakes. Their perspective is therefore received differently.
Luc Marot, President of ADN Transition, says it with enthusiasm:
“The CEO will listen to you as if you were somewhat external, and your views will carry much more weight. It is something quite fantastic.”
Between insider and outsider: why do projects move faster?
The interim manager combines two assets: the legitimacy of the person who leads the team day to day, and the attention an outside perspective receives from management. They can therefore decide, convince and move their projects forward more quickly.
For Luc Marot, this is what makes the profession so attractive:
“Being between insider and outsider lets you move faster and achieve your projects more quickly. It is one of the great pleasures of interim management.”
Becoming an interim manager with ADN Transition
ADN Transition draws on a pool of more than 5,000 interim managers. The firm’s partners, all former senior executives, constantly qualify the managers in the network, and for each assignment choose the one who has already led a project of the same kind.
If you come from a permanent contract and are considering this path, discover our dedicated managers’ area.
Read also: Temp or interim management: how to choose?
Who is Luc Marot?
Luc Marot is President of ADN Transition. He has worked in interim management since 2005. He began his career as an auditor at Arthur Andersen, then served as CFO at McDonald’s, NRJ and Lagardère. Since September 2026, he has been a board member of France Transition.
ADN Transition in a few facts
– Interim management firm founded in 2013.
– A pool of more than 5,000 interim managers.
– 6 partners and 7 senior advisors, all former senior executives.
– Offices in Boulogne-Billancourt and Lyon.
– Values: high standards, availability and sincerity.
Frequently asked questions
What changes between a permanent contract and an interim management assignment?
Above all, the posture. The interim manager leads their team like a permanent manager, but management listens to them as an outside perspective.
Does an interim manager have authority over their team?
Yes. They lead it exactly like a manager in post. Some friction may appear at the start, but their competence allows them to establish their authority.
Why does management listen more to an interim manager?
Because it perceives them as somewhat external. Their views therefore carry more weight than those of an internal executive.
What is the main advantage of interim management for an executive?
Their position between insider and outsider, which allows them to move faster and achieve their objectives more quickly.
Are you considering becoming an interim manager?
ADN Transition’s partners, all former senior executives, talk with managers who wish to join the firm’s pool.
Thelma Fratacci joins ADN Transition as a work-study student
Bernard Puraye joins ADN Transition as Partner
How do you choose an umbrella company as an interim manager?
