How do you choose an umbrella company as an interim manager?
Do not choose it on its commission rate alone. Three criteria matter: the net amount you will actually keep each month, the income protection and health insurance cover, and how the company will treat you if the assignment ends earlier than planned. This is the advice of Luc Marot, President of ADN Transition and an interim management professional since 2005, who recommends that new interim managers start with an umbrella company (known in France as “portage salarial”).
In short
– To start out in interim management, an umbrella company is often preferable to setting up your own business.
– Compare net pay using a concrete simulation, not just the commission rate.
– Check the income protection, the health insurance and the conditions in the event of an early end of assignment.
The 3 criteria for choosing your umbrella company
There are a great many umbrella company offers. To compare them, ask each company these three questions.
| Criterion | Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Net pay | For 20 days invoiced at €1,000, i.e. €20,000, how much will I have left net at the end of the month? | The commission rate alone does not tell you what you will actually receive |
| 2. Income protection and health insurance | How am I compensated if I have to stop working, for example after a commuting accident? | When you are not working, the assignment is not invoiced to the client |
| 3. Early termination | How am I treated if the assignment ends before its term? | An assignment can be cut short, for example with one month’s notice |
Umbrella company or your own business: where to start?
To work in interim management, there are two options: setting up your own company, or going through an umbrella company. In the second case, the manager is an employee of the umbrella company, which invoices the client and pays them a salary after deducting its fees.
Luc Marot, President of ADN Transition, recommends it for getting started:
“When you are not yet a seasoned interim manager, my recommendation is to start with an umbrella company. And then we will see.”
Why is the commission rate not enough?
Many managers compare umbrella companies solely on their commission rate. It is one criterion, but not the most telling.
The most useful thing is to ask for a net pay simulation. For example: “If I invoice 20 days at €1,000, i.e. €20,000, how much will I have left net at the end of the month?” It is this figure that makes it possible to really compare offers.
For Luc Marot:
“The commission rate obviously counts for something. But what is more relevant is to look at net pay.”
Why check the income protection and health insurance?
This is a point interim managers rarely think about. Yet the income protection and health insurance cover affect the net amount received, and above all your protection if you have to stop working.
In interim management, no day not worked is invoiced to the client. If you are off work, for example after a commuting accident, it is the compensation conditions of the income protection scheme that will determine your income during that period.
Luc Marot has seen this with managers followed by the firm:
“We have had interim managers who had a commuting accident. When you are on an interim assignment, the client is not invoiced when you are not working. It is important to know the compensation conditions of the income protection scheme.”
What happens if the assignment ends early?
An interim management assignment can end before the planned date. At ADN Transition, the firm always offers its clients to extend or end assignments with one month’s notice.
The question is how the umbrella company will treat you in that case. That is the third point to check before signing.
Luc Marot sums it up:
“Knowing how you will be treated by the umbrella company when the assignment ends early is an important point in your choice.”
Joining ADN Transition’s pool
ADN Transition draws on a pool of more than 5,000 interim managers, constantly qualified by the firm’s partners. Each assignment is followed by a partner, from scoping to success.
Discover our dedicated managers’ area.
Read also: How much does an interim manager earn? and Permanent contract or interim management: what changes?
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, who qualify the managers themselves.
– Offices in Boulogne-Billancourt and Lyon.
– Values: high standards, availability and sincerity.
Frequently asked questions
Should you use an umbrella company to start out in interim management?
This is what Luc Marot recommends to managers who are not yet seasoned: start with an umbrella company, then consider your own business later.
How do you compare two umbrella companies?
By asking each one for a net pay simulation on the same invoiced amount, for example 20 days at €1,000, rather than comparing only commission rates.
Why is income protection important for an interim manager?
Because days not worked are not invoiced to the client. If you have to stop working, it is the income protection cover that protects your income.
What should you check in case of an early end of assignment?
The conditions applied by the umbrella company if the assignment ends before its term. At ADN Transition, assignments can be ended with one month’s notice.
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?
