Interim management
Interim COO services
When operations break down, supplier talks stall and cash management loses its grip.
Octobiz puts an experienced operator into the COO seat within days: Someone who takes direct control of operations instead of advising from the sidelines, backed by our analysts and AI-supported diagnostics.
When it is needed
When a business needs an interim COO
The cost of an empty COO seat compounds daily.
Abrupt departure mid-project
Supplier negotiations and delivery timelines are suddenly exposed.
Input costs and supply shocks
Margins turn red faster than the organization can react.
Search underway
The board or investors need steady operational leadership in the meantime.
Strategy and execution drift apart
Someone needs to close the gap between plan and shop floor now.
Case in point
Interim COO in action: Two examples
Construction
Interim COO within 96 hours
A COO left during a critical delivery phase, and project controlling and supplier negotiations collapsed almost overnight. We deployed an interim COO within 96 hours to stabilize cash management and deliver a credible recovery plan to the financing bank.
Manufacturing
Alternative sourcing and a 90-day cost program
Supply disruption and surging material and energy costs pushed EBITDA negative. Our interim COO secured alternative sourcing and launched a 90-day cost program on overhead and energy, addressing the supply gap and the cost structure at the same time.
Our standard is a mandate as chief restructuring officer (CRO) with power of attorney, without a formal board appointment. Where a formal appointment as managing director or board member is needed, we agree it as an exception, with D&O cover provided by the client, an indemnity and an immediate right to step down.
How we work
From diagnosis to handover: How a mandate runs
An interim COO mandate with Octobiz follows the same sequence as every Octobiz engagement, so leadership and plan never drift apart.
Step 01 of 04
Understand
RXI™ scan, AI-assisted diagnostics across liquidity, P&L and stakeholders, and a clear picture of where things stand.
Design
A rescue or stabilization plan that banks, investors and the board can accept, at a fixed fee.
Transform
The interim COO leads execution, backed by our analysts and the Rescue Monitor.
Hand over
Documented decisions and results, knowledge transfer and a clean handover to the permanent successor.
Sector experience
Industries where we place interim COOs
Operational pressure looks different in each sector, and an interim COO needs to know those specifics on day one.
Construction
Cost overrun and liquidity squeeze. Material and subcontractor costs outrun the budget while payment milestones slip, and cash runs short mid-project.
Key executive departure mid-project. A COO or project director leaves at a critical stage, and banks, clients and crews lose their point of control.
Civil Engineering
Fixed prices, rising inputs. Long public contracts were priced before steel, energy and labor costs moved, and every month of delay erodes the margin.
Working capital locked in retentions. Delayed acceptance, retentions and disputed variations tie up cash while bonding lines tighten.
Manufacturing
Margin erosion. Energy, labor and material costs rise faster than prices can follow, and contribution margins shrink quarter by quarter.
Supply chain disruption. A key supplier fails or input prices jump, and delivery commitments and customer penalty clauses come under threat.
Hospitality & Tourism
Seasonal cash flow strain. Off-season revenue gaps stretch working capital while staff, lease and loan commitments run all year.
Leadership gap before peak season. A general manager leaves ahead of the season, and service standards and revenue targets are at risk.
Backed by a senior team
The people behind our interim COO assignments
A small, senior team instead of a junior pyramid. Three partners lead every mandate in person. Our Chief AI Developer and his team build the tools that make them faster.
Oliver Herzog
Aurelio Doetsch
Kevin Waugh
James Kowalske
Confidential · Senior-led · Fixed fee to start
Operations under pressure? Let’s talk this week.
Every request is read by a partner and answered personally, in strict confidence. One conversation is enough to know whether we can help.