Interim stars – a spotlight on James Rawlinson, Interim Marketing/Digital/Customer Director
With a rapid increase in interim roles for senior marketing and digital leaders, we thought it would be helpful for clients to read more about the benefits from our interim stars themselves.
About James
James Rawlinson is an Interim Marketing/Digital/Customer Director, transforming brands and driving growth. With significant senior interim experience, James really knows how to hit the ground running and deliver value, fast. His interim roles have spanned a variety of sectors, both within the UK and international markets, for brands including: The Coca-Cola Company, Foot Locker, Halfords, The Very Group, Virgin, Costa Coffee, and more. As described by Managing Director and Entrepreneur, Scott Martin, "he epitomises the best of Interim talent - quick to seek out root cause, galvanises the teams with warmth & confidence whilst forensically delivering on the brief."
James, please tell us a little about your career and specialisms...
I've been doing this for over 20 years now and l would describe myself as a generalist marketeer. What this means, is throughout my career, I've ensured I've experienced and learned most specialisms within marketing. Either working in them solely or multiple specialisms in one role. I've also ensured I've worked across different industries, markets, and audiences – getting a comprehensive view from all angles.
How long have you been working in interim roles and why did you decide to move in that direction?
It’s been over nine years for me as a professional interim. I started off just wanting to explore it really, but quickly discovered it aligned nicely to my key strengths of getting to grips with things very quickly and leading teams through challenging working environments. I flourish under pressure and in unusual situations. Enjoying the variety and focus on adding enormous value is why I'm still in the game.
What would you say are the top three benefits for clients when utilising interim senior leaders?
Firstly, a fresh perspective from an individual focused on doing the right thing and adding value. There is no politics with an interim. No career ladder to climb or competition within a business. It’s a perfect pragmatic arrangement.
The second benefit is not only will a good interim deliver what is expected of the brief, but they will also present other opportunities for a business to grow or actually be more efficient. We are skilled at spotting opportunities that a client didn’t even know existed.
Finally, you’ll get a skill set and experience level like no other. Because an interim spends more time working across different industries, with different business models and different ways of working etc. which they can harness and apply to any new client.
And, how does this way of working benefit you, both professionally and personally?
It provides so much flexibility in the way you work, when you work and who with.
How do you see interim roles growing over the next few years?
I think the number of interim roles at a senior level will need to grow to meet demand. With so many challenges, businesses will need to think outside of the traditional resource model and status quo. Getting a senior interim to supercharge growth, implement processes and ways of working, and provide a blueprint on an optimal marketing function is critical – now more than ever.
And, finally, what would be your top tip for anyone considering a move from permanent to interim roles?
Being an interim is not like being permanent but for a shorter time. There isn't the time to embed into an organisation and learn the ropes. From day one, you will need to be forensically peeling back the layers, often in a challenging environment and the expectation on what you do is x10.
This isn't for the faint-hearted. Think carefully before making the jump.
Thank you to James for providing an overview of his incredible interim experience.
If you’re hiring for interim roles, or feel ready to try interim yourself, get in touch to see how we can help you or connect with Suzie and Kaylynn to send a message on LinkedIn.
Suzie Walker Executive Search is a firm of specialist headhunters with an expert team recruiting interim and permanent senior leaders for B2C and B2B marketing and digital/tech roles in FTSE 350 and private equity-backed companies. Find out how we can support you by connecting with a Consultant below.
