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Achieve Seamless Transitions with Interim Executive Leadership

Providing interim executive leadership to address your most critical business challenges

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Executive Performance On Demand.

When We’re Needed.
For As Long As We’re Needed.

Your business may require an interim leader for a variety of reasons – a gap due to an unexpected resignation (or termination), a leave of absence or because a new initiative demands an experienced skill set not currently available. An interim executive can provide short term stability while maintaining business momentum, allowing the CEO, the owner or the board to identify the leadership skills needed to move the organization forward.

We offer extraordinary interim executive leadership at a reasonable price. Our principal consultants bring extensive, relevant senior management experience and practical, transferable skills to every assignment. They grasp situations quickly and develop customized solutions in collaboration with the client. From day one, they do the hands-on work that gets desired results to meet the highest standard of quality. The most important responsibility for a business owner or board is to take the necessary time and care to select and support the right people for their team whether it’s for finance, human resources, operations, IT, asset management, marketing and sales or other senior management roles.

We can help by providing an interim executive with the skills and experience that match your needs.

The Osborne Team is comprised of senior executives with a minimum 10 years executive experience. Each principal has more than 20 years senior management experience. We span a broad range of organizations, sectors and functional areas including CEO, COO, CFO, CIO, CHRO, SVP, VP, executive director and general manager.

With their depth of experience, our principals can support your organizations with challenges in:

  • Business strategy and planning
  • Finances
  • Opérations
  • Human resources
  • Procurement/ supply chain
  • Capital build
  • Information systems
  • Marketing and communications
  • Sales management and training
  • Organizational design and development
  • Succession planning

The Osborne Group, a dynamic team of highly experienced executives, has been helping organizations succeed since 1993.  We provide a wide range of professional interim management, consulting, planning, and project management services. Our clients are small, medium size and multinational companies in for profit, not-for-profit and government agencies.

We have experience across many business sectors, including:

  • Consumer packaged goods
  • Digital marketing/sales
  • Healthcare
  • Finance and banking
  • Insurance
  • Manufacturing
  • Technology
  • Telecommunications
  • First Nations

Our principals have leadership experience and in-depth knowledge in all areas of business. We get to work quickly and get the job done to the highest standards.

On every assignment we:

  • Focus on our client’s needs first
  • Collaborate to develop the best solutions
  • Work with integrity
  • Provide excellent quality service
  • Commit to outstanding results

We provide flexible and affordable terms that fit the opportunity and budget. Interim or fractional positions are a cost-effective way of quickly injecting experience and knowledge into your organization.

Interim leadership can include the following:

  • Leadership transition: experienced interim day-to-day leadership allows the organization ample time to search for the best permanent CEO or other senior leader
  • A senior-level vacancy: when internal events create a need to consider organizational or strategic renewal an interim executive fills the bill
  • Extended leave replacement: an immediate, experienced Osborne interim leader function head will hit the ground running and step out at the right time
  • Specific and difficult challenges: when you need strategic insights and guidance or a short-term executive to implement difficult changes
  • Merger and/or acquisition: an Interim executive with significant merger and acquisition experience will increase the likelihood of success as a typical merger implementation process takes between six and nine months. This period of organizational transition is characterized by unique challenges related to merging the cultures, governance and operations of two distinct entities at the same time as business operations must continue without any gaps in production or service. 

You can rely on the Osborne Group’s strategically crafted solutions and implementation plans to produce results.

Contact us so we can assess and recommend a proven executive to help your organization through a critical transition.

We have deep experience providing interim or fractional finance executives who can meet organizational needs such as:

  • Meeting with departing controller for knowledge transfer of detailed responsibilities, ensuring a smooth transition of operational activities and control functions
  • Supporting the selection of a contract accountant/bookkeeper for basic accounting duties during the interim period
  • Participating as a member of the management team
  • Ensuring day-to-day finance operations meet the requirements of internal and external stakeholders
  • Assisting in the management of the current accounting software
  • Overseeing the timely and accurate execution of payroll, accounts payable and accounts receivable
  • Reviewing and approving internal financial statements for accuracy and helping to interpret them
  • Ensuring government reporting and remittances are done on a timely basis
  • Coordinating with banks, auditors, and other external parties  to ensure effective service delivery
  • Supporting the management team to ensure business decisions are made with timely and accurate financial information
  • Assisting with the assessment of the future roles and responsibilities of a new CFO and supporting the recruitment of the permanent employee as appropriate

The Osborne Group’s approach to executive recruitment differs from that of the large, specialized search firms. Our flexible and cost-effective recruitment services are customized to most effectively meet client needs. We work within available budgets and minimize costs by charging only for time spent on the assignment. As executive recruitment is not the single focus of our firm, we do not work from a proprietary database. Instead, we work closely with selection committees to leverage organizational contacts as well as our own extensive contacts.

Our knowledge of unique challenges in diverse sectors and their means we can provide excellent support in virtually any situation, particularly during periods of change and transition. Regardless of the situation, we’re committed to a thorough, professional, inclusive and well-organized process.

Osborne Group principals bring extensive experience to every assignment, whether in an interim capacity or as consultants, drawing on their career and life experience to provide executive support and leadership coaching to our clients. We also provide executive coaching and development plans for individuals on specific challenges they are encountering in their leadership roles.

This includes oversight and coaching on a variety of tasks that may be new to a senior executive such as:

  • Balancing management, staff and board priorities
  • Financial management – analyzing financial results, developing forecasts and budgets
  • Human resources management
  • Coaching on various strategic initiatives such as the process for the development of the next strategic plan or integration activities

Our process to develop a scope of work for leadership support, coaching and development often includes a number of components:

  • Liaison with the client to analyze the coaching client’s current state
  • Collaboration with the coaching client to determine developmental focus areas
  • Regular sessions with the coaching client as they work through the process
  • Facilitation with the coaching client a strategy to address developmental focus areas
  • Support the coaching client as he/she/they execute the strategy

We monitor progress and maintain contact through regular meetings, either by phone or in person, at the call of the client.

On-going consultation can be provided on selected issues that may not have been initially identified as a priority.

Our Clients Say It Best

Homepage – Table Soup Kitchen Foundation

Our organization needed a strategic plan to enhance our professionalism, establish clear direction, and define our goals. The Osborne Group guided us in creating this plan. Their approach was professional, organized, and structured, enabling full team participation. As a result, we now have dynamic policies, procedures, and sub-committees in place, allowing us to take a proactive approach.

Doug Morrison
President, Board Member, The Table Soup Kitchen Foundation
Homepage Arts Etobicoke

Confrontée à des réductions potentielles de son financement opérationnel, notre organisation à but non lucratif a reconnu qu’il était urgent d’envisager différents scénarios pour planifier les changements financiers. Nous étions à la recherche d’une structure et d’une expérience pour nous aider à réfléchir à des questions difficiles. Le Groupe Osborne a animé un atelier avec notre conseil d’administration et, sur la base de notre plan stratégique actuel, il a élaboré trois scénarios financiers à explorer par l’organisation. Le Groupe Osborne a été très minutieux et a fourni la perspective externe nécessaire pour poser des questions difficiles qui ont mené à des conversations approfondies et à un grand engagement de la part du conseil d’administration. Nous pouvons maintenant prendre du recul et regarder notre organisation d’un point de vue plus large et nous avons un plan pour aller de l’avant. Dans l’ensemble, le Groupe Osborne a offert une valeur incroyable et nous sommes très satisfaits du résultat.

Wendy Rading
Executive Director, Arts Etobicoke
Homepage – Cross Town

Le travail en petites équipes était devenu insulaire et répétitif, et les défis liés à la gestion d’un budget serré nous obligeaient à faire preuve de créativité pour tirer le meilleur parti des fonds disponibles. Nous avons travaillé avec le Groupe Osborne pour créer notre nouveau plan stratégique parce que le Groupe avait l’habitude de travailler avec des équipes de santé familiale. Le Groupe a facilité des discussions réfléchies et inclusives avec notre équipe, ce qui nous a permis de générer de nouvelles idées, d’acquérir une nouvelle perspective et de sortir de notre zone de confort. Tout cela en valait la peine, car nous disposons désormais d’un plan réaliste comprenant des éléments réalisables sur lesquels nous pouvons travailler pour atteindre les objectifs finaux et nous aider à aller de l’avant. Le nouveau plan est utile et compréhensible dans tous les secteurs et permet aux bailleurs de fonds de voir les défis à venir, mais aussi les succès futurs.

Kate Malisani
Executive Director, Crosstown Family Health Team
Homepage – Heartland Mutual Insurance

Nous travaillions avec une équipe qui était devenue insatisfaite et qui devait faire face à de nombreux changements, ce qui se traduisait par un faible taux d’engagement. Le Groupe Osborne a pu mettre un conseiller en ressources humaines à notre disposition; cette personne a animé des séances pour parler avec le groupe des changements, des attentes et des nouvelles façons de mesurer les performances, a expliqué les politiques et les processus, et aider les membres du groupe à explorer les opportunités de carrière. Après les séances avec l’équipe, nous avons pu constater qu’elle s’ouvrait à de nouvelles méthodes de travail et réalisait les avantages des changements. Nous pensons que, dans l’ensemble, les séances ont eu un effet positif et que nous sommes maintenant sur la bonne voie.

Marcel Badertscher, CHRE
Vice President, Human Resources, Heartland Mutual Insurance
Homepage – New Circles

Notre agence traversait une période de transition majeure et nous manquions de personnel qualifié dans notre équipe pour nous aider à évaluer ce qui se passait et à assurer un leadership au plus haut niveau. Le Groupe Osborne a fourni un dirigeant intérimaire qui a écouté et rapidement évalué les forces et les faiblesses de l’organisation. Le DE a formulé des recommandations en matière de recrutement et de restructuration et a fourni des solutions solides qui ont jeté les bases de la mise en œuvre de nouvelles initiatives et d’une croissance à long terme. Nous disposons désormais d’une organisation plus forte, armée d’un plan stratégique pour aller de l’avant.

Cindy Blakely
Founder, New Circles

Clients We Have Worked With

Our streamlined 3 step process means that there is no wasted time. We work to:

Listen

We begin working with
you by simply listening.

Assess

We determine the key
leading business problems
that your organization faces.

Address

We devise the best solutions
for your business so you will
see quick and measurable results.

Is your business already established and generating revenue? If so, you qualify for an introductory consultation.