Product Launch Secured with Interim Leadership
Within just three months, a critical product launch was turned into a better strategy — with a better product.
Read how INWIDO unlocked its full innovation potential with interim management
“The doors and windows industry is not easy to make sexy. That’s why it became part of our strategy to add new smart products — to make us more visible, more innovative, and to involve customers,” says Mona Sloth Nielsen, Director of Sales & Marketing at Inwido Denmark.
So, advice was suddenly expensive when her newly hired Business Development Manager left the company just three months before the launch of a new groundbreaking smart blind for INWIDO. Mona Sloth Nielsen had never used interim management before and didn’t know what to expect from the process:
“”“I didn’t have much to lose. Either they delivered a good candidate, or I would have to continue my search for a candidate through a traditional recruitment process.”
Lacking Digital Competencies
With more than 35 sub-brands, INWIDO is a massive competence hub when it comes to developing and producing windows and doors. But Mona Sloth Nielsen faced a challenge when trying to find a technical digital business development manager:
“We only employ people with competencies in windows, frames, and so on. So, we didn’t have the right skills in-house because it’s not something we’ve worked with before. And I found it difficult to find someone myself because I simply didn’t know what to ask a candidate,” she says and continues:
“On a recommendation, I contacted Christian from Nextt & Mason, and he knew exactly what problems I was facing.”
Christian quickly activated the pre-qualified leadership network at Nextt & Mason, and soon interim candidates began expressing interest in the assignment at INWIDO.
Created a Better Product
It didn’t take long before Mona was presented with three qualified candidates. And once she had made her choice, the interim manager took charge already on his second day:
“Our interim manager took over the entire go-to-market plan — the website, launch, app, and programming features. And he basically tore it all apart,” she says, emphasizing why that was a good thing:
“We had used a lot of external advisors for the technical solutions, but it didn’t fit together, and it wasn’t good advice.”
In the end, Mona feels confident that a better product will be launched in July:
“We’re launching in just a few weeks, and we know it works. And I’m proud of the product.”
A Recipe for Success
Although it was a critical situation, Mona Sloth Nielsen’s challenge was not only solved — INWIDO also ended up with a better and more exclusive product thanks to the involvement of an interim manager. She attributes this to the way interim managers work:
“The great thing about interim managers is that they don’t have to be politically correct or protect anyone’s interests. They’re only measured on results — that’s what they fight for.”
She is impressed by how quickly interim managers can step in as both firefighters and developers in organizations:
“These interim managers are a special breed. They have a strong need to test things and put in the effort. And that’s exactly what makes it work so well.”
“”The great thing about interim managers is that they don’t have to be politically correct or protect anyone’s interests. They’re only measured on results — that’s what they fight for.”
