Getting to know your consultant - Mark Kitchen
How did you get into Interim Management?
In all honesty Interim Management found me. I started my career in Retail working for Wm Morrison in a management training programme that enabled me to experience every department across the business. I then moved into recruitment where I cut my teeth supplying tradesman onto construction sites in the Midlands and North. Over the last fifteen years I have developed as my current clients have developed, through middle and senior management roles into executive and main board Director Assignments. Having a broad range of experience within my sector and a customer service background means Interim Management is an ideal choice of career for me.
What do you find most satisfying about your career
Meeting interesting people and learning from them. I don't think that any other job allows genuine interaction with the brightest candidates and the most successful leaders in the country. At this level there is no definitive line between a client and a candidate and as such it is very rewarding to be treated as a trusted resource and partner. I recently supported an Operations Director with a supply chain expert, the first contact I had with the Director was to supply him with bench hand joiners thirteen years ago when he was a junior manager!! that was a pretty rewarding day and evidence of how important it is to gain trust early in the relationship.
What qualities do you look for in an interim management candidate?
"Quality" in terms of delivery capability and key stakeholder management skills, I also look for Interim Managers that have a strong network. I only work with candidates that understand the value of relationship building and that starts from the initial contact whether they are currently a Client, Professional Interim Manager or have aspirations to become an Interim Manager.
How can clients get the most out of working with you?
I would say engage as a partner. The purpose of using an Interim Manager is to solve a business problem, and I find that most of my clients understand me as a provider just as much as I understand them as a client. If I know and understand a client's strategy it allows me to forward plan for them confidently identifying the best talent in the market at any given time.
What would you say are the key challenges for your clients in the Support Services sector? How can interim management help?
I would say that my focus more recently has been within the Facilities Management sector, the sector as a whole is only about Fifteen years old and is truly in its infancy. The majority of my clients are concerned that the front office is growing much faster than the back office and this is not only effecting the service delivery but is also stunting growth as potential new revenue streams cannot be built on unstable foundations. The main issue is that as a sector it does not have a track record of using interim managers and I believe that this is because many within it do not truly understand the benefits of using Interim Managers. Many directors rely on their "black book" bringing in friends and old collegues rather than appoint a more experienced, more knowledgeable interim manager. There are however, companies like Serco who have proven that service delivery is a platform that can be extended to any service as long as you embrace the knowledge and expertise that is out there. Serco have a history of using Interim Managers, is this a reason why it is one of the most successful companies in the service sector today?
Professional Interim managers can provide "best in class" functional support to facilities management companies to enable them to take advantage of what is proving to be a very bank / investor friendly sector. We have tried and tested Interim Managers who can implement cost savings using their Lean Manufacturing experience. Supply Chain Interims who can utilise their experience within FMCG to ensure that FM companies operate "Just in time" methodologies.
I believe that this sector is a potential target for the large corporates and private equity companies who will be attracted by the long forward order book and blue chip client base.
About Mark Kitchen
Favourite destination?
Most places in Greece. Nowhere else can you get great food and wine, world class beaches and the friendliest people in Europe.
Best restaurant/favourite food?
Kolossi in Farringdon is a very traditional Greek taverna, their Kleftiko is the best in London.
Which three people would you have round for dinner?
Achilles, Mike Tyson and Margaret Thatcher
Three favourite albums/artists?
Paul Weller, Arctic Monkeys and the Bee Gees
What are you currently reading?
The richest man in Babylon (For the 5th time!!)