When top managers suddenly drop out of a company for unforeseen reasons, an interim solution often has to be found very quickly.
The position of "interim manager" is certainly not a dream job, but it has become more and more established in recent years.
Large companies can more easily conjure up someone from their large pool of junior staff, while medium-sized companies have it much more difficult.
The large HR consultants have often left the search for transitional candidates to smaller specialist agents, preferring to go on the time-consuming search for a permanent solution themselves.
But now the personnel consultancy Heidrick & Struggles is getting into the business.
The consulting firm, which is listed on the Nasdaq, immediately grabbed the German market leader Atreus.
This should cause a stir in the industry.
Because the market for interim managers is growing, and the profession has gained acceptance in recent years.
Recruitment consultants who are also toying with the idea of entering the segment may now have a hard time, the industry leader in the highly fragmented market has been taken.