Thoughts on Interim and On-Demand Leadership: An Interview with Ysette Witteveen
The firm’s purpose of improving quality of life through impactful leadership is important to me. It is the kind of firm I want to be...
Ysette Witteveen serves as Managing Partner & Practice Leader, Interim Leadership – Life Sciences and Investor-Backed Healthcare. Before joining WittKieffer, Ysette served as senior managing director and life sciences lead for a leading on-demand executive talent firm delivering expert leaders and consultants in clinical solutions, R&D, commercial, access and value, finance, HR, and operations at pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies. Ysette also held leadership consulting positions at Monitor (now Deloitte) and PricewaterhouseCoopers Strategy Consulting (now part of IBM). She currently serves as a Venture Partner with BOLD Capital Partners, advising life science and healthcare investments. She earned an M.B.A. from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and a B.B.A. from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. We sat down with Ysette to discuss why she joined WittKieffer, where she sees the greatest demand for interim & on-demand leadership, how clients’ needs are shifting, and who should consider hiring interim talent.
Q: You recently joined WittKieffer. Why did you decide to join the firm?
Ysette: I joined because I believe in the mission and vision of WittKieffer. I’ve been focused on life sciences and investor-backed healthcare leadership for the bulk of my career – in management consulting, venture investing, and placing interim and on-demand leaders; I care about helping people and patients. The firm’s purpose of improving quality of life through impactful leadership is important to me. It is the kind of firm I want to be part of, one that is dedicated to improving the quality of people’s lives and serving organizations that make a positive difference in the world.
Another reason is the truly integrated, collaborative team at WittKieffer. We are unique in this regard. I have immense respect for my colleagues who are deeply committed to their clients, candidates, and each other. I so enjoy working with all my colleagues!
At this point in my career, I could work for many different firms. WittKieffer is where I want to be. We truly focus on being leadership consultants to our clients by offering integrated solutions and thinking through their challenges holistically.
Q: What is your specific role, and how does it fit with WittKieffer’s leadership solutions?
Ysette: I lead the interim leadership team for Life Sciences and Investor-Backed Healthcare. We help our clients find interim and on-demand leaders to get critical work done, expedite projects, bridge gaps during the search process, and bring specialized expertise to augment leadership teams. My team and I work closely with our interim leadership colleagues focused on education and healthcare, as well as our search and leadership advisory colleagues to find the best solutions for clients.
Q: How do you differentiate between interim leadership solutions and on-demand leadership?
Ysette: An interim leader is a role-based executive hired to fulfil a specific position, such as an interim CFO, interim CHRO, or interim commercial leader. This type of leadership is often suitable for companies at certain stages to propel the organization forward during transitions, such as a stand-up or turnaround, bridging between two leadership regimes, or addressing a temporary need like a product launch. It is also beneficial for supporting a company stage that only requires fractional support or is not ready to hire fulltime yet.
On-demand leaders are project- or deliverable-based consultants. They are an alternative to traditional consulting. Engaging an on-demand leader allows companies to bring in highly specialized, experienced consultants to complete specific tasks on an as-needed basis. On-demand leaders have substantial industry experience and may have previously worked at top consulting firms such as McKinsey, Bain, PwC, Accenture, or others. For example, they can lead an integration or oversee specific finance or product launch initiatives.
Both interim and on-demand leaders are strategic talent levers to get critical work done and move a business forward.
Q: What excites you about working with life science or investor-backed healthcare organizations?
Ysette: I love working on life sciences and investor-backed healthcare leadership strategies because I am passionate about helping people and improving patient outcomes. Throughout my career, I have been dedicated to these fields, and I find fulfilment in connecting people and contributing to advancements that enhance the quality of life and science. Additionally, I value the dynamic and innovative environment that investor-backed healthcare and life sciences offer today, allowing me to work with cutting-edge technologies and solutions that make a real difference in the world and in people’s wellness.
I love collaborating with the strong, capable people in our industry—clients, talent, and colleagues. I often get to be at the forefront of the new initiatives and innovations that these leaders are tackling. I have the opportunity to work with different parts of an organization and the leaders within them to improve leadership effectiveness and get initiatives accomplished.
I’m also excited to provide these organizations an alternative to traditional consulting firms by offering solutions that help companies stretch their budgets through interim and on-demand roles. I come from the world of consulting (PwC, Monitor), and I’ve worked on many of the types of projects our clients are addressing; so, I understand what it takes to succeed, which helps when selecting the right leader. It is extremely valuable for clients of all sizes to have a strong, value-based alternative to consulting.
For me, it’s also personal. My father, a retired cardiologist, opened my eyes to the profound impact of excellent care on a person’s life, as well as moments when medical advancements were not yet sufficient to help someone.
There’s a great pool of high-skilled, interim and on-demand talent and, given my passion for health, wellness, and improving quality of life, it’s exciting to meet and work with people with deep expertise who are making a difference in these industries. Placing many leaders allows me to have a broader impact.
Q: It seems like the landscape of leadership consulting is diversifying, scaling, and maturing. How does WittKieffer fit into this landscape?
Ysette: We uniquely fit into this evolving landscape as the premier leadership advisory firm developing impactful leadership teams for organizations that improve quality of life. We believe that the well-being of people and communities is inextricably tied to health, education, and scientific advancement – three monumental fields that define quality of life globally—which is why WittKieffer exclusively serves organizations aligned to these areas of impact. We combine our talent acquisition capabilities, including executive search and interim and on-demand leadership, with our leadership advisory expertise to provide integrated solutions that enable the exceptional leadership needed to build the organizations that impact our lives.
Q: How has the role of interim and on-demand leadership evolved since you entered this market?
Ysette: On-demand talent solutions barely existed ten years ago, and now companies have a great alternative in on-demand leaders to get experienced executive support. It used to be that urgent leadership help required organizations to hire a big consulting firm or ask their own people to do more and more. Or they would have to find and manage an on-demand leader out of their own network. This isn’t the case anymore. Interim role-based leaders have been used for a longer time but not on a systematic basis with talent partners, like WittKieffer, identifying and managing these senior leaders.
Now with talent partners and increased awareness, the market for interim and on-demand leaders has been exploding. Both companies and consultants are embracing this new strategic lever to get work done or find a new way to work. Life sciences and investor-backed healthcare have been at the forefront of the trend, as organizations need to rapidly scale up for product launches, shift gears, or add to their finance leadership deal with mergers and acquisitions, all of which can create leadership constraints, voids, and opportunities. And Private Equity (PE)-backed and Venture Capital (VC) firms are looking for cost-effective leaders and augment current leaders and teams. They need to keep moving forward with initiatives, and interim and on-demand leaders are an excellent choice for these growth-oriented organizations.
No longer do companies only have established consulting firms as a solution for leadership and transformation challenges. While large consulting firms still play a significant role, the consulting world has diversified to better meet organizations’ many unique needs. This diversification includes the growth of on-demand and interim leaders through talent partners and the emergence of niche consulting firms.
Today, WittKieffer can provide clients with highly experienced leaders or small teams at a fraction of the cost of a big consulting firm. We can deploy proven leaders on the ground in five to 10 days, to address various needs, whether it is accelerating growth, getting a project back on track, averting a crisis, or transforming a process or part of the organization. This flexibility, efficiency, and integrated solution makes us a valuable partner in the modern leadership consulting landscape. Interim and on-demand work is now a respected, attractive career option for executives. These leaders are not just people nearing retirement but executives across the spectrum who enjoy this type of work and the flexible lifestyle it provides. They find fulfilment in making a difference for many different organizations.
Q: Why should private equity and venture capital firms leverage interim and on-demand talent?
Ysette: I’m a venture partner at BOLD Capital Partners, so I understand that world very well. PE and VC firms leverage interims in different ways. If a PE portco is getting ready for an IPO but the current CFO doesn’t have all the required skillsets, an interim could augment the team whereas a VC portco may need to bring in an experienced CFO interim to help the company get to the next stage. An interim HR executive could help develop the organization, create the organizational design, and implement HR systems to track activity and meet employment law requirements for a growing portfolio company. On-demand specialists could conduct a market or due diligence assessment or develop a product launch plan. PE and VCs are really embracing this new way of supporting their portfolio companies. We recently placed an on-demand finance consultant to support the CFO of a VC-backed healthcare company to conduct a complicated financial analysis to support forecasting and pricing decisions.
In summary: interim leaders are being used to improve flexibility, speed, expertise, and capital preservation while enabling growth and / or transformation. They provide a cost-effective alternative to consultants, allow for easy scalability, lead critical projects, or upscale a leadership team. Their impact is pivotal in achieving business objectives and enhancing value. By leveraging interim and on-demand talent, private equity and venture capital firms can navigate complex challenges, optimize performance, and drive growth more effectively.
Q: What kind of person should client organizations expect in an interim or on-demand executive?
Ysette: The common image of an interim executive is someone at retirement age who wants to stay active and involved in the working world. The current landscape of interim and on-demand leaders is very different. This is a career choice for many of these leaders and only a few are embracing this lifestyle while in transition. Interim leaders are experienced, possess deep expertise and energy, enjoy rolling up their sleeves, know how to navigate organizations, and can deliver fast impact.
Interim leaders love to come in and fix problems or accomplish critical goals—delivering fast, flexible impact. Even if it’s for a brief period, this is how they choose to use their skills and expertise. Others choose being an independent leader as a career path because they love doing the work and don’t enjoy selling work, which is the way to move up and stay at large consulting firms. They appreciate having a talent partner, like WittKieffer, who can help them find their next interim role or project. Our premier interim talent network includes experienced, professional leaders. They’re motivated by situations in which their help is dearly needed and appreciated. They are driven to succeed no matter the situation.
Q: Why should an organization hire a WittKieffer interim executive? What differentiates WittKieffer from other firms?
Ysette: Our key differentiator really comes down to trust – our ability to advise organizations on the optimal leadership solutions. Both our clients and our interim leaders see us as truly having their best interests at heart. We bring impactful leadership to organizations and build strong relationships with them over many years. We bring trusted leadership advisors to help scope out and structure the best solution. That’s what we find rewarding and why WittKieffer has been in business for more than 55 years.
First, our premier network of interim leaders and on-demand talent is second to none—a combined network of 2,500 leaders strong and growing. These leaders are carefully vetted; not everyone is allowed to join. Many network members come from referrals as people see the value for themselves and/or their colleagues of our strong, professional network.
Second, our integrated go-to-market approach in organization, systems, processes, and incentives enables us to serve our clients to find the right leadership solution at the right time and support the “convergence” that’s going on in the marketplace.
Third, our integrated team has deep expertise in interim and on-demand leadership, traditional executive search, and leadership advisory, and we take a holistic perspective in working with each client—that is, how can we best help the client meet their immediate and long-term needs? Our interim team across all our markets understands the interim world well and can help our clients scope the right solutions. Sometimes that’s an on-demand CFO, sometimes it’s coaching a newly hired CEO or entire team, sometimes a fractional CMO with a SVP of medical background, or sometimes recruiting one or more permanent senior executives—and sometimes it is upscaling their leadership through our leadership advisory. We want every engagement to advance the client’s overarching business strategy by finding the right people, developing their capabilities, and helping them engage in ways that add value so they may move forward to strengthen their organization.
Fourth, we focus exclusively on the Quality of Life ecosystem—Life Sciences, Healthcare, and Education. We have deep expertise and insight in these markets and a database of 1.2 million executives in that ecosystem.
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