Appointing an Interim Head of Communications to Navigate Strategic Transformation and Enhance Employee Engagement in a Salary Packaging and Fleet Management Organisation
The Brief
A leading provider of salary packaging, novated leasing, and fleet management services, required an Interim Head of Communications to guide the company through a period of strategic transformation.
Facing organisational changes, including restructuring, leadership shifts and new business lines, the company needed an experienced communications leader who could manage both internal and external communications with precision and strategic foresight.
The ideal candidate had to navigate these transitions while ensuring consistent, transparent messaging across the business and maintaining employee engagement through uncertain times.
Increase in General Management Skills
According to the American Management Association, only 14% of businesses consider themselves “well prepared” to handle a sudden loss in senior management. Add to that the fact that it takes at least four months to fill an executive role, and an Interim Executive experienced in operations makes a lot of sense!
Increase in Customer Experience Skills
These days experience is everything. What truly makes for a good experience? Speed. Convenience. Consistency. Friendliness. And human touch. Our Interim Executives deliver a great experience while improving your customer experience!
Increase in People & Culture Skills
Organisations are constantly changing as they respond to internal and external pressures. Continual process improvement can enable team engagement and lead to growth. Interim Executives bring fresh eyes and effective industry best practice to the execution.
Increase in Data Analytics
Complex challenges require critical thinking and in the age of information-overwhelm it is imperative to have analytical minds at the table. These skills range across finance, data science, systems and more. An Interim Executive can be the right person to optimise your inputs to maximise your output.
The Process
Future Leadership Interim Executive identified an interim communications professional with over two decades of experience across multiple industries, specialising in large-scale change management, employee engagement, and executive profiling. The candidate’s extensive background in developing communication strategies for high-profile organisations and managing complex restructures made them the strong match for the organisation’s needs.
The Interim Head of Communications quickly aligned with the executive leadership team to:
- Develop a comprehensive communication strategy that supported the organisation’s ongoing strategic transformation.
- Lead internal communications initiatives focused on improving employee engagement, building trust, and ensuring that staff felt connected to the organisation’s evolving goals.
- Manage external communications, ensuring the company’s brand and reputation were maintained during periods of change.
A particular focus was placed on uplifting the capability of the communications function, introducing new channels and methods to better engage employees, while also refining the messaging strategy for external stakeholders.
Emerging Capabilities
Communication and Influence
Articulates messages with clarity and impact to build understanding, inspire action, persuade others and enable information exchange. Considers the audience and draws on different styles to create impact.
Stakeholder Relations
Establishes rapport with stakeholders, builds and sustains trusted and collaborative relationships. Identifies and draws on relevant and diverse perspectives and integrates them to support productive interactions.
Culture and Engagement
Fosters a positive culture, creating a sense of belonging and inclusiveness. Creates an environment that encourages diverse perspectives and facilitates a psychologically safe environment.
Adaptability and Resilience
Demonstrates positivity, curiosity, and the ability to pivot when confronted with change, pressure, adversity, and disruption.
Strategy and Purpose
Gathers and examines diverse data points, presenting well-reasoned insights and reframing challenges.
The Outcome
The appointed Interim Head of Communications not only met the immediate needs of the organisation but also delivered strategic improvements that had a lasting impact on the organisation’s communication practices. Their efforts in refining the internal communication structure and establishing a more proactive external communication strategy contributed to a smoother transition through the organisation’s period of change.
Key achievements included:
- Boosting employee engagement scores, as internal communications became more transparent and leadership became more accessible to staff.
- Successfully positioning the leadership team as strategic, forward-thinking leaders during the transformation, which reinforced confidence in the company’s direction.
- Uplifting the capability of the communications team through the introduction of new tools and processes, ensuring that the organisation was better prepared for future growth and challenges.
- The client’s feedback was highly positive, noting that the interim Head of Communications had exceeded expectations by delivering more than just stability; they had brought lasting strategic improvements that aligned with the company’s broader objectives.
