Five minutes with SJ Leatherdale – Partner – Healthcare and Life Sciences

This is now my 19^th year at Odgers Interim, joining in 2006, ironically initially as an interim, covering a maternity leave, with my focus at the time on the awarding body arena, before I moved over to Healthcare in 2011.

Prior to this, I spent several years in the recruitment industry both in the UK and Far East, if I was to be a bit more accurate and alas showing my age I would say I’ve been in the industry for about 30 years!.

So how did Odgers Interim come into my life? Well, when I came back from the Far East I needed a bit of time out so decided to transition into interim roles, stepping away from the sales remit – I covered, wait for it – recruitment and retention and Odgers were a client of mine, that’s how it started! So when my external contract naturally concluded Odgers were quite insistent for me to join! One could say, in my maternity cover I was “duck to water” with literally within a few weeks, placing candidates rapidly, realising that my enduring passion despite trying so hard to avoid it was here to stay!. Ultimately accepting a permanent position at Odgers Interim.

Today, I lead the Healthcare practice, with my portfolio covering life sciences, independent healthcare, and public sector healthcare, including the NHS – pretty vast and I love it!

Can you share any interesting trends or patterns you’ve noticed in the interim market?

Interim management is very unpredictable; it is up and down and very dependent on peoples movements and market conditions. In terms of public sector healthcare, currently we are seeing a need for operational management roles, this tends to be quite on-going though largely due to how busy the acute trusts, (hospitals)  are against the demand. This can be in a range of areas, including, but not limited to ED, medicine, surgery, theatres, women’s and children’s and RTT etc, Mental Health Trusts are too needing that senior resource with clients either requiring very good divisional directors or COOs for the Board to lead on this. 

Another area, Finance, remains a busy functional requirement, especially now with the financial recovery, cost improvement programmes. The colossal changes with NHS England being abolished is seeing the need for CFO and senior finance professionals coming in to support the Trusts, as well as providing support and the additional capacity.

I am also seeing a higher need for HR roles – from HRBP, HR Generalists to Chief People Officers. This is to provide support and capacity with various HR initiatives, including culture, change management, and restructures.

Overall, I’m confident to say we are seeing the procurement of C-Suite level roles, as well as a high requirement for sub-board level roles, in particular deputy director level roles across the functions. Its never volume but it’s a steady requirement, on-going.

What are some of the most exciting or innovative interim projects you’ve come across recently?

I always see every role I work on as exciting and gaining these mandates always gives me a massive spring in my step – reality is the role propels whatever additional provision of healthcare is needed. So when thinking of this we are seeing some incredibly interesting and innovative projects, especially within the independent healthcare and life sciences space. With an increase in commercial roles – to support new product launches, new products to market – whether the expansion in the UK or Internationally, ultimately generating new revenue streams. These clients may already have an established brand in the UK or within a different country, but looking at building  – example, diagnostics, consumer healthcare and new market entrants of medical or tech enabled devices.

What are your predictions for the interim market in 2025-2026?

I’m always cautiously optimistic, I guess that’s down to experience – gaps are needed to be filled so I think we will continue to see an increased requirement for HR roles, this is due to large amounts of  change happening, specifically in the NHS. Coupled, with increased cost cutting exercises, this will impact the workforce. It has been announced for about 50% reductions needed in the NHS provider landscape, same with the ICBs – on track for mergers - reducing these from 42 to around 22. This will result in lots of displaced people, and increased change in the workforce. We may see clients drawing on very experienced change management executives and organisation design experts to navigate this, as well as those with key skills in managing cultural change and TUPE.

In terms of opportunities I believe the expansion of diagnostics centres (CDC’s) also AI driven diagnostics, virtual wards and the continuing investment of technology to continually support productivity and patient access are key areas.

Do you anticipate any major shifts or trends in the interim market in the upcoming year?

As mentioned from the outset, the interim market is highly unpredictable, we never know what we will be asked to support on any given day – this in itself gives me and my colleagues that high energy  – every day you have to be ready to act at colossal pace. Interim requirements are closely linked to client capacity needs, changes in C-Suite level, specific projects, or improvement initiatives, as well as interim coverage while the client recruits to the substantive role.

At Odgers Interim, whilst we work within our specific sectors, we cover all roles within these sectors. For myself, this includes functional roles in Finance, HR, and Operations, as well as highly specialised healthcare-specific roles sometimes quite niche. This approach has enabled us to build within our networks and to support virtually all skill sets required by our clients. It’s a great learning curve for us too and actually fun when discussing this latest acronym or programme of work.

What challenges do you foresee for interim executives in the near future?

That’s going to vary significantly dependent on what area of healthcare it is and on their specific area of focus. Reality is the sector needs the innovation, the collaboration to have a common shared purpose and with this comes the skills. But the financial pressures are a central theme - budget constraints and spending caps, particularly in public sector healthcare, will be key and challenging. Additionally, we may see an increase in opportunities of what framework agreements are in spot, so best be on one!

Perhaps although I am not entirely convinced of this, the cost restrictions could lead some clients to prefer permanent hires over interim gap management. Conversely, some clients may opt for fixed-term contracts ranging from 6 to 18 months instead of the permanent recruitment.

Another challenge, the shrinking talent pool this is often due to the extension of interim placements. A notable example is the interim CFO space, where high activity levels have led to many interims being retained, thereby increasing the demand for more interim CFOs.

What advice would you give to someone considering a move into an interim career?

A key piece of advice I would offer is to maintain a strong network. While we are one route to market, it is also beneficial to join workshops, engage with LinkedIn groups, and leverage your own networks. Stay in touch with former colleagues from substantive roles and those who were hiring in your desired sectors. Be vocal, be visible, and be well-connected.

Additionally, be prepared for quieter periods and be realistic about contract end dates. There may be times when you do not have a contract in place, which can initially feel stressful but is often due to market conditions beyond anyone's control. These periods can be valuable opportunities to take well-deserved breaks and downtime following the often intense and busy nature of interim roles.

Interim management is an incredible model. In my experience, I have encountered only a handful of individuals who have tried interim management and decided it was not for them, mainly linked to personal reasons. It offers the opportunity to work with diverse organisations, build your skills, and connect with numerous stakeholders and to really make a difference and at pace!

How can individuals best position themselves to succeed in the interim market?

A crucial factor is your reputation.

During and after each assignment, demonstrate how you have achieved key objectives and deliverables, and highlight the areas you have supported. This could involve executing cost-saving initiatives, enhancing a program of work, driving organisational and cultural change, or collaborating with numerous stakeholders.

As you broaden your portfolio career – its what you bring to your next assignment, so keep it strong, keep it varied and have those big examples of why they should hire you! Remember we can make things happen for you but its you that secures the role.