In many respects, 2025 was a year of first things for us.

Our first year working together, our first year as an interim management provider in this form, and our first year as podcast creators, all whilst building on over two decades of professional foundations.

These “firsts” brought with them enthusiasm, rethinking, learning, and a great deal of reassurance. As leaders, perhaps the greatest satisfaction comes not merely from listing last year's achievements, but from identifying genuinely meaningful lessons.

The Momentum of the first year

A great deal has been launched simultaneously over the past year. There was no time to settle into one role before the next demanded our attention. As an interim management provider, we demonstrated day in, day out what it truly means to step into an organisation with accountability, an outside perspective, and immediate effectiveness. Navigating high expectations, tight deadlines, and ultimately delivering both business and human success.

We launched our own podcast channel, elevating professional dialogue to a new level: sharing leadership stories and problem-solving frameworks that serve as a genuine compass for those operating in the market. These steps reinforced our conviction that there is real value in making yourself visible and in giving voice to ideas that are still taking shape.

Strategic responses to market challenges

In building our market presence, we are deliberate about aligning our corporate brand with the personal brands of our experts, because we know that the foundation of premium service is credibility and measurable results.

For us, sales is the beginning of a strategic partnership. We build relationships of trust in which our commitment to solutions-focused thinking and exceptional quality contributes directly to our clients' success. We keep a close eye on market feedback, so that insights and best practices can be woven into our processes without delay.

Where our excellence shows

The cornerstone of our business model is forging genuine, strategic partnerships with our clients. A relationship that goes well beyond the conventional client–provider dynamic. We work exclusively with interim managers of outstanding professional and personal calibre, because we firmly believe there is no room whatsoever for compromise on premium standards. That is why we consistently choose long-term value creation over the easier path.

In this spirit, we take full responsibility for our work, and when mistakes occur, we draw lessons together. Lessons that only strengthen the partnership. We are equally committed to building community, as we are convinced that in the future of interim management, the shared knowledge of experts is where the real competitive advantage lies.

Key lessons from the past year

The experiences of 2025 have given us a clear sense of direction:

• You can never talk enough about the business, neither internally nor with clients.
• Without a plan, there are no results, but plans must be held lightly, because reality moves faster than any roadmap.
• You need an ambitious goal, to inspire you, and alongside it a more grounded one, to keep you anchored in the day-to-day.
• Innovation and AI are playing an ever-greater role in how we operate.

Looking ahead

2025 confirmed what we already suspected: interim management is a deliberate and powerful leadership tool. In the period ahead, we intend to stay the course, asking questions, learning, growing, and creating genuine value for our clients along the way.

Thank you to everyone who was part of this first shared year. We promise the next chapter will be even more rewarding.

Bea Csiszár, Dóra Markovits & the interim.hu team