Mind Unit
Brief
It asked David Tarsh to step in as Interim CEO, for 3 months on a 3 day week basis, to help develop the business and assist Ian Budden, the company’s founder, to tackle:
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Staffing challenges - need for a new plan, gaps in the team and recent turnover
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Production issues - quality control, resource allocation and project management
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Lapses in client service
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Dilemmas over office accommodation and
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The founder’s high personal workload
Action
At the outset, David made it a priority to meet one-on-one with all staff in order to understand personal issues.
As workflow planning was informal and ad hoc, he instigated a weekly planning meeting and built a spreadsheet to help oversee and manage projects.
Following agreement of a new staffing plan to support a growth strategy, David spent a large part of his time on recruitment. He reworded job advertisements, negotiated competitive rates with recruitment companies, conducted interviews and influenced policy to look beyond experience to the personal qualities and character of candidates.
He drafted new job description and appraisal templates and incorporated new terms into a standard employment contract to better protect the company’s interests.
David also increased the commercial focus by making all staff aware of time and its importance in costing and pricing projects. He introduced the concept of different charge out rates to assist with resource allocation and pricing.
He helped the founder take the decision to seek new office accommodation and followed through with lease negotiation.
He also addressed slippages in billing, wrote a new corporate presentation and advised on negotiations with Mind Unit’s largest customer.
Results 
Ian Budden, Mind Unit’s founder said “An excellent placement and an amazing driver for change, with particular strengths towards the people, finding and empowering.”
Very soon after David’s arrival, there was a noticeable change in the atmosphere. Mind Unit began to feel much more positive and energetic.
Within three months, the company more than doubled in size in terms of headcount and the founder was delighted with the calibre of people hired. In particular, an excellent ‘lieutenant’ was found who was able to assume some of the founder’s workload and move the business forward.
Heads of terms were agreed on new offices and the office manager had a clear brief on how to manage the move.
When David left, Mind Unit was buzzing with work and it had sufficient business on the books and in the pipeline to sustain it for many months ahead.
Ian Budden concluded: “…extremely positive. The key effect of you being here was to reinvigorate the company, and that in itself is a key seed change for which I thank you.”