What does the AI revolution mean for Interims? In this episode, we sit down with Mandie Beitner, an experienced AI and transformation leader sharing the fascinating details of defining an AI strategy and implementing AI at scale—a challenge few have tackled. If you're an interim, a transformation leader, or just trying to navigate the rapid evolution of AI in business, this conversation is packed with actionable insights that will really help..

Mandie Beitner is an AI & Transformation leader, she has held senior permanent positions in finance, legal, tech and energy including at HSBC and Belron where she led major transformations. And latterly she has been an Interim doing similar transformation work including being the Interim AI Director at ARM, leading ARM’s AI transformation, defining AI strategy and how to embed AI at scale. So this is going to be fascinating….

These are my take-homes from that discussion with Mandie Beitner. She explained the unique challenges and immense opportunities of leading large-scale organizational change, particularly in the context Artificial Intelligence.

• AI Transformation at Scale: Mandie recounts her time as an interim AI Director at ARM, emphasizing that even a trailblazing organization faces common challenges: managing the speed of AI development, addressing employee fears about job impact, and overcoming general resistance to change. She highlights that AI adoption is fundamentally a comprehensive organizational transformation requiring the reimagining of people, processes, and technology. Her initial mandate was to bring structure, visibility, and a decision-making framework to the existing AI journey.
• The "Sortted" Framework: Mandie introduces her proprietary, data-driven framework, 'Sortted' (Strategy, Operational Redesign, Reporting, Team, Technology, Data), which she uses to quickly diagnose organizational health and align execution with strategic goals. This framework ensures that people, data, and delivery all pull in the same direction to meet strategic goals, and is specifically designed to help interims land fast and assemble order.
• The Future of Interim Leadership in the AI era: Mandie asserts that the success of future interim leaders will be measured by their fluency in AI and their ability to use AI tools as a multiplier to amplify delivery and personal productivity. Interims must be comfortable with the ambiguity and speed of new technology, acting as a chameleon to adapt to different organizational paces.
• The Power of Interim objectivity: The discussion explores the core value an interim brings: the ability to see the "whole pie" and provide a fresh, objective pair of eyes to complex organizational structures. This objectivity, coupled with their independence, grants them the intellectual authority to state their observations and recommendations without fear or favor, helping the business move in the right direction.
• Emotional resilience and the Interim life: Mandie shares the emotional highs and lows of being an interim. While she loves the constant change, learning, and the "light bulb moment" of seeing positive results, the most difficult challenge is the required emotional resilience to frequently walk away from projects and teams when the contract ends.

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What do you do when a successful, long-term career comes to an unexpected end? For Malcolm Lambeau, a former CIO and Managing Director at major British banks, it was an opportunity to hit the reset button. Fifteen years ago, a redundancy became the catalyst for a radical career change—one that led him from the corporate ladder to the dynamic world of interim and portfolio work. In this candid conversation, Malcolm shares the surprising joys, challenges, and rewards of becoming your own boss, and reveals the crucial mindset shift required to thrive as a professional interim.

Malcolm is a friend of the podcast through his advice and being the very first guest - 32 episodes ago.

· The Transition to Interim Work: Malcolm shares that his shift was triggered by a redundancy from his role at the Royal Bank of Scotland. Instead of seeking another permanent position, he felt a strong desire to do something different and entrepreneurial. He was encouraged by a headhunter to explore the interim route, and he quickly realized it was the right path for him.

· The Surprises and Realities of Interim Life: Malcolm was surprised by how much he enjoyed the work, how quickly he could make an impact in new organizations, and how welcoming he was made to feel. He particularly valued being "immune to politics" and being able to focus on specific, clear objectives. Contrary to his initial expectations of long gaps between contracts, he found himself almost continuously employed for seven years.

· The Mindset of an Interim Professional: The conversation highlights that becoming an interim isn't just a job change—it's a fundamental cultural and personal transformation. Malcolm emphasizes that you must see yourself as a business. This includes doing your own risk assessment, managing your finances and accepting that you'll have to operate without the typical support staff and authority of a permanent executive. Your only power is your expertise and ability to influence others.

· Common Mistakes and Key Advice: Malcolm identifies several pitfalls for those new to interim work. A key mistake is not having a clear plan and treating it as "a bit of interim" work, which can hurt your reputation with recruitment agents who prefer commitment. He stresses the importance of building a strong network of agents and practicing your interview skills, noting that many senior professionals rely too heavily on their polish rather than preparing a well-rehearsed narrative.

· The Rewards of Coaching and Mentoring: Malcolm finds immense satisfaction in his coaching and mentoring work. He gets a buzz from helping people find jobs and achieve success. He highlights that despite the lack of a permanent team or the daily grind of corporate life, the personal reward of seeing others benefit from his experience is what makes his current work so meaningful.

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This episode is a personal account of Alex Clixby, a former British Army officer who has become a civilian Interim CIO. Alex shares how his military training prepared him for leadership in civilian life and the unique challenges of fractional interims managing multiple clients at once. Alex also delves into deeper and personal challenges that put all these things into perspective.

Alex is a fractional interim, providing services to many clients. He runs an on-demand CIO service called One IT.

He was a commissioned officer in the British Army for 16 years and has worked as a civilian for the last 13, working with businesses to improve their IT, transform their ways of working, reduce spend, and ultimately help them achieve more.

• From Military to Civilian CIO: Alex spent 16 years as a commissioned officer in the British Army's Royal Corps of Signals, the IT arm of the military. He discusses how his military experience, which taught him leadership, management, and working under pressure, provided a strong foundation for his transition to a civilian IT leadership role. He highlights one key difference between military and civilian work as shifting from a "black and white" command-and-control approach to a more collaborative and democratic style.
• The Fractional Interim CIO Model: Alex explains that a fractional CIO works for multiple clients simultaneously, providing on-demand IT leadership. He currently juggles seven such roles and discusses the challenges and skills required, such as discipline and time management, to balance a large number of clients and their varying needs. He also touches on the importance of mastering administrative tasks across different platforms.
• Assessing Client Needs and Building Trust: When starting a new engagement, Alex conducts a five to seven-day review to assess all elements of a client's IT service, including people, processes, technology, and risk. He explains that building trust with new clients is crucial and he achieves this by presenting not only where the problems are, but also how to fix them and make improvements. He emphasizes that the fresh perspective of an interim CIO can quickly identify issues and create a clear IT strategy and roadmap.
• The Pros and Cons of an Interim Career: Alex prefers the variety of challenges that come with a fractional role over a single, permanent position, as he can easily get bored. However, he acknowledges the downsides, such as the occasional feeling of loneliness and the emotional toll of stepping away from projects and colleagues after an engagement is over. He also shares how this career path allows for a better work-life balance compared to a full-time role.
• A Personal Mission: The conversation concludes with a deeply personal and inspiring segment where Alex shares his recent diagnosis of Stage 1 prostate cancer. He explains how he has used his experience to raise awareness among men about the importance of getting a PSA blood test. He also recounts his recent achievement of cycling 150 miles to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK, demonstrating his commitment to turning a personal negative into a positive.

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