Interim Management in 2026.
Reflections from an expanding sector
Interim management is already a strategic response in Spain and Portugal to technological acceleration, talent shortages, and geopolitical uncertainty.
To get an up-to-date overview of the sector, we asked a series of questions this week to our partners at EPUNTO Interim Management, who, through their extensive experience, provided us with a clear vision:
"The Interim Management sector is a rapidly expanding market with increasingly diverse demand, offering senior talent the opportunity to demonstrate the importance this group has to contribute to companies now more than ever."
AI as a decision-accelerating tool
Emilio del Prado He emphasizes the direct impact of artificial intelligence on management: “AI is having an extraordinarily positive impact on management activities, whose core value-added aspects are accountability, sound decision-making, and risk reduction.” His main observation is that AI doesn't replace the responsibility of making decisions; rather, it enhances them. With data, context, and knowledge, AI combined with the experience of the interim manager reduces risks and increases success rates.
“AI is having an extraordinarily positive impact on management activities, whose core values are taking responsibility, making the right decisions, and reducing risks.” — Emilio del Prado, CEO of EPUNTO
According to Emilio, interim managers can find great opportunities in artificial intelligence, and to do so they must incorporate advanced analytical capabilities that complement their intuition and judgment, without giving up the accountability inherent in leadership.
Evolution of the sector in the Iberian Peninsula
Patricio Gil Olmedo It provides a comparative view of the Iberian market: interim management in Spain and Portugal has not yet reached the levels of countries like France, Germany, or the United Kingdom, but “shows an unequivocal upward trend.” It explains that the main difference lies in the degree of maturity, the awareness of the benefits of these services, and the size of the companies; while in much of Western Europe interim management is a well-established practice, in the Iberian Peninsula it is still in a developmental phase.
In their analysis, they emphasize that “we live in a rapidly changing, volatile, complex, and uncertain environment,” which forces companies to have the capacity for rapid adaptation and execution. Therefore, in their opinion, “interim management services become a fast, flexible, and efficient solution” for critical projects requiring tight deadlines: digital transformation, sustainability, restructuring, and regulatory compliance.
“The most in-demand roles in interim management are those related to technology and digitalization, financial efficiency, operations and logistics, mergers and acquisitions, and cultural transformation.” Patricio Gil OlmedoManaging Partner of EPUNTO
Patricio also specifies the most in-demand functions: technology and digitization, financial efficiency, operations and logistics, mergers and acquisitions, and cultural transformation, with a predominance of high-level executive profiles (CEO, CFO, COO, CCO, CHRO, CIO) that provide immediate value.
Senior talent as a competitive advantage
Miguel Garcia Alonso It posits that “Interim Management is not just an option for Silver Talent; it is their natural ecosystem.” Senior professionals bring immediate value, objectivity, and mentorship, as their experience allows them to deliver results from day one and transfer knowledge without the constraints of those seeking a long-term corporate career. Furthermore, this model offers seniors the opportunity to choose purposeful projects and extend their contributions flexibly.
“Interim Management is not just an option for Silver Talent; it is their natural ecosystem.” — Miguel Garcia AlonsoEPUNTO partner
Consequently, interim management is key to activating what he calls the 'Senior Dividend', a strategic response to the shortage of critical experience in the market: reincorporating that intellectual capital is, now more than ever, a priority need.
Sectors with growing demand
BEGOÑA HERNANDEZ It identifies three areas with growing traction: international strategy, strategic financial management, and digital and cultural transformation processes. In its view, “geopolitical uncertainty and supply chain disruptions are forcing us to review markets, redesign value chains, and optimize entry into volatile markets.” Furthermore, it considers that “digital and cultural transformation processes continue to be fundamental drivers of organizational adaptation, where interim profiles can accelerate the transition, provide neutrality, and facilitate effective change management in environments with high resistance or a need for speed.”
In this sense, the finance department is increasingly acting as a partner to the CEO; and cultural transformation remains essential for technological changes to endure.
“Digital and cultural transformation processes continue to be fundamental levers for organizational adaptation, where interim profiles can accelerate the transition, provide neutrality and facilitate effective change management in environments with high resistance or a need for speed.” — Begoña HernándezEPUNTO partner
Thus, interim management is not merely a technical solution. It is a tool that provides governance, financial capacity, and leadership to manage resistance and ensure implementation.
From one-off solution to strategic lever
Rafael Bustamante Schneider It summarizes the evolution of the role: interim management “is evolving from being a one-off solution to a key strategy for business agility and transformation.” Digitalization, economic uncertainty, and labor flexibility have made interim managers central players in managing crises, successions, and structural changes.
Looking ahead to 2026 (in a context of enormous geopolitical, social and business uncertainty), "their experience and results orientation will be even more crucial."
“In 2026, in a context of enormous geopolitical, social and business uncertainty, management skills, experience and above all, commitment to results, will make interim managers an increasingly important variable in business management.” — Rafael Bustamante SchneiderEPUNTO partner
This transformation implies that organizations stop viewing interim management as a band-aid solution and integrate it into their planning as a strategic resource to accelerate critical decisions.
Agility and speed in response
Juan Manuel Gil de Escobar It offers a practical perspective: “The market in Spain is maturing and adoption is growing, especially among SMEs and family businesses.” However, “some confusion persists regarding what interim management is and what it is not.” It is frequently “erroneously equated with recruitment and selection processes.” Their call is to strengthen communication about the scope, objectives, and guarantees of the service to clearly differentiate it from headhunting.
“Our proposal process times are shorter than even those demanded by the market.” Juan Manuel Gil de EscobarManaging Partner of EPUNTO
Assignments maintain their essence (i.e., defined and results-oriented missions, with an average duration of around six months) although they require greater customization according to the client's needs.
Conclusion and practical guidelines
The contributions converge on key points: AI enhances decision-making, senior talent offers immediate execution and mentoring, demand extends to finance, internationalization and cultural transformation, and the market continues its professionalization process.
The challenge for the sector is to clearly communicate its differentiating value and combine technology and experience to maximize impact.
EPUNTO Interim Management provides profiles with that mix of experience, immediacy and focus on results, to accompany organizations in their change processes and in the challenges that 2026 will bring.