Welcome to this Project Delivery podcast, where we tackle one of the biggest headaches in project delivery: why projects fail — and how to stop it before it’s too late.

Imagine this: Your dashboards are green, confidence is high… and then suddenly, everything unravels. What if you could see those risks coming weeks or even months ahead?

I’m Duncan Stott and I’m joined by Mandie Beitner, an experienced transformation leader and Gurdeep Grewal and Jora Gill, the co-founders of FireBreak, who are using AI tools to predict project drift before disaster strikes.

The Core Problem: Project Drift and Unpredictable Failure
The founders, both seasoned transformation leaders, repeatedly witnessed how even well-managed, large-scale programs (especially complex ERP, CRM, and migration projects) can suddenly drift and fail without early warning, often reporting "green" right up until the budget is spent (the "green-washing" effect).

The AI Solution: Predictive Drift Detection
Firebreak was created to address the 70% failure rate of large projects by leveraging AI to analyze massive volumes of project data simultaneously—a task impossible for humans.

The analogy used is moving from a static "map" (backward-looking plans and business cases) to a dynamic "sat-nav" (constantly analyzing, forecasting, and updating the journey).

How Firebreak Works

The AI ingests and analyzes a wide array of data points: time schedules, budgets, business cases, scope changes, decision lateness, and estimations.

It identifies critical signals that program directors often miss due to sheer volume, such as persistent missed deliveries or stalled decisions.

Crucially, it removes human bias from reporting, providing an unvarnished, objective view of project health.

Outputs and Value

Firebreak automatically generates governance reports that highlight successes and identify areas that could lead to trouble.

It goes beyond monitoring by providing AI-driven recommendations for corrective action leading to fewer cost overruns and faster detection times.

Empowering Project Managers

The tool is not a threat, but an aid that helps project managers do their jobs better by automating data management and reporting.

It frees up project managers to focus on the bigger picture, strategic thinking, and proactive problem-solving, rather than constantly chasing data and producing reports. It can also be used to train us and perhaps our junior colleagues.

So a fascinating tool, and a great use case for AI to help us project manage

Send us a text

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.

Send us a text

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.

Send us a text

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.

Send us a text

In today's busy and noisy world how do you stand-out and get noticed for who you are, what you can do? In this episode, I sit down with headhunter Nick Diprose to discuss a profoundly simple yet often overlooked strategy: authenticity. Join us as Nick explains why your CV is just the beginning and how building a genuine, personal brand can transform your career, allowing you to connect with recruiters and clients on a much deeper, more effective level.

I am very pleased today to be in conversation with Nick Diprose.

Nick started his career with British Steel working in large infrastructure projects, and has spent the last 20 years growing professional services businesses. He founded Holdsway in 2013 with the goal of promoting interim executives as the ‘expert game changers’ of the economy. Nick is a familiar guest on the podcast, his previous episode is one of the most popular called “Negotiate your day rate”.

· The CV as a Starting Point: Nick clarifies that while a clear and well-written CV is essential, it's merely a starting point. In a "busy, noisy world," a professional needs to go beyond the resume to truly stand out.

· Defining a Personal Brand: A personal brand isn't just a name or your last few assignments. It's about a person's identity: who they are, what drives them, what they do, and how they do it. It's a "you brand" that helps others instantly recognise what you stand for.

· Relationships Over Transactions: The conversation highlights a common misconception among interims that the recruitment process is a transactional, numbers game. Nick argues that a successful approach is built on relationships and mutual investment. Recruiters are busy people, but a proactive interim should seek to build a genuine connection rather than just tick boxes.

· Nick offers concrete and practice advice for interims. He emphasizes the need to know yourself first, understanding your motivations for being an interim and your core value proposition. This self-awareness allows you to be clear, confident, and genuine when engaging with recruiters. He encourages interims to be prepared, proactive, and accessible, focusing their efforts on a select group of recruiters who align with their style and market.

· The Benefits of Building Relationships: The tangible benefits of investing time in relationships with recruiters include expanding one's network and gaining access to opportunities faster. Nick also highlights that these relationships are a two-way street; a good recruiter will invest in you, helping to refine your CV and providing valuable feedback, while you should also invest the time to get to know them.

· Authenticity and Consistency: The episode concludes with Nick's core message: be you. He advises that a person's brand should be their authentic self—"warts and all"—and not a polished, inauthentic facade. Being genuine helps a person attract the right work with the right people at the right rate. Nick asserts that if you're not authentic, you're "acting," and this can lead to unfulfilling work.

Referenced: Tony Martin, Robert Cooper, Al Hall, Tim Fulton, Mark Cooper, Kevin Paterson.

Send us a text

In this inspiring episode, we chat with Tim Mattos, who recently made the courageous leap from a 14-year career as an IT Director at Aldi to the dynamic world of interim leadership. Discover what it takes to transition from a long-term successful permanent role to a flexible, high-impact interim career, and how embracing uncertainty can lead to incredible personal and professional growth. Tim's insights on rediscovering confidence, navigating challenges, and the unexpected joys of independent work will leave you re-evaluating your own career path. Tune in to learn why fortune favors the brave and how you can increase your "surface area for luck" in your own professional journey!

Tim has recently become an Interim, he's just completed his first assignment after it was extended. Previously he was an IT Director at Aldi where he worked for 14 years. It's a huge achievement to make such a transition from being a long-term permanent employee to being an Interim and it demonstrates Tim's determination, agility, flexibility and courage. With the new experiences fresh in his mind, I'm looking forward to a colourful and fascinating conversation.

• Seeking Entrepreneurship and Flexibility: Tim realized that he was no longer a natural fit for Aldi’s evolving shape and that it wasn't authentically him. He wanted to be entrepreneurial and wanted a flexible future where he could leverage his 20 years of operational leadership. A key attraction to the interim world was the opportunity for accelerated learning through diverse exposure and repeated experiences across different organizations and sectors. Thinking of the interim role as a "next chapter" rather than a final destination helped unblock the decision-making process.
• Reframing Skills: Tim quickly realised that his long tenure at Aldi had already equipped him with extensive experience in leading transformations; he just needed to reframe his existing skills for the interim market. He had to build an external professional network from scratch, a process he thoroughly enjoyed and found crucial for success in the interim world. Similarly he had to tackle the administrative work of setting up a limited company, registration, insurances, and managing periods between assignments, all of which are foreign to permanent employees. Inwardly, the transition was about rediscovering lost confidence and backing himself. Tim found immense empowerment in having a client rather than a boss, which allowed him to set boundaries, speak more plainly, and stand by his opinions.
• Embrace Challenge and New Experiences: Tim's love for challenge, new experiences, and curiosity, makes him a natural fit for the interim lifestyle.
• The Vast Market for Interims: Tim realized the sheer size and dynamism of the job market, particularly the 80% comprised of SMEs, where significant opportunities for interims exist.
• Increasing Your "Surface Area for Luck": Success in landing interim roles comes from being the right person with the right skills on the radar of the right people at the right time. Proactive networking and being prepared for opportunities are crucial.
• Agility and Decisiveness: Interim professionals need to be super agile, able to move fast, understand their financial implications and make quick decisions with available information.
• Emotional Resilience: Closing contracts and handing over to permanent hires can be emotionally challenging, as it means becoming no longer needed, and it is helpful to recognise that it is a sign of successful completion of an assignment.

Send us a text

What if we told you that one of your greatest assets isn't just your skills, but your confidence? Join us as we sit down with Lauren Curry a global voice on confidence as a tool for personal transformation.

This episode is packed with insights for anyone looking to amplify their impact, especially those navigating the unique challenges of interim roles. Lauren will share actionable strategies on building self-trust, leveraging visibility as economic power, and challenging outdated notions of what confidence truly means.

• Confidence is a Muscle: A central tenet of Lauren's philosophy is that confidence is a muscle to be built and stretched through practice, rather than an innate personality trait. She defines confidence as self-trust – trusting one's ideas, voice, experience, and the ability to recover from mistakes. She highlights that confidence comes in "all volumes" and can be quiet, kind, or gentle.
• The Importance of Introspection and Progress Tracking: Lauren advocates for regular reflection as a crucial aspect of growth. She shares her personal practice of a weekly "meeting with myself" to document achievements and learnings.
• Visibility as Economic Power and Personal Branding: A powerful theme is Lauren's assertion that "visibility is economic power" and that "good work alone is not enough." She urges professionals, particularly interims, to actively and deliberately build their personal brand, likening oneself to a "product." Key strategies for branding include: Showing up where target audiences are (LinkedIn, podcasts, panels, etc.); Having a clear, memorable headline or theme for what you're known for; Sharing work in progress and learnings openly and starting to build a reputation before it's needed, as it serves as a "runway" for future opportunities.
• The Cost and Reward of Independent Operation: Reflecting on 15 years of self-employment, Lauren describes being an independent operator as the "most expensive confidence exercise you'll ever do," due to financial uncertainty, unseen effort, constant self-promotion, solitary decision-making, and continuous risk-taking. However, she emphasizes that the reward – freedom, ownership, and personal growth – is immense.

Send us a text

Today we’re focusing on career longevity, and talking with an interim with an incredible track record of over 20 assignments in the UK and Australia. Lynn Thomas talks about resilience, energy, adapting, and resilience. If you're curious about a career that offers constant challenge, huge diversity and variety, and the flexibility to align with your life, this episode is going to be very interesting.

• Qualities of a Successful Interim: Lynne emphasizes that an interim professional is a "problem solver" and "connector," akin to an "emergency physician" or "paramedic" for organizations. Key qualities include resilience, diplomacy, confidence, and humility. She shares how she developed these attributes, likening it to "building muscle" through diverse experiences.
• Navigating Challenges and Building Trust: The conversation touches on the inherent challenges of interim work, such as walking into unfamiliar and sometimes hostile environments. Lynne stresses the importance of building trust with managers, especially when they might feel nervous about an outsider. She highlights the ability to provide clarity amidst confusion and see what internal staff might miss.
• Finding Assignments and Networking: Lynne discusses how the landscape for finding interim roles has evolved. While traditional agencies still exist, she now heavily relies on her network, reputation, referrals, and platforms like LinkedIn to secure new assignments.
• AI's Impact on the BA Role: Lynne shares her practical use of AI as a "personal assistant." She emphasizes that AI does not yet replace high valuable human capabilities such as curiosity, emotional intelligence, understanding organizational politics, facilitating workshops, or mediating conflicts.

Send us a text