Two consultants join Odgers Interim amid high demand
Professional services firm Odgers Interim has expanded its financial and professional services practice with the hire of two new consultants. Anna Piatnoczka and Becky Mackarel join the firm amid heightened demand for interim managers in the last year.
Since its launch in 1999 as the interim management wing of executive search firm Odgers Berndtson, Odgers Interim has become a global provider of interim management services, drawing on two decades of experience in C-suite and director-level interim placements. The firm’s consultants advise public and commercial organisations across 24 different sectors. In the last year, the firm has seen explosive demand for senior executives on a part-time basis.
Earlier in 2019, this saw the firm expand its technology practice with new consultants. Andy Wright joined the firm from FTSE 250 recruitment firm Michael Page, adding to another four new hires at Odgers over the last year. Now, the consultancy has continued its hiring spree with the arrival of two new consultants in its financial and professional services practice, bringing a combined 35 years of recruitment experience between them.
Anna Piatnoczka has over 20 years of recruitment experience. Prior to joining Odgers Interim, Anna was the head of interim and search at The JM Group, specialising in IT and business transformation covering the financial & professional services and IT industries. She comes equipped with a full breadth of business and leadership expertise, having set up and managed her own fund management company, The Onyx Group.
Piatnoczka said of her new challenge, “In addition to the traditional ‘gap management’ roles, there is a lot of demand for skills in M&A, major technology implementation and business transformation across financial services firms. Much of the sector is still grappling with problems associated with legacy systems, at the same time as fending off challenger banks who are taking an increasingly larger slice of the pie. Both factors are driving demand for senior professionals who can offer a blend of strategic direction and hands-on implementation. The sector as a whole is also seeing a growing need for regulatory and compliance specialists to meet the needs of major change and transformation programmes.”
Becky Mackarel meanwhile has nearly 15 years of experience in the sector. She arrives at the firm from SSQ, an international legal search and recruitment consultancy where she was an associate director and head of the firm’s interim solutions practice. Prior to SSQ, Mackarel set up and led the interim solutions product for global recruitment business, Hydrogen Group.
Mackarel commented, “Financial services firms – who are increasingly navigating a web of regulatory changes – are looking for interims who can bring both in-depth regulatory knowledge and technical acumen to the table. From a professional services perspective, we’re seeing a real shake up of the legal world, with new entrants into the market and clients demanding more from their chosen panel law firms. Many in the sector are seeking innovative solutions to meet their clients’ requirements and deliver growth strategies for their firms. Interim managers who can support law firms through these periods of change are highly sought-after as a result.”
Both consultants will be working with Paul Smith, Partner and Head of the Financial and Professional Services Practice at Odgers Interim. Piatnoczka will work with firms in the investment banking, consumer finance and private banking space, whilst Mackarel’s focus will be on professional services and buy-side. Their remits will cover the full spectrum of senior interim roles, including the C-suite, director level and programme directors for change and transformation projects.
Commenting on the growth of the practice, Paul Smith said, “With a growing number of legislative reviews and new frameworks, financial and professional services firms are looking for flexible expertise that is able to get them up to speed in an increasingly complex regulatory environment. Firms are also trying to balance Brexit instability with the need to complete projects. An interim appointment provides these organisations with the ability to operate as business as usual without committing to a permanent hire in such an uncertain period.”
