The DÖIM regional event on April 23, 2025 in the stylish Sala Davide Campari Bar was once again strong proof of the growing relevance and innovative strength of interim management in Austria and Europe. Numerous members, partners and interested parties from the industry came together in a great atmosphere to find out about the latest developments, exchange best practices and experience an inspiring evening in the heart of Vienna. Particularly exciting: the latest figures from the DÖIM survey and the INIMA study, which enabled a cross-national comparison of eleven European markets. The results presented provided valuable impetus and led to lively discussions among the participants.
Insights into the Austrian market
After the welcome address by Dr. Martin L. Mayr, Chairman of the Board of DÖIM and Managing Director of GOiNTERIM, the focus was on current industry insights, in particular the results of the interim market survey from Austria. Here are the most important points:
- The areas of assignment vary greatly, with general management assignments, finance and controlling topics as well as HR assignments forming the core. The areas of IT, engineering, communication, marketing and law complete the various functional areas.
- Almost half of all interim projects take place in medium-sized companies, followed by family businesses and corporations.
- Company sizes vary, but are often between 50 and 1000 employees
- The application level is mostly at C-level, but classic project management topics are also widespread, accounting for a good third.
- On average, the projects last between three and twelve months, with capacity utilization between 40% and 100% for around two thirds of respondents.
Dr. Mayr and Michael Stowasser gave a vivid presentation of the study and highlighted how Austria is positioned in an international comparison – both in terms of the number of projects and the quality of the assignments.
Europe-wide comparison
Another highlight: the INIMA market study. The results paint a multi-layered picture of the interim sector:
- In the last two years, the interim managers are on average two years older than the years before, whereby it is also clear here that they are mostly C-level assignments compared to Austria.
- The customer profile remains unchanged and is in line with the findings of the DÖIM survey.
- 62% of respondents started the year in the project.
DDIM Market Study 2025: Trends from Germany
In addition, the brand new DDIM Market Study 2025 was presented, which highlights important trends in the German market – many of which are relevant for Austria.
- Stable fee rates over the last three years, despite economic uncertainties.
- Constantly high market volume, between € 2.5 billion in 2022 and € 2.7 billion in 2024
- In recent years, the average occupancy rate has fluctuated between 163 days in 2022 and 156 days in 2024.
The studies together clearly show that interim management is not an emergency solution – but a strategic instrument of modern corporate management.
“Interim Manager of the Year 2025” – Dr. Martin Pfeffer honoured
Dr. Martin Pfeffer was also named “Interim Manager of the Year 2025”. As an experienced restructuring expert, he gave an in-depth insight into his many years of work at an international mechanical and plant engineering company, where he made a significant contribution to the successful realignment of the company as CFO and CEO over a period of seven years.
Networking with added value
The evening ended with a stylish get-together over an aperitif or two and the discussions showed that DÖIM has established itself in Austria as a central platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience in interim management – with a strong networking character and practical relevance.
The regional event in Vienna was a complete success – with in-depth study insights, inspiring discussions and a lively community. We are already looking forward to the next events!
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