A quarter-century ago, Valtus was founded on a powerful conviction: companies needed experienced leaders to drive complex transformation, yet proven talent remained underutilized. What started as a French venture has grown into a truly global enterprise, committed to reshaping leadership. It is a happy coincidence that Management Factory, which has been part of the Valtus Group since 2022, was also founded 25 years ago. We have not just built two companies. We have helped to define a profession. In both Paris and Vienna in 2001, there was a shared founding vision: the belief that experienced executives can solve the world’s most pressing business challenges.
From Pioneer to Global Leader
Twenty-five years ago, executive interim management barely existed as a recognized discipline. It was a fringe solution. Valtus dared to imagine something different: that seasoned executives could be a strategic asset. That companies should actively rely on proven talent at pivotal moments. That there is purpose in this way of working.
Today, across Europe and beyond, interim leadership is increasingly recognized as a legitimate solution and profession. Active owners, boards and executive teams frequently consider interim leaders for critical roles. Our presence across more than 30 countries and through 10 subsidiaries reflects how organizations now understand that experience, combined with agility, creates competitive advantage. Valtus has relentlessly been shaping this shift in mindset.
Uncovering Value in Experience
One of our defining achievements is recognizing something the broader economy often overlooks: the immense value of seasoned careers. Executive interim managers bring decades of hard-won wisdom, sound judgment, and situational insight shaped by real-world challenges.
As our Chairman and Founder Philippe Soullier has said: “My vision for Valtus was always to create a virtuous cycle—where senior expertise is valued as precisely what organizations need most. Growing from a French pioneer to a European champion, we’re guiding businesses to success while offering executive interims their most meaningful and rewarding opportunities.”
Thomas Tschol and Reinhold Pfeifer, managing directors of Management Factory, like to quote Erich Kästner on this subject: “Nothing good ever happens unless you do it.” Interim managers often provide a swift and effective solution, particularly when it comes to restructuring, filling temporary vacancies and organisational transformations.
We continue to demonstrate the tangible impact of seasoned leadership. Every day, executive interims prove that senior expertise is a source of measurable results, strategic clarity, and perspective earned over a lifetime of leading. Shaping a culture in which experience is truly valued remains an ongoing journey.
Tackling Tomorrow’s Challenges
Businesses today face challenges that fixed structures alone can’t solve, from AI and market disruption to geopolitical uncertainty, succession planning, and scaling operations. These pivotal moments require more than continuity, they demand experienced leadership delivered with precision. Engaging top-level talent on an executive interim basis is much more than a compromise, it’s a strategic enabler.
At the heart of this approach for the next 25 years lies a powerful idea: executive interim management is reshaping the future of work and leadership. This agile model elevates expertise, embraces flexibility, and proves that adaptability and experience are not trade-offs, they are complementary strengths.
As a pioneer in this evolving landscape, Valtus and Management Factory are redefining how leadership and expertise are deployed.
We’re expanding globally, enhancing our sector expertise, and providing tailored solutions to help organizations navigate complex, industry-specific challenges. By engaging seasoned executives and senior experts, we energize businesses making them act faster, think bigger, and build lasting results.
Building for What’s Next
The organizations who work with us are racing forward. So are we. They need partners who understand the future and stay ahead. That is the standard we choose to meet.
Our commitment to our clients is unwavering: to provide premium services tailored to their most critical moments, wherever they operate. We will continue to expand our footprint, expand our service lines and deepen our expertise to ensure organizations have access to the world’s finest executive interim leadership when it matters most.
The past is a prologue. Now, we continue to dare to further—innovating continuously and expanding globally, while staying true to what makes us distinctive. Our ambition is clear and uncompromising: to be the trusted choice when the stakes are highest.
Here’s to the next 25 years.
Björn Henriksson, Group CEO