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Experienced project rescue brings a tipping initiative back on course.

Your project is running out of control? I bring it back on course.

When projects become critical, I help executives and sponsors restore clarity, control, and confidence:

  • Understand what went wrong
  • Practical recovery plan
  • Rebuild trust among the Team, Users and Stakeholders
Discuss your situation A first, confidential assessment of the situation and the next steps.
30+ years in IT25+ years in project managementTurnaround experience in crisis projectsFormer President PMI Switzerland

Does this sound familiar?

  • “It’ll be done next month” – you’ve been hearing that for a year, while the deadline keeps slipping.
  • The budget is long overspent, yet progress lags behind the costs.
  • The report shows green – while everyone involved has long felt deep red.
  • Status meetings revolve around blame instead of solutions.
  • Key stakeholders are losing confidence – the first are already pulling back.
  • The team is drained, yet keeps working in permanent firefighting mode.

A project off course — or safely to the finish line with clear steering.

Before
  • Manageable delays turn into the threat of total failure
  • Costs keep running without producing reliable results
  • Trust and reputation take lasting damage
Before/after comparison: on the left a critical project in trouble, about to fail; on the right the same project stabilised, with a realistic plan and restored trust.
After
  • Quickly regain clarity on the real situation
  • A project with a realistic, reliable plan
  • Restored trust
  • A sound decision on direction
  • The whole team is on board

Like a salvage manager, I stabilise your project in the crisis and bring it back on course — before deadlines and trust are lost for good.

From practice

Project Rescue

A failed compliance migration of external partner access, rescued

400 → 1,900
Situation

A global compliance initiative to secure external partner access had stalled: two migration attempts had already failed, the deadline had slipped for a second time, and the partners' trust was gone. Three months were left for the rescue.

Result

The 400 accounts were migrated on time. The success led to follow-on orders for around 1,500 further accounts – with high client satisfaction.

See the full case

How I bring your project back on course

Whether as a turnaround manager, interim project rescuer, recovery manager or project-rescue-as-a-service: you benefit from my experience and a structured, decisive way of working.

  1. Step 1: Immediate first call

    Immediate first call

    • Starting point
    • Critical points
    • Immediate measures

    Result

    A clear picture of the urgency and first immediate measures that stabilise the situation.

  2. Step 2: Assessment

    Assessment

    • The real project status
    • Root-cause analysis
    • Risks & options

    Result

    An unvarnished, reliable assessment with causes and realistic options for action.

  3. Step 3: Stabilisation & rescue

    Stabilisation & rescue

    • Replanning & prioritisation
    • Stakeholders & honest reporting
    • Consistent steering

    Result

    A stabilised project with a new, reliable plan and restored trust.

  4. Step 4: Handback & handover

    Handback & handover

    • A stabilised, plannable project
    • Secured progress
    • Handover & optional follow-up

    Result

    An initiative back on course – handed over in an orderly way to your team or the line.

Frequently asked questions about project rescue

What is project rescue (turnaround)?

Project rescue means stabilising an already critical or failing initiative and bringing it back on course: with an unflinching assessment, a realistic new plan and firm steering – until the project delivers predictably again.

When should I bring in a project rescuer?

As soon as deadlines slip repeatedly, the budget is spent without matching progress, or the status report stays green while everyone senses it is red. The earlier you act, the more room you have.

How does a rescue engagement work?

In four steps: an immediate first call, an unflinching assessment, stabilisation and rescue with a new plan, and an orderly handback or handover to your team.

How is this different from classic consulting?

I do not just advise – I take operational control as an interim project manager: neutral, with no stake in the backstory, and with more than 25 years of experience in critical IT projects.

How do you win the team and employees back?

A crisis creates uncertainty — so I first give people confidence: clarity about the situation, the goal and the path, open communication and early involvement. And I get them excited about the shared goal again instead of presenting them with a fait accompli. That turns those affected into a team that carries the rescue (change management / OCM).

Why me

Rescuing a project in trouble takes experience, composure and neutrality – exactly what I bring:

  • 30+ years in IT, 25+ years in project and programme leadership
  • Industry experience across IT, Consulting, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Event management, SMEs
  • Certified (PMP, Scrum, hybrid) – for classic, agile and troubled projects alike
  • Neutral and unencumbered: I come from the outside, with no stake in the backstory
I'm Stefan Vesenmeier Stefan Vesenmeier

Let's talk about your project. In a confidential first call, I assess the situation and show how I'd bring it back on course.

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