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Experienced project and programme leadership gives the initiative structure and direction.

The project has to deliver — even when no one internally is free.

As an interim project or programme lead, I take over steering of your most important initiative for management and business units, bringing structure, planning and clear decisions:

  • Clear project structure, planning and steering
  • Reliable reporting and dependable decisions
  • Relief for your key people in day-to-day work
Discuss your situation A first assessment of role, setup and what needs doing.
30+ years in IT25+ years in project management50+ projects ledFormer President PMI Switzerland

Does this sound familiar?

  • „But we do have a project manager" – except it's your best subject-matter expert, who never learned to lead projects and is missing from day-to-day operations.
  • There is a deadline but no reliable plan – nobody can say dependably where the project really stands.
  • Status meetings discuss a lot but decide little – open points drift from week to week.
  • Scope keeps quietly growing, while deadline and budget are meant to stay the same.
  • Business, IT and suppliers do not pull together – everyone optimises their own part instead of working towards the goal.
  • Management learns about problems late – honest, understandable reporting is missing.

Nobody at the helm – or an experienced hand on the bridge.

Before
  • Deadlines and budget slip out of control by stealth
  • Key people burn out between the project and day-to-day work
  • Decisions come too late or on an unclear basis
Before/after comparison: on the left an initiative without experienced steering, with slipping deadlines and unclear status; on the right the same project with accountable project and programme leadership, a clear plan and honest reporting.
After
  • A project with clear leadership
  • Reliable planning and honest reporting
  • Relieved key performers
  • Dependable decisions at the right time

Like a captain on the bridge, I keep your project on course — with clear decisions, a steady hand and responsibility all the way to port.

From practice

Project Leadership

A Switzerland-wide client migration of 2,500 machines during live operations

2,500 clients
Situation

Around 2,500 machines were to be migrated to a new operating system across Switzerland, some with hardware replacement – with no noticeable downtime and no data loss. The internal attempt had failed on time, know-how and lack of user cooperation; the external team was initially seen as the 'enemy'.

Result

Successful completion including handover to operations. High client satisfaction led to several follow-on projects.

See the full case

How I steer your project to delivery

Whether as an interim project lead, external programme manager, project manager on demand or project-management-as-a-service: you benefit from my experience, a structured approach and my ability to forge the people involved into a real team.

  1. Step 1: First call

    First call

    • Starting point
    • Objective
    • Pitfalls

    Result

    A well-founded initial assessment and a structured proposal for how to proceed.

  2. Step 2: Assessment

    Assessment

    • Current situation & history
    • Stakeholders & interests
    • Risks & open points

    Result

    A solid project setup with a clear goal, plan and defined responsibilities.

  3. Step 3: Mandate as project / programme lead

    Mandate as project / programme lead

    • Steering & honest reporting
    • Risk & change management
    • Team and stakeholder leadership

    Result

    A safely steered initiative with reliable status, clear decisions and calm waters.

  4. Step 4: Closure & handover

    Closure & handover

    • Stable, accepted results
    • Clean handover to the team
    • Optional follow-up mandate

    Result

    An achieved project goal and a team that carries the results forward on its own.

Frequently asked questions about project steering

What does an interim project or programme manager do?

An interim project manager takes temporary responsibility for a project’s structure, planning, steering and reporting – as an experienced lead who has actually learned to run projects, instead of overloading your best specialist with the role.

When does interim project leadership make sense?

When an important initiative runs without experienced leadership, when your best specialist is expected to double as project manager, or when deadlines and priorities keep slipping week after week. You get leadership without a permanent hire.

How do you keep the project predictable?

With a realistic plan and clear accountabilities, consistent risk and change management, and honest reporting that always shows where the project truly stands – without sugar-coating.

Do you work classic or agile?

Whatever the situation needs: I steer classic, agile or hybrid and am certified for it (PMP, Scrum, hybrid). What matters is what the initiative and the organisation actually require.

How do you get employees on board?

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

Why me

Steering a critical initiative takes experience, structure and leadership – 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 regulatory-demanding projects
  • Strong in team leadership: bringing different interests together on a shared goal
I'm Stefan Vesenmeier Stefan Vesenmeier

Let's talk about your project. In a first call, I assess the situation and show how I'd steer it to delivery.

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