Services
External Project Leadership and Project Management
Complex projects need more than planning.
External project leadership for a limited time or independent support for your existing leadership. Goals and decisions remain with you.
- 1Clarify the situationMake goals, risks and responsibilities visible.
- 2Lead or supportProject leadership for a limited time or targeted support.
- 3Secure the resultsDecision bases, knowledge and responsibility remain with you.
I take on the operational leadership of complex IT and transformation initiatives on a mandate basis and for a limited time, or support your existing leadership with experience and an independent outside perspective.
Whether new projects, limited resources or demanding change: together we create clarity about goals, responsibility and the way forward.
When working together makes sense
There are different reasons to bring in external project leadership or additional experience.
A company is planning a new initiative but does not have enough capacity of its own. The existing project managers are fully occupied, or the right experience for a specific task is missing.
Perhaps an initiative is meant to be led by an external person on purpose. Or the client wants an independent outside perspective to better assess a situation, an approach or important decisions.
External support can also make sense when an ongoing project runs into difficulties.
Depending on the need, I take on project leadership for a limited time or support the existing leadership in a targeted way. We agree on tasks, responsibilities and scope together.
What you get
Depending on the mandate, this includes:
- Project oversight: An overview of goals, milestones, dependencies, risks, budget and actual progress.
- Decision-making: Clear decision questions, transparent options and timely escalations.
- Collaboration: Clarified responsibilities and coordinated action by client, business units, IT, partners and suppliers.
- Implementation: Leading the agreed project mandate across phases and decision points, not just planning and status reports.
- Handover: Decision logic, knowledge and relevant documentation stay in your organisation.
The specific scope is agreed separately for each mandate. Not every mandate covers all of these points.
Two forms of engagement
1. External project leadership for a limited time
I lead the initiative operationally and take responsibility for the agreed leadership mandate. Strategic goals, business decisions and the role of client remain with you. The leadership role is time-limited and is handed back in an orderly way.
2. External support and an independent outside perspective
Not every initiative needs a new project lead. In case of resource bottlenecks, for an independent assessment or at technically demanding stages, an experienced business partner and I can provide support for a limited time. This can include accompanying the project lead, a status assessment or working on specific tasks. In this case, leadership and decisions remain with you.
Methods and industries
I work across industries, including public administration, banking, logistics, IT services and industry. Depending on the mandate, I use classical, agile or hybrid approaches and bring experience with HERMES, IPMA, Scrum and SAFe, among others. Since 2024 I have been a board member of the HERMES Connect Hub.
A method replaces neither leadership nor decisions. What matters is which approach serves the situation.
"Results must hold up – not just at completion, but over time."
Responsibility is not a one-way street
I also name uncomfortable findings, for example when assumptions no longer hold, necessary decisions are not made or goals need to be adjusted. For this I need clients who take responsibility and make decisions. If this willingness is missing, I do not accept the mandate.
How a mandate begins
1. Free fit conversation, 20 to 30 minutes. We discuss the starting point and check whether I can offer the right support. It is neither an assessment nor a worked-out solution. The result may also be "not a fit".
2. If needed: situation assessment. This clarification is the first paid step. I examine the situation in a structured way and charge on a time-and-effort basis, with a cost ceiling agreed in advance. The result is a recommendation as to whether external project leadership, independent support, continuing internally or another path makes sense.
3. Only if there is a real need: follow-up mandate. Mandate, responsibility, scope, decision paths and handover are agreed explicitly. An analysis does not oblige you to commission further work.
More on steering across phases and decision points under "Decisions and responsibility".
From practice
- Overall project management for seven releases of a system development with around 50 people involved and a project volume of CHF 10.47 million under my responsibility.
- Sub-project management in a corporate programme replacing a large device fleet during live operations, programme volume CHF 68 million.
- Project, sub-project and specialist roles in modernising public-sector IT workplaces at federal and cantonal level.
Qualifications: IPMA Level C; board member of the HERMES Connect Hub.
Responsibility that can be demonstrated
Project management does not prove its value through method labels. It proves it when complex initiatives stay manageable and decisions are made in time.
My experience ranges from large IT rollouts and migrations to digitisation and transformation programmes. It also includes projects with significant organisational and financial responsibility. The following examples show in which situations I have taken on responsibility.
Device renewal across a nationwide branch network
Tens of thousands of devices replaced during live operations – with steering that actually made decisions.
Read the storyModernising public-sector IT workplaces reliably
Connecting technical migration, standardised software deployment and business acceptance across several independent public-sector engagements.
Read the storyA regulated self-service solution for complex transactions
Bringing customised hardware, software, security and accessibility together within one integrated system.
Read the storyA self-service solution from idea to production readiness
From first prototype to a production-ready parcel drop-off – the basis for deployment at over two hundred locations.
Read the storyDelivery processes across distributed teams
A delivery model that holds under pressure – with visibility across locations.
Read the storyBuilding scalability for a digital agency
Visible priorities, firmer commitments and a delivery model that grows with market ambition.
Read the storyFrequently asked questions
Can I outsource project leadership without giving up responsibility?
Yes. I take on operational leadership within the agreed mandate. Strategic goals and business responsibility remain with you.
Does external project leadership replace my team?
No. The task is to coordinate existing expertise, leadership and partners so that decisions and implementation work. The leadership role is time-limited.
What happens if a project should not be continued?
I make decision bases, risks and options visible. The client decides on adjustment, continuation or termination.
Do you work with HERMES?
Yes, when HERMES suits the task. Depending on the context, I also use classical, agile or hybrid approaches.
What does working together cost?
I charge on a time-and-effort basis. The rate depends on the task, the responsibility and the surrounding conditions, and is set out in the proposal. If a situation assessment is needed, it is the first paid step, with a cost ceiling agreed in advance. More on how I set fees under "How I work".
Selected references
2021
Governance platform & QMS – Proxy Product Owner
Group-wide in-house platform development. Multiple sprints, large corporate environment with multiple units.
2017
IoT platform & new domicile services
Project management of the IoT development project, proofs of concept. In 2020 the project team received the international “Retail/Customer Service Innovation of the Year” award at the Parcel and Postal Technology International Awards.
2024 –
Board mandate – Project methodology Switzerland
Board member of the HERMES Connect Hub. Exchange with practitioners on experience, application and further development of HERMES. Ongoing.
2024
Governance – Regulated corporate environment
Initiation of a group-wide governance framework. Stakeholder interviews, scope definition, regulatory requirements.
Does your initiative need clarity or leadership?
In a free fit conversation, we discuss whether a first step makes sense and which one.
Often combined with other services
In my experience, many engagements start with one question and grow into adjacent topics. These services are particularly often combined:
Business Development
Projects rarely exist in isolation. A new business field or partnership may be behind them. Then you need a solid business case as well as project control.
Learn more about Business DevelopmentDigital Transformation
Many transformation projects have a strong technical component. Project management provides the structure. Transformation work provides the technical substance.
Learn more about Digital TransformationImage at the top: AI-generated illustration.