Interim roles demand impact from day one. There is no long runway, no slow build. You are expected to understand, challenge and deliver almost immediately.
In this episode of The Finance Seat podcast, Headstar Managing Director, James Roach, speaks with Claire Tisch, Director at Unity Advisory, about what modern finance leadership looks like in an interim and transformation environment. With a background spanning finance transformation, global roles and award-winning interim delivery, Claire brings a clear perspective on how finance is evolving and what leaders need to do differently.
Delivering at pace without losing people
Transformation is rarely straightforward. It affects systems, processes, data and, most importantly, people. In this podcast episode, Claire talks about the reality of delivering change at pace while keeping teams engaged. It’s about getting to grips with the business quickly, building the right relationships and putting a plan in place that people actually buy into.
Why interim thinking changes the dynamic
Coming in as an interim gives you a different perspective. There is less attachment to existing ways of working and more freedom to challenge.
Claire explains how this allows you to stress test assumptions, reshape plans and focus on what will genuinely move the business forward. It is not about following a fixed brief. It is about shaping it as you go.
AI, finance, and what actually matters
AI dominates a number of finance conversations at the moment, but Claire takes a more grounded, practical view on where it can really add value.
Rather than focusing on tools, she frames AI as a strategy. One that works best when the fundamentals are in place. Used well, it frees finance teams from manual tasks and creates space for more meaningful, commercial work.
If you are thinking about transformation, interim roles or how finance is changing, this episode offers a clear and grounded perspective.
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