Next to developing a good Shared Services Strategic Plan, those organizations who have implemented the system, would agree that the right Leadership is the most important element of a successful Shared Services initiative. The Leadership must come from two areas:

First, and most importantly, there must be a mandate from the organizations Governance body. Whether that is a Board of Directors, CEO or a Private Owner, as with all organizational initiatives, Senior Level support is imperative. To get that support, Senior Management should understand not simply the economic impact of Shared Services but, more importantly, the business, customer and organizational implications.

Second, the Leadership of the Shared Services initiative requires a unique skill set. Happily, it is one of the areas where Leaders from many disciplines can be successful. “Technical” skills are important. These can come form a background in Finance, Human Resources, Operations Management, Supply Chain disciplines and others. The more difficult requirement is the need for Leadership skills. These skills must include consensus building, influencing, determination, organization knowledge, constituency building, priority setting, selling skills, tenacity and the ability to interact successfully with multiple organization levels. Leading a Shared Services initiative is not for the faint of heart. It will result in significant change and Change Management is an important component.

Shore Paralax, Inc, has successfully conducted searches for Leaders in the Shared Services arena who have come from a variety of backgrounds including Finance, Operations, Human Resources Information Technology and others. The key to our success in this field has been our understanding of the client cultures and being able to identify candidates who are able to Lead successfully within that culture.

Shore Paralax, Inc. maintains a comprehensive data base of Shared Services executives and is networked extensively throughout the industry both in the United States and abroad. Our Partners and staff are well versed in the Shared Services philosophy and have experience with all aspects of staffing these initiatives.