The rent-a-manager reality

WHEN we think about freelancers, it is usually the GrabCar driver, the Foodpanda deliveryman or the creative designer that comes to mind. But increasingly, more professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) - be it by choice or by necessity - are taking the leap to offer their services on demand.

Enter transition managers, who are "rented" out to companies during a time of need, for example to help them tide over a crisis or to roll out a restructuring programme. These highly skilled managers lend their specific expertise to work as part of the company for a particular period and then move on, just like every other freelancer out there.

It is one of the latest developments in the gig economy, a trend where full-time employees are replaced by independent contract workers, thanks …