Open foreign markets
Temporary export manager
A senior manager who opens your export markets on a fixed term, from strategy to first customers, accountable for the result.
In short
A temporary export manager is a senior manager brought in for a fixed period to open and grow a company's international markets. Unlike a consultant who hands over a plan, a temporary export manager leads the execution: picking the markets, building the sales network, landing the first customers and leaving an export function that runs on its own. With Action Is Now the mandate is led by a former C-level operator who grew one market from 3M to 18M euro in under a year, paid for outcomes rather than hours.
What does a temporary export manager do?
A temporary export manager owns international development for a defined period. They are not an outside adviser: they choose the priority markets, define the entry model, build the network of distributors or agents and carry the first deals through to signature.
It is the right model when a company wants to export but does not yet have (or cannot justify) a permanent export director: occasional foreign sales, trade fairs with no follow-up, unmanaged distributors, or a first market to open properly.
- Market selection and entry model, decided on the numbers.
- A foreign sales network built and actively managed.
- First real deals and customers, not just a market study.
- An export function that keeps running after the mandate.
When you need a temporary export manager
- You want to open a new foreign market without a full-time hire yet.
- You have sporadic export sales but no strategy holding them together.
- You attend trade fairs and missions with no serious commercial follow-up.
- You have distributors or agents nobody really manages.
- You are weighing internationalisation funding and need a credible plan.
- You want an operator who lands customers, not just a market analysis.
Internationalisation, the right way
Export growth is often supported by internationalisation funding (in Italy, for example, SIMEST instruments for feasibility studies, market entry and foreign commercial structures). A temporary export manager makes that budget work harder, turning it into concrete, measurable moves rather than scattered activity.
The point is not just accessing funds, but spending them on a plan that produces revenue. For the strategic frame see international expansion and market entry.
How much does a temporary export manager cost?
Cost depends on the cadence (days per week or month) and the length of the mandate. The typical model is a monthly fee for the agreed time, with results-linked elements wherever the situation allows, so the incentive is the market opening rather than hours billed.
Compared with a full-time export manager, the temporary model gives senior capability now, a cost matched to the stage, and no long-term commitment until the market justifies one.
Why an operator, not an adviser
This is led by someone who has carried P&Ls and opened markets first-hand, not someone who sells analysis. An open market is worth more than a market study. See the results and book a call to find out if your case fits.
Related services
Frequently asked questions
What exactly does a temporary export manager do?
They choose the priority foreign markets, define the entry model, build and manage the sales network and carry the first deals through to first customers, for a defined period and with full accountability for the result.
How long is a mandate?
Usually six to eighteen months, long enough to open the market and leave a function that runs. The duration is set by the goal, not the other way round.
How much does it cost?
A monthly fee for the agreed cadence, with results-linked elements wherever possible. It costs less than a full-time export manager and gives senior capability from day one.
Do you help with internationalisation funding?
Yes. The mandate can be structured to make the most of instruments such as Italy's SIMEST funding, turning them into concrete, measurable moves in the market.
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