Fortem Advisory | Interim HR Leadership

Most HR crises do not announce themselves.

They arrive as a carve-out with no HR infrastructure in place and the third HR manager already gone. As a post-merger integration where two cultures collide and your HR leadership suddenly has a gap no one planned for. As a restructuring under investor pressure with a Works Council at the table that US leadership doesn't know how to navigate. Or as an AI transformation that no one in HR is prepared to lead.

The numbers confirm what you already feel. When the crisis hits, every moment counts. We step in, bring clarity to the chaos, and build the structure your organization needs to move forward.

20%

Global Employee Engagement

Gallup, 2026

$10 Trillion

Worldwide Lost Productivity Due to Low Employee Engagement Per Year

Gallup, 2026

9 Points

Manager Engagement Drop

Gallup, 2026

92%

of CHROs Expect AI Integration

SHRM, 2026

What We Do

Where We Step In

01

Interim HR Leadership

When your HR leader is suddenly unavailable, hands in their resignation, or your team has lost its third manager in two years. Whatever the reason, we take full operational ownership from day one, not in weeks.

02

AI & HR Transformation

92% of CHROs expect deeper AI integration this year. Most HR teams aren't ready. We bring hands-on experience in AI adoption, process redesign, system selection, and team enablement. We leave behind repeatable frameworks, not slide decks.

03

M&A Integration

Two cultures, one deadline. We align structures, harmonize contracts, and build a single operating model. From carve-out with zero HR infrastructure to a functioning organization.

04

Works Council & Co-Determination

Co-determination is not an obstacle. It is a process that requires someone who has been across the table. Social plans, reconciliation of interests, framework agreements. We turn potential showstoppers into signed agreements.

05

Restructuring & Workforce Transitions

Headcount reductions, site closures, reorganizations. We handle the legal precision, the manager guidance, and the Works Council alignment to move fast without risk. Compliant execution, not PowerPoint.

06

HR Projects & Business Partnering

Global HRIS rollouts, time and attendance implementations, process standardization across regions. We deliver on time, on budget, and with stakeholder buy-in. Proven across Europe and APAC.

What you can expect.

Day One Ready

No lengthy onboarding. No discovery phase. We arrive with the experience to take ownership immediately and start delivering from the first day. Because in a crisis, every week without leadership costs momentum.

Built for Pressure

Complex environments, short timelines, high stakes. Private equity-backed, investor-driven, regulated. Pressure is not an obstacle. It is the operating environment. We have built our entire practice around it.

Structure, Not Theory

We leave behind repeatable frameworks that work when it matters, backed by AI-driven insight where it adds value. Processes that survive the person who built them. Results you can sustain.

Industries

FinTech & Payments
Industrial & Manufacturing
Chemicals

Scale

250 to 20,000 employees

Credentials

Harvard University - Leadership and Communication
University of Pennsylvania - AI in People Management
Scrum.org - Scrum Master

Publication

"The Leadership Arc" - Available on Amazon

Founder

Dennis Stahlhut

Founder, Fortem Advisory

"When pressure builds, most organizations look for someone to blame. I look for what's missing in the structure. Fix that, and the people will do the rest."

Hands-on HR across complex, investor-driven organizations. From global HRIS rollouts across Europe and APAC, to Works Council negotiations during restructuring, to stabilizing HR operations when the third manager walks out the door. Pragmatic and operational from day one.

Germany, Austria, Switzerland United States Co-determination Law Works Council AI in HR

LinkedIn Profile

What Others Say

The people who worked with us.

"What truly sets Dennis apart is how deeply he understands the business and the people behind it. He doesn't just respond to requests -- he actively thinks ahead, connects the dots, and offers thoughtful solutions that balance the needs of individuals with those of the business. It's rare to find someone in HR who is both people-centric and business-savvy."

VP Business Development, Central Europe

International Payments & Technology

"Dennis is a very knowledgeable expert and drives projects on his own, on time and on budget, with high delivery quality. He follows up thoroughly on open tasks and manages stakeholders to have their buy-in accordingly. Besides all his professionalism, I like working with Dennis as a person with humor and a lot of empathy."

Senior Leader, HR IT

Global FinTech & Payments

"Dennis is one of the most tenacious HR specialists I have worked with over the years. He will always go above and beyond what is expected of him. I was especially impressed with his ability to quickly learn and collaborate with colleagues on local labor agreements, which led to improved relationships between management and employees."

Senior Project Manager

Industrial Chemicals & Manufacturing

"Dennis proved particularly skilled in works council negotiations, ensuring that organizational changes were implemented smoothly, compliantly, and with constructive dialogue. His ability to combine governance expertise with transformation skills made him a trusted partner for senior stakeholders."

Senior Director, People Transformation

International Payments & Technology

Insights

Current thinking on HR, AI, and leadership under pressure.

June 2026

Get in Touch

If your organization is approaching one of these moments, we would welcome the conversation.

Whether you need immediate interim support, are planning a restructuring, or want to explore how AI can strengthen your HR function. Let's talk.

info@fortem-advisory.com

Hamm, Germany

Pressure
reveals
structure.
We build it.

Most HR crises do not announce themselves.