A trusted partner for CEOs and founders
A fractional Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a senior executive who works closely with a CEO or founder to deliver their vision for the business. A fractional leader may hold part-time leadership roles across more than one company.
They give part of their professional attention, effort and expertise to a business, but it’s not only about time. A fractional COO’s contribution is measured primarily on value, impact, or results.
A fractional Chief Operating Officer brings real-world experience and expertise, working as both a subject matter expert and an executor of the COO role within the business.
The fractional Chief Operating Officer is like glue for the organisation, holding everything together, providing organisational cadence, relentlessly executing a business plan and holding leadership teams to account.
Fractional COO responsibilities
The responsibilities of fractional Chief Operating Officers vary widely depending on the needs of the business.
Some fractional COOs can run entire businesses or significant parts of them, taking full accountability for P&L. This common in later stage scale-ups / more mature businesses.
Other fractional COOs roles operate with less direct line responsibility. Instead they focus on troubleshooting and problem solving as an extension of the CEO’s role remit. This type of fractional COO role is seen more in start-ups and early stage scale-ups.
Fractional COO as a generalist
The dynamic and pivotal role that the fractional Chief Operating Officer plays in leading a business demands a wide set of skills.
Fractional COOs are often strong generalists who have worked in leadership roles spanning core disciplines such as growth, delivery, customer, product and engineering.
A good fractional COO is able to build relationships with leaders from across the business, articulating the CEO’s vision and making it relevant and accessible for every part of the organisation.
Partner to founders and CEOs
The partnership between the founder or CEO and the fractional COO sets the tone for the wider leadership group and is at the heart of growth.
A strong, supportive and trusting relationship enables the business to grow at pace.
The fractional COO operationalises the founder or CEO’s vision for the business and becomes a trusted confidante.
Scaling businesses pay close attention to the design of the founder or CEO and fractional COO roles to ensure there’s a clear and distinct set of accountabilities for each.
Fractional or consultant?
Consultants usually tell you what to do. A fractional COO joins you in getting stuff done – it’s hands-on and delivery-focussed.
A fractional COO generates significant value and leverage for the time invested. They’re not afraid to integrate with a team and get their hands dirty. The fractional Chief Operating Officer role is ideal for businesses that have product/market fit and have funding to scale.
It’s often a stepping stone to making the first full-time COO hire, without the risk, timescale and cost of bringing a full timer in early.
Working with me as your fractional COO.
How I work as a fractional COO.
I work part-time in your leadership team as Chief Operating Officer. As a fractional COO I lead teams, represent your business and am fully embedded within your company.
I only work with one business as fractional COO at once. That means you, your leadership team and investors get:
Hands-on, high leverage experienced senior leadership
Equivalent of one, two or three days per week working hands-on within your team as your COO
Unlimited 1:1 access to me via Slack, email & phone
Access to my personal network of specialists
Best fit for my fractional COO service.
My fractional COO service is optimised to deliver most value to businesses have achieved enough product-market fit and are funded to scale. In my experience good-fit companies will typically:
Have a team of at least 10 people
Be aiming for substantial annual revenue growth
Have an open, results-oriented mindset
Value progressive and agile principles
Have a remote or hybrid workstyle
Be ready to hire a full-time COO within 12 months
I work remotely, primarily with UK and USA-based businesses.
Not a good fit? I can help you find the right fractional COO.
“I’d known Simon at a distance for over a decade, but only in the last year worked directly with him – and wished I’d brought him in before! He came into the senior team at my ecommerce SaaS platform with a consummate skill at collaborative improvement. He has made a big difference in team re-directing and re-energizing – and really got things done. He combines both a high emotional EQ and systemising skills, which is not so common. 100% recommended.”
Deri Jones, founder & CEO at ThinkTribe
“Simon is a serious company builder. He knows how to take a founder’s vision for their business and make it real step by step. He’s got a collaborative and thoughtful approach to leading teams and getting things done. If you want a trusted partner in scaling your business, work with Simon.”
Tim Deeson, serial exited founder & advisor to early stage start-ups
“As a fractional executive in our leadership team, Simon designed and implemented several new processes that have significantly improved our operational efficiency. Notably, he introduced our new 1:1s to enhance team engagement and helped create a new ‘lead to sale’ process for our agency. Simon is a collaborative and supportive executive in whom we had trust and confidence from the start. He listens and advises, leveraging his extensive agency and consultancy experience to build trust with the team and deliver results quickly.“
Peter O’Brien, Co-founder & Creative Director, Hidden Creative
“Simon has an outstanding skill set and extensive experience in technology, business operations and management. He is easy to work with and can effectively draw on his skills and experience to help solve problems with calm authority and creativity. I highly recommend Simon to anyone looking for efficient, energetic and effective support.”
Neil Benson, serial biotech founder at Xenologiq, Quantlmed & Sevenless Therapeutics
Work with a fractional COO from my trusted network.
As an experienced fractional Chief Operating Officer, I have an extensive network of fractional COOs with a broad range of experience and skillsets.
If my fractional COO service isn’t right for you, I might be able to help you find a fractional COO.
