Find a Virtual COO

A Chief Operating Officer is often the other side of the CEO coin. They are ‘Jack-of-all-trades’, optimiser types, and master of many key business operations. They can hit the ground running, and fill any gaps in your exec team while setting your foundational processes and practices up, getting you ready to scale.

Available soon (24)

Photo of Adrienne Muir

Adrienne Muir

I am a highly accomplished professional with over 25 years of experience, primarily as a Chief Operating Officer (COO). Throughout my career, I have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to driving business excellence and fostering exceptional workplace environments. With a focus on the Exchanges and Fintech sectors, I have achieved remarkable success, including extensive offshore experience during my 20-year tenure working in the United Kingdom.

Email
Works in
Christchurch, Remote
Available from
April 2025
  • vCOO
Photo of Andrew Long

Andrew Long

I’ve been deeply connected to the technology space for over 30 years. I’ve spent the past 12 in SaaS start ups building efficient, data-driven customer experiences. I’ve run Customer Support and Success functions, both small and large, as well as wearing Operations and Privacy hats at a senior level.

EmailLinkedin
Works in
Remote, Dunedin
Available for
1-2 days / week
Available from
April 2025
  • Privacy Officer
  • vCOO
Photo of Antony McDonald

Antony McDonald

With over 25+ years' experience in senior leadership roles (CEO, CIO, COO), I am a proven executive with a strong track record in business startups and transitions.

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Works in
Wellington, Remote
Available for
2-3 days per week
Available from
April 2025
  • vCTO
  • vCOO
  • vCPTO
  • vCPO
  • vCISO
Photo of Bradley Mitchell

Bradley Mitchell

I specialise in accelerating growth for startups and scaleups by bridging strategic vision with operational execution. I bring a proven track record of driving cross-functional alignment and delivering tangible results across strategy development, operational execution, go-to-market, sales, product, legal, HR and more. My approach is to simplify complex challenges, establish scalable systems and foster a people-centric culture, enabling rapid and sustainable growth.

EmailLinkedin
Works in
Auckland, Remote
Available for
1-2 days / week
Available from
April 2025
  • vCOO
  • vCCO
  • vCRO
Photo of Christian Sykes

Christian Sykes

Over the last 20 years I’ve worked with 300+ companies to help them figure out “what next?” and “how?”. I love working with people that are really having a go, and navigating the unknown together.

EmailWebLinkedin
Works in
Remote
Available for
1-2 days a week
Available from
April 2025
  • vCOO
  • vCPO
Photo of David Lunt

David Lunt

I have over 20 years of experience in senior Fintech roles (vCOO, vCPO, vCTO), and am looking to support innovative payments based businesses ready to scale, raise, and build product.

EmailWebLinkedin
Works in
Australia, Hybrid in-person & remote, Remote
Available for
an initial discussion.
Available from
April 2025
  • Board Advisor
  • vCPO
  • vCTO
  • vCOO
  • vCISO
Photo of Diana Minnée

Diana Minnée

Experienced COO, fractional since 2020, capable of working in every part of a business, including Customer Success, Sales and Marketing, HR, Product, Delivery, Engineering, Security, and Finance. Able to draw on networks for funding, go-to-market, legal and IP.

EmailWebLinkedin
Works in
Wellington, Remote
Available for
1–2 days / week
Available from
April 2025
  • vCOO
  • Board Advisor
Photo of Ginette Bebeung

Ginette Bebeung

Accomplished Tech business executive with a strong engineering background, Certified Board Director, and experienced Fractional CXO specializing in CEO, COO, and Commercial Operations executive positions. I bring over 20 years of experience in technology for various industries and a proven track record of leading companies through transformative scaling and fostering international expansion.

EmailLinkedin
Works in
Remote
Available for
1-2 days/week
Available from
April 2025
  • vCOO
  • vCRO
  • Board Advisor
  • vCEO
Photo of Graham Scott

Graham Scott

I understand business numbers, and how to use them to make better decisions. I bring clarity, simplicity and big-picture thinking.

EmailWebLinkedin
Works in
Hamilton, Remote
Available from
April 2025
  • vCOO
Photo of Ian Scott

Ian Scott

A vCOO/vCSO/vCCO/vCRO with nearly 3 decades of experience in sales, consulting, recruitment and HR. Services offered includes Consulting/Advisory, Business and Career coaching, Recruitment, Sales enablement and Employer Branding.

EmailPhoneLinkedin
Works in
Auckland, Hybrid in-person & remote
Available for
2-3 days p/w
Available from
April 2025
  • vCOO
  • vCCO
  • vCRO
  • vCSO
Photo of Jamie Baddeley

Jamie Baddeley

With 30 years in technology businesses, and 20 years in executive/commercial roles, I'm an experienced senior executive with exposure to energy, information technology, software development, telecommunications and internet services. I also have 15 years of governance experience.

EmailPhoneLinkedin
Works in
Wellington, Remote
Available for
1-2 Days per week
Available from
April 2025
  • vCTO
  • vCOO
  • vCEO
  • vCRO
  • vCPO
  • vCPTO
  • vCCO
  • Board Advisor
Photo of Jamie McKean

Jamie McKean

Experienced virtual CxO. Supporting clients in NZ and the US for the past 15 years. Ability to support founders and businesses, by structuring and systemising the Marketing, Sales and Delivery aspects of your business. Able to draw on networks for anything not in my wheelhouse.

EmailWeb
Works in
Auckland, Remote, Hamilton
Available from
April 2025
  • vCOO
  • vCTO
  • vCMO
  • vCRO
Photo of Jane Armitage

Jane Armitage

Highly experienced and adaptable COO with a passion for creating environments that enable individual and organisational success.

EmailLinkedin
Works in
Hybrid in-person & remote, Remote, Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch
Available for
Up to 4 days per week
Available from
April 2025
  • vCOO
Photo of Jason Low

Jason Low

I work with ambitious founders and executives to turn bold ideas into scalable, beautifully executed realities - faster. From deep user insight to rapid delivery, I bring a rare mix of design thinking, manufacturing knowledge and innovation strategy to the table. Whether you're building your next big thing or accelerating what you've already started, I’ll help you get there smarter, sooner, and with fewer wrong turns. Let's connect to explore if my skills, experience and network will help accelerate your business.

EmailPhoneWebLinkedin
Works in
Hybrid in-person & remote, Remote
Available for
2-4 days per week
Available from
April 2025
  • vCOO
  • vCTO
  • vCPO
  • Board Advisor
Photo of Karl Arndt

Karl Arndt

I add most value to team going through period of change. That could be an early stage company looking to push for your next phase of growth, or it could be a team within an established company that needs to pivot to deliver against changing customer requirements. I form relationships fast and pride myself on focusing on the root causes of problems or opportunities.

EmailPhoneWebLinkedin
Works in
Remote, Nelson, Wellington, Auckland
Available for
1-3 days/week
Available from
May 2025
  • Board Advisor
  • vCOO
  • vCEO
Photo of Kevin Whiteman

Kevin Whiteman

I am proven business and people leader with multi-industry and cross-functional experience, built on a foundation of financial and commercial leadership. Able to step in, understand, and add value fast.

EmailPhoneLinkedin
Works in
Auckland, Hamilton, Hawke's Bay, Remote
Available for
Currently have 20% capacity available.
Available from
April 2025
  • vCEO
  • vCFO
  • vCOO
Photo of Melissa Firth

Melissa Firth

Seasoned Chief Product Officer/CXO & CEO Advisor with 25+ years’ broad human-centred digital media and software product development experience, and 11 years' senior executive experience in SaaS and corporate innovation. Through a blend of creativity, commerciality, facilitation and collaborative leadership, I help scaling SaaS businesses, leadership teams and product teams get clear on their business and product strategy, use the right language for the right audiences, live their best work-lives and hurdle their biggest barriers to growth.

EmailPhoneLinkedin
Works in
Auckland
Available from
April 2025
  • vCPO
  • vCEO
Photo of Moana O'Neil

Moana O'Neil

Being 10 years at my last company culminating as COO and CEO - the next step for me is one I want to take considering all options and ensuring I can bring the full depth of my experience. I’ve been in the Freelance/Contract market for the last 6 months. It's been interesting and I miss the ability to unleash more potential and value that you are able to as part of a team. I am open minded and a straight – talker, I can often be heard saying ‘make it real for me'. Known as a courageous leader, a deep listener, my consulting background is highly transferable.

EmailLinkedin
Works in
Auckland, Remote
Available for
3-4 days per week
Available from
April 2025
  • vCCO
  • vCOO
Photo of Rebecca Speirs

Rebecca Speirs

Making smart strategic decisions and completing fit-for-business-purpose deliverables in desired timeframes is hard. It can be difficult to get senior leaders aligned on strategic priorities and target outcomes, particularly when the context crosses organisational boundaries. It can be even trickier to elicit the most significant assumptions, risks, and uncertainties into digestible information chunks. Synthesising thinking into a prioritised and realistic delivery roadmap that decision-makers endorse can feel like wizardry. Work with me to get clarity and consensus on a pragmatic way forward. Based in Perth, Western Australia, I’ve helped household name organisations across Australasia and the UK make smarter decisions, faster, in complex contexts for over two decades. My experience includes Agile software delivery, mining studies, banking & financial services, government, and primary industry. My approach involves getting clear on purpose, priorities and what success looks like. I use visualisation to clarify complexity, design thinking to explore possibilities, and a risk-based approach to how much detail is really needed for the purpose of the decision or deliverables. This results in fast, shared understanding and makes it easier and quicker to align on what’s important and define an agreed way forward. If you’re trying to make smart decisions, faster for the next phase of your organisation’s evolution and you don’t want to waste hours in unproductive discussions or lengthy meetings that lead nowhere, it’s time to do things differently. Drop me a message and let’s set up a time to chat so we can plan how to make your next smart decision.

EmailPhoneWebLinkedin
Works in
Remote, Australia, Hybrid in-person & remote
Available for
Up to 4- 5 days/week
Available from
April 2025
  • vCPO
  • vCOO
Photo of Sandy Isaac

Sandy Isaac

CCO/COO/CPO. I am an experienced fractional executive with deep expertise in strategy, product, operations, and commercial leadership, bringing a vast perspective from start-ups, coaching, consulting and government environments. I bring my blend of unique skills together, aligning commercial and product strategy with operational excellence and execution.

EmailPhoneWebLinkedin
Works in
Auckland, Remote
Available for
2-3 days a week
Available from
April 2025
  • vCOO
  • vCPO
  • vCCO
Photo of Sarah Kinley

Sarah Kinley

Ōtautahi based Fractional/Impact COO/Bringing people centred structure to purpose-led organisations.

EmailPhoneWebLinkedin
Works in
Christchurch, Remote
Available for
1-2 days a week
Available from
April 2025
  • vCCO
  • vCOO
  • vCPO
Photo of Talei Blomfield

Talei Blomfield

I bring 20+ years of management in Customer Experience to SaaS start ups and scale ups. I specialise in increasing Net Revenue Retention, reducing churn, improving customer experience, developing high performing teams and efficiency transformations to reduce Cost to Serve.

EmailLinkedin
Works in
Auckland, Remote
Available for
1-2 days / week
Available from
April 2025
  • vCOO
  • vCCO
Photo of Uli Johnston

Uli Johnston

I am a manager with 24 years of experience in the global environment. I hold an Executive MBA from Massey University and my expertise is developing and improving business strategies, especially in the corporate development and organisational culture area. I find the root cause of challenges and develop a detailed plan to achieve optimum business performance and outcome.

EmailPhoneWebLinkedin
Works in
Auckland, Hamilton, Remote
Available for
3 days /week
Available from
April 2025
  • vCEO
  • vCOO
  • vCP&CO
Photo of Vishal Nath

Vishal Nath

Experienced and driven IT executive with a strong track record of success, with over 15 years of expertise in development and technical leadership. Demonstrates extensive proficiency in SaaS business models and tech startups.

EmailLinkedin
Works in
Auckland, Remote
Available from
April 2025
  • vCOO
  • vCTO
  • vCPO

What can a Virtual COO do?

As the COO of a startup, one of the most crucial responsibilities is to oversee the day-to-day operations of the company. This includes managing the supply chain, optimizing processes, and ensuring the efficient use of resources. By streamlining operations and processes, the COO can help the company save time and money, while increasing productivity and profitability.

Leadership and team management is a crucial area of expertise for a COO of a startup, as they are responsible for building and leading a strong and effective team. A COO must be able to motivate and inspire team members, set clear goals and expectations, and provide guidance and support to help them achieve their objectives. They must also be able to attract and retain top talent, which requires a strong understanding of what motivates employees and how to create a positive and engaging work environment.

  • Develop and implement operational policies and procedures that ensure the smooth running of the business, including processes for product development, customer service, and supply chain management.
  • Manage and optimize the company's resources, including staffing, equipment, and technology, to ensure that they are being used effectively and efficiently.
  • Work with other executives to develop and implement the company's strategic plan, ensuring that operational plans and initiatives are aligned with overall goals.
  • Build and lead a high-performing team of employees, setting clear goals and expectations, providing regular feedback, and creating a positive and engaging work culture.
  • Analyze and evaluate operational data and metrics, identifying areas for improvement and implementing changes to drive efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Ensure that the company is in compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements, including data privacy and workplace safety regulations.