Fractional Operations Director / COO -helping founders streamline, scale or prepare for exit... without the chaos
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You’ve built something great - a fast-growing, customer-driven business powered by ambition, vision and hustle.
But growth has brought growing pains.
You’re feeling stretched too thin. There’s no time to build the team, structure or systems your business now demands. You’re caught in the weeds, managing everything, making every decision and wondering how long this can continue.
Maybe you’ve realised:
“I’m just winging it... and it’s not sustainable.”
Or perhaps you know you need experienced operations leadership, but don’t have the budget (or workload) for someone full-time.
You want your business to thrive - without it consuming your time, freedom and peace of mind.
That’s where I come in.
From firefighting to freedom...
I help business owners like you move from chaos to clarity - putting the right people, processes and plans in place so your business runs more smoothly, profitably and sustainably…without you needing to hold it all together.
You get to focus on what you do best - driving growth, serving customers or taking a proper break.
Whether it’s:
I'll help you create the operational strength your business needs to scale - without the stress.
Are you frustrated with feeling like this...?
I need senior Operations support - but can't afford to hire someone full-time
We don't have any reliable data so make operational decisions based on 'gut-feel'
Everything’s on me - I want to exit but how can I when every decision needs my input?
Customers are complaining about errors and delays, and I don't know where to start
I seem to run around in circles doing bits of everything, but never finishing anything!
I need a 'doer' - not a ‘drive-by consultant’ who throws a list of tasks at me and then leaves
We have no clear processes or procedures to get consistent results - it feels chaotic
I've never managed a team before and now I'm bogged down in people issues
I want to scale the business but know I don't have the skills to do it quickly and efficiently
If so, you're in the right place.
Let's rebuild your operations - and your headspace.
What exactly is a Fractional Operations Director / COO?
It’s like having a top-tier Operations leader in your business - but part-time and without the full-time price tag. You’ll get:
I give you the capacity and confidence to scale...sustainably.
My Framework: The 6 Ps
Performance
income | costs | productivity
Process
processes | procedures | technology
People
skills | recruitment | HR strategy
Planning
strategy | priorities | actions
Protection
insurance | risk | compliance
Personal Coaching
confidence | skills | balance
"Quality combines people power and process power"
Subir Chowdhury
Why choose to work with me?
I bring deep operational leadership experience - 20+ years across global corporates and fast-scaling SMEs.
I recognise what excellence looks like, and how to translate it into pragmatic steps that work for you.
It's what I know, what I love and where I perform at my best.
Don't just take my word for it...
Diligent, reliable, easy to work with...
As a new business that is scaling incredibly fast, we had a need to recruit 32 roles within a month, with no dedicated HR support yet within the company. We reached out to Holly and were delighted with the support she gave us. She took time to understand the business and its core values and what we were looking for in our team, advertised a number of roles, screened hundreds of CVs, carried out bespoke screening interviews and arranged the final interview stage. The candidates we saw at final interview stage exceeded our expectations, both in terms of quality and fit for the company, and are now employed with us and working hard to scale the business.
I would thoroughly recommend Holly as someone who is diligent, reliable, easy to work with and takes time to provide a bespoke service.
Andy Mellor
CFO
An invaluable asset to any organization seeking a dynamic and results-driven Operations Leader...
I had the privilege of working alongside Holly for many years and was consistently impressed by her exceptional competence, clear thinking, remarkable organizational skills and ability to translate strategy into operational results. She possesses a rare ability to navigate complex challenges with ease, and her strategic insights and methodical approach were instrumental in streamlining operational processes, resulting in increased efficiency and overall performance.
Holly is also wonderful to work with – she has a style of leadership that fosters a collaborative and positive work environment, bringing out the best in others to achieve beyond expectations.
Her unique combination of skills and character, coupled with her proven track record, make her an invaluable asset to any organization seeking a dynamic and results-driven operations leader.
Polly Gray
Director of Talent Acceleration
Holly completely steadied the ship that was close to sinking...
I honestly don’t know how I would still have a business if it wasn’t for Holly. She has only been with us five months, but I am astounded daily by what she brings to the team and my life…Holly is our captain and completely steadied the ship that was close to sinking. Not only that, she is sailing us into really exciting waters and making sure that we are always striving to achieve our goals.
Entrepreneurial Leader,
Nov 2020 (Eve Bell, Baba+Boo)
My deep operational expertise will optimise your performance capability across people and processes to drive efficiencies, minimise costs and maximise profit.
Check out my case studies...
Baba+Boo:
Business Transformation
Baba+Boo lacked operational rigour in the face of rapid business growth. As Operations Director, established robust operational strategy. Identified key skill requirements; recruited talented team; created capacity planning tools to improve peak trading resource management; introduced risk management frameworks; designed full suite of policies to ensure business compliance; and identified process bottlenecks to reduce cost and improve customer experience. Led Operations during intense growth period where revenues doubled vs prior year.
Vivify Venues:
Recruitment Drive
Vivify Venues was scaling fast and needed to quickly fill a number of critical operational roles, with no dedicated HR support. Engaged as Consultant to identify skills and hire talented, committed individuals. Understood business values and skills requirements; advertised roles; designed tailored screening process; reviewed hundreds of CVs, and conducted bespoke screening interviews. Succeeded in recruiting 32 roles within a month, receiving feedback that final stage candidates exceeded company expectations in terms of both quality and fit.
GE Capital Fleet Services:
Operations Restructure
GE Capital Fleet Services struggled with poor customer service delivery and rising costs. Hired as Operations Director to drive large-scale operational transformation. Identified optimum structure; defined and hired for new roles; implemented meaningful performance metrics; led redundancy consultation exercise with 100+ employees; and implemented productivity initiatives. Achieved 10% headcount savings with no impact on performance, 100% client retention and 20% efficiency cost savings vs budget, exceeding all departmental targets.
Your questions answered...
How do I know you have the skills and experience to help scale my business?
What exactly is a Fractional Operations Director / COO?
What is the difference between an Operations Director and a COO?
Will this support work for my size and type of business?
Don't just take my word for it...
Holly drives strong performance within her teams...
Holly has an innate ability to drive exceptional results. She has a meticulous eye for detail, through analyzing complex data sets and using metrics as a driver to continually transform process, identify and implement control mechanisms while influencing growth within individuals. Not shy of having difficult conversations, Holly drives strong performance within her teams, while creating an inclusive and rewarding environment.
David Viney
Global Delivery Leader
The value Holly brings to our business is second to none...
Working with Holly in securing talented candidates was an absolute pleasure. She grasped the requirements of the roles, qualities of candidates and our needs as a business very quickly. I was kept informed at every stage of the recruitment process and Holly fully managed from start to finish.
I would highly recommend any employer to approach and take advantage of Holly’s knowledge and expertise. The value she brings to our business is second to none.
Glenn Carroll
Operations Manager
Holly is a resiliant, dedicated and talented leader...
Holly is a resiliant, dedicated and talented leader. She is comfortable in the detail whilst keeping the strategic vision fixed in her sights. Holly provides leadership and coaching around 360 degrees (at all levels of an organisation). it was a pleasure working with her, whilst we established new performance standards across a complex and diverse global operation.
Barrie Davies
Founder & CEO