The document discusses the role of the Chief Operations Officer (COO) in an enterprise organization. It describes the COO as the CEO's problem solver who focuses on daily operations, optimizing performance, and managing risk. The COO owns the business model and vision and is responsible for implementing transformational projects. Typical COO backgrounds include operations director or finance director, and they tend to be senior members of the executive team. The COO manages a team of directors and is responsible for objectives like reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and supporting growth opportunities.

1. THE COO
Part of a series taking a closer look
at enterprise organisations

2. Sometimes it seems
the only person
marketers want to talk to is
the CEO…

3. But there’s
a whole lot more
to enterprise organisations.

4. Introducing
the COO…

5. CONTENTS
What are my objectives?

6. WHAT ELSE MIGHT I BE CALLED?
Typical names for this job function include:
• Chief Operations Officer
• Deputy CEO
• Operations Director

7. WHO AM I? WHAT DO I DO?
Who am I?
• I’m the CEO’s problem-solver
• I’m very detail-orientated
• I get enterprise cost management
• My focus is the internal mechanics of my organisation
• I have a small team
• I own the company’s business model and vision
• And I’m responsible for policing it

8. WHO AM I? WHAT DO I DO?
What do I do?
• My focus is internal daily operations
• I optimise operations performance
• I’m in charge of effective risk management
• I instigate transformational and change management
projects
• I often do this across the whole business
• I own the output of our annual planning sessions

9. WHAT’S MY TYPICAL BACKGROUND?
• I’m well-educated
54% of COOs have a masters or higher qualification (source: EY)
• I could have come from a wide range of backgrounds
such as Finance Director or Operations Director
• I tend to be very senior
66% of COOs are on the executive committee or board (source: EY)

10. WHO IS MY BOSS AND WHO DO I MANAGE?
CEO
COO
COO
CFO
Transformation
Director
Operations
Director
CIO
CMO
HR Director

11. WHO’S TARGETING ME?
No-one!
Which is surprising, given how
important they are...

12. THE WORLD I LIVE IN:
NOT MUCH FOCUS FROM SUPPLIERS

13. THE WORLD I LIVE IN:
MAYBE THAT’S STARTING TO CHANGE…

14. THE WORLD I LIVE IN
I like…
• Models
• Processes
• Keeping on track
• Keeping on budget
• Good Program Directors
• Communication
I don’t like…
• Surprises
• Excuses
• Delays
• Overspend

15. WHAT ARE MY OBJECTIVES?
• Managing programme-specific objectives for delivery
• Setting key metrics for the business and ensuring they are met
• Ensuring new systems are implemented seamlessly across the
organisation, run to schedule and are within budget.
• Reducing average lead time to delivery
• Realising cost savings
• Increasing efficiency in operations
• Discovering and supporting growth opportunities for the
organisation

16. WHAT ARE MY OBJECTIVES?
I want to:
• Reduce operational costs by 10%
• Reduce lead time to delivery by 5%
• Grow revenue from department X by 5%
• Implement performance management programme for
operations department
• Enhance internal programme/ process delivery

17. HOW DO MY PEERS SEE ME?
Nice balance
between vision
and detail
Fell 1 x step short
of being the CEO
A resource to be
utilised
Interfering
Responsible
for nothing
Excellent
understanding of
the underlying
model
Jack of all trades,
master of non
Up for change

18. A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE COO
Reviews with HR, CFO, CIO
Defining new models for
change programmes
Planning and modelling company targets
and how to achieve them
Budget review
Departmental planning Meeting
Operations staff training and development plan
Project progress review

19. WHO ARE WE
AND WHY DO
WE CARE?

20. ABOUT THE MARKETING PRACTICE
We live and breathe enterprise demand generation
With over 90 people and 10 years’ growth we are 100% B2B-focused and one of
the UK’s top 10 B2B agencies
We integrate all the skills you need under one roof to plan and manage end-toend programmes across EMEA (data, inside sales, creative, content, digital …)
And we focus on working with a few select clients to deliver results and prove
ROI

21. TO TAKE A ONE-MINUTE TOUR
OF THE MARKETING PRACTICE,
VISIT:
www.themarketingpractice.com/the-agency