“ As a Chief Operating Officer , my challenge is multifaceted . It is not a role that is well defined . It is a role that is integral to the company but is also unique to the sector I am in . The role of a Chief Operating Officer for a financial services firm is very different from one in manufacturing , technology or health . “ The maturity of the business impacts greatly on the skills necessary to ensure that the company operates in a manner that allows it to react to internal and external pressures . “ With market uncertainty and volatility caused by Brexit and the pressure on the currency markets , companies have required a sustained pursuit of greater efficiencies and major business transformations . “ The nature of the position is diverse with a wide variation in operational roles from one sector to another , but the core lies in supporting the CEO and determining the optimal strategy for the future and then help implement it . “ As a CTO , it made sense to move into a broader role within the company which is primarily a technologyenabled business . The ability to marry technology and development skillsets to operations gives us the capability to take our operational agility to another level . We are not wedded and reliant on third parties , we can develop and create our own solutions to operational challenges . “ The challenges facing operations are varied and can be likened to guerilla warfare – you just don ’ t know where you will have to be next .”

38 Feburary 2018