Fractional COOs in Australia
A fractional COO is a senior operations leader who works with your business part-time. They turn founder-led chaos into systems, processes and a rhythm the team can run without everything going through the founder.
Startups often need one after early growth, when the founder is the bottleneck, delivery is slipping, or the team has grown faster than the way it works.
There are three common ways to work with a fractional COO. A fractional seat is an ongoing part-time role, usually a set number of days a week, where they own the function. A project is a defined piece of work with a clear finish line. Advisory is lighter touch, with regular check-ins to guide your team rather than doing the work.
Operators (7)
- Jayden Bartram - Fractional COO & Chief of Staff | SaaS Co-founder & Operator, Sydney
I help founders get important work moving when unclear ownership, manual processes or competing priorities are slowing the business down. I’m most useful when the founder is still coordinating too much of the day-to-day…
- Carolyn Harrington - Fractional COO | Building the Foundations Businesses Need to Scale, Melbourne
Most businesses don’t have a strategy problem, a marketing problem or an operations problem. They have a growth problem that’s showing up in different parts of the business. That’s where I work best. I’ve spent more tha…
- Scott Handsaker - Fractional COO, Melbourne
I'm a founder and operator who's spent 18 years in startups. I've built venture-backed companies, run accelerators, made investments and run a division of over 250 people. I'm also an executive coach and a venture partn…
- Mitch Ribar - Chief “Everything” Officer: Fixer & Advisor. AI since 2012., Sydney
Mitch is who you call when everything needs to move together: strategy, product, AI, marketing, growth, and operations. Across a 20+ year career spanning Optus, JPMorgan Chase, Quantium, Brand Networks and PwC, he is an…
- Sunny D'Souza - COO & Chief Transformation Officer Advisory and Execution, Sydney
WHO AM I I’m a COO, Chief Transformation Officer (CTrO), and Consultant. I help CEOs, Founders, Entrepreneurs and Investors to: • Turn their vision into reality. • Scale their ventures in an organised way. • Turn a reve…
- Anne McGuire, Sydney
Growth creates exciting opportunities, but it also creates complexity. The founder becomes involved in too many decisions, responsibilities become unclear, delivery becomes inconsistent and the way the business operates…
- Jane Korneyko - Fractional strategy adviser - I diagnose the whole business before you spend any more money., Melbourne
I have spent nearly 20 years as a strategy and transformation consultant across Australian legal, health and professional services, at firms including MinterEllison and Monash Health, and I now spend most of my time wit…
Frequently asked questions
What does a fractional COO do?
A fractional COO runs or rebuilds how the business operates part-time. That can include operating cadence, processes and systems, team structure, delivery, vendor management and helping the founder step out of day-to-day operations.
How many days a week does a fractional COO work?
It depends on the stage and the work. Many start with one or two days a week and adjust as needs change. Some work on a project basis with a fixed scope, and others advise with a regular check-in. Talk it through with the operator directly.
How is a fractional COO different from a consultant?
A consultant usually delivers advice or a report and steps away. A fractional COO works inside your business as part of the team, owns outcomes and is accountable for results over time, just on a part-time basis.
How do I find a fractional COO in Australia?
Browse the profiles on this page and contact anyone directly through their profile. If you are not sure who fits, share a brief and matching operators can put their hand up. There are no recruiter or placement fees.