FRACTIONAL COO LEADERSHIP FOR ESTABLISHED CONSUMER-PRODUCT COMPANIES
Build an Operation That Performs Today—and Is Ready for What’s Next
When execution is unreliable, costs rise, margins tighten, and too many operating decisions reach your desk. I partner with you and your leadership team to strengthen performance, align the business, and build an operation ready for growth or change.
SELECTED EXPERIENCE & RESULTS
16+ years
Operating leadership
4×
Shipping capacity
53%
Transportation cost reduction
50% → 97.6%
Inventory accuracy
$300K+ → ~$20K
Annual inventory write-offs
96%+ OTIF
On-time, in-full performance
These results came from strengthening more than individual processes. They required leadership alignment, cross-functional execution, reliable performance visibility, clear accountability, disciplined operating rhythms, and coordinated decisions across operations, sales, finance, customer service, and external partners.
Selected results from separate operating environments.
When the Operation Is No Longer Keeping Pace
Customer commitments keep slipping.
Orders arrive late or incomplete, inventory cannot be trusted, and service problems are beginning to affect important accounts. The deeper concern is that each missed commitment puts revenue, customer relationships, and the company’s reputation at risk.
Revenue is not translating into stronger margins or cash flow.
Transportation, warehousing, fulfillment, inventory, and outside-partner costs keep rising—even when sales remain steady. You know money is being lost inside the operation, but you don't have a clear view of where it is happening or what to address first.
Too much of the business still depends on you.
Reports conflict, functions work from different priorities, and decisions the team should resolve keep reaching your desk. You are spending time coordinating daily execution when your attention should be on customers, strategy, growth, and the future of the business.
Executive Operating Leadership at Pivotal Stages of the Business
Fractional COO Leadership
Ongoing executive leadership for businesses that need greater operational control, cross-functional alignment, and accountability without immediately adding a full-time COO.
Operational Transformation and Scale
Assessment and hands-on leadership to stabilize performance, improve visibility, strengthen processes and teams, and build an operating system capable of supporting sustainable growth.
M&A Operational Diligence and Integration
Support for buyers, investors, and leadership teams assessing operational risk before closing, preparing a business for a transaction, or stabilizing and integrating operations after an acquisition.
WHO I WORK WITH
I work with CEOs, founders, and operating executives at established consumer-product companies selling through retail, wholesale, distribution, or e-commerce channels. The business has a proven product, real customers, and a capable team, but execution is not as reliable, efficient, or profitable as it should be. Leadership may need to improve current performance, scale without losing control, recover from disruption, or prepare for a significant change such as an acquisition.
I am not the right fit for an early-stage company still searching for product-market fit or a business looking only for a report that will sit on a shelf. This work suits leaders who want a candid operating perspective and are prepared to align the team, make decisions, and follow through.
I also support boards, investors, and private-equity operating partners when a portfolio company needs stronger operating leadership, transaction readiness, or integration support.
HOW THE WORK MOVES FORWARD
From Operational Pressure to Sustainable Performance
Every engagement begins with understanding what is actually happening—not applying a predetermined solution. From there, we stabilize the operation, establish the visibility and accountability needed to run it well, and build the capabilities required for stronger performance and whatever comes next.
Phase 1
Diagnose and Stabilize
Diagnose: We identify where performance is breaking down, what is driving it, and how those issues affect customers, cash flow, margins, and leadership capacity. This includes looking across functions—not just at isolated operational symptoms.
Stabilize: We address the most urgent risks and performance gaps first. The immediate goal is to reduce disruption, form clear priorities, and give the leadership team greater control of the business.
Phase 2
Create Visibility and Establish Accountability
Create Visibility: We put the right operating metrics, reporting, and management cadence in place so leaders can see what is happening and make informed decisions. The focus is on useful information—not more reporting for its own sake.
Establish Accountability: We clarify ownership, decision rights, expectations, and follow-through across the leadership team. People understand what they own, how performance will be measured, and when to escalate issues.
Phase 3
Optimize, Sustain, and Scale
Optimize: Once the operation is stable and visible, we improve the processes, cost structure, service performance, and cross-departmental coordination that determine how effectively the business runs.
Sustain and Scale: We embed the operating disciplines and managerial capabilities needed to maintain the gains and support what comes next—whether that means continued growth, a leadership transition, an acquisition, or integration.
The LUKE252 Operational Value Framework
Together, these six stages form the LUKE252 Operational Value Framework—a practical path from recurring operational pressure to stronger performance, clearer leadership, and an operating model prepared for the company’s next stage.
Your operation should support the business you are building—not hold it back.
You do not need to have every problem diagnosed before starting the conversation. If performance is slipping, margins are tightening, or too much of the operation depends on you, a focused discussion can help clarify what is happening and whether I am the right person to help.