Episode 86: Dawn Claussen and Michael Young
In this episode, Dawn Claussen, COO of Mutual Group, and Michael Young, President of Integrated Advisors Network discuss how their platforms support independent financial advisors through technology, compliance, and strategic business coaching. They explain their firms' growth models—Mutual Group’s broker‑dealer and affiliation solutions managing roughly $1.5 billion in AUM, and Integrated’s independent RIA platform serving about $1 billion in AUD across 38 practices. Both emphasize the importance of defining an ideal client, documenting processes (using tools like Scribe), and aligning operations with that client profile to drive scalability and efficiency. Their perspectives highlight the shift from commission‑based models to fee‑only advisory services and the operational rigor needed to support that transition.
Mega Brokers Appoints María‑Lor Mamani as New COO to Drive Operational Growth
Mega Brokers has installed María‑Lor Mamani as its Chief Operating Officer, succeeding Michalis Kostis. The veteran financial services executive will oversee operational structures and service quality, signaling a strategic push for efficiency and growth.
Seer Names Anthony Bazarko CCO to Accelerate Global Proteomics Sales
Seer, Inc. announced the appointment of Anthony Bazarko as chief commercial officer, tasking him with leading sales, marketing and customer experience worldwide. The veteran life‑sciences executive brings more than 20 years of commercial leadership, including a recent stint as CEO...
Fingerpaint Group Unifies Operations and Strategy to Accelerate Integrated Growth
Fingerpaint Group appointed Stephanie Spicer as group managing director of operations and Nick Megjugorac as chief strategy officer, both reporting to President Mark Willmann. Spicer will extend her AI‑enabled operational framework across the firm’s three solution areas, while Megjugorac will...
Robotics to Make Healthy Food Affordable and Scalable
How do you make the world healthier? Make healthy food convenient and affordable. Rethink restaurants from the ground up with robotics to increase margins. Scale. If this mission excites you, they are currently looking for a Head of Operations to join...
Founder-Led Sales Drive $800K in Six Months
New wildly successful Founder Led Sales Factory graduate. $0 -> $800k in six months and now hiring AEs. Founders *can* sell.
Epigamia Elevates Co‑Founder Ankur Goel to COO as Growth Surges Over 50%
Epigamia has promoted co‑founder Ankur Goel to chief operating officer as the Verlinvest‑backed brand posted more than 50% growth in FY2025‑26. The move is part of a broader leadership overhaul that also installed Ritesh Gauba as CEO, signaling a push...
Analysis: CDW’s Hiring Of HPE’s Hang Tan Underscores Enterprise Services Ambitions
CDW appointed former HPE hybrid‑cloud COO Hang Tan as chief strategy and transformation officer, marking a clear pivot toward higher‑margin enterprise services in the AI era. Tan will oversee enterprise strategy, the transformation office and corporate development, reporting directly to...
Harmony Bank Appoints Anne Witherspoon as EVP and COO to Drive Operational Growth
Harmony Bank announced the appointment of Anne Witherspoon as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. With more than 25 years in banking operations and client experience, Witherspoon will lead the bank’s operational strength and growth strategy as it expands...
Stonebridge Names Paul Eckert COO
Stonebridge has appointed Paul Eckert as chief operating officer, tasking him with overseeing hotel operations across its entire portfolio. Eckert, a veteran with more than three decades in hospitality, most recently served as COO of Trailborn Hotels & Resorts. His...
Redcliffe Labs Elevates Gaurav Jain to COO
Redcliffe Labs announced the promotion of Gaurav Jain to chief operating officer. Jain, who joined in 2021 as senior vice president of growth, has held roles including chief business officer, overseeing the online business P&L, home‑collection network, and logistics integration....
Payment Technology Company Appoints Jerome Alfred as COO
Cross Switch, a fast‑growing payment‑technology platform, announced Jerome Alfred as its new chief operating officer. Alfred arrives with more than 15 years of senior roles in fintech and banking, where he has overseen end‑to‑end operations for high‑growth payment solutions. His...
Trex Names Zachary C. Lauer COO, Sets $493K Salary and 60% Bonus Target
Trex Company announced the promotion of Zachary C. Lauer to chief operating officer, pairing the role with a $493,000 base salary, a cash incentive equal to 60% of salary and a long‑term equity target of 135% of salary. The move...
Talkdesk Hires Veteran Sales Exec Shane Evans as Chief Revenue Officer
Talkdesk announced the hiring of Shane Evans as chief revenue officer. Evans, a 20‑year sales veteran who doubled revenue at fintech MX and helped steer Qualtrics through a multi‑billion‑dollar SAP acquisition, will lead the company's go‑to‑market and sales strategy. The...
Occidental Appoints COO Richard Jackson as CEO as Vicki Hollub Retires
Occidental Petroleum's board unanimously appointed COO Richard A. Jackson as president, chief executive officer and director, effective June 1, 2026, when Vicki Hollub retires. Jackson will earn a $1.4 million base salary, a target cash incentive equal to 150% of salary...
Alkermes Plc (ALKS) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Alkermes reported $1.5 billion in 2025 revenue, driven by a 9% rise in its proprietary product portfolio, and closed the $775 million cash Avadel acquisition in February 2026, adding the LUMRIZE sleep‑medicine platform. The company forecast 2026 total revenue of $1.73‑$1.84 billion with...
Taylor Named Chief Business Ops Officer at Sims Crane Groups
Sims Crane & Equipment Co. announced that Curtis Taylor has been named Chief Business Operations Officer. In this role, he will steer enterprise analytics, reporting, and data‑driven transformation across the firm, linking data strategy to billing efficiency and customer engagement....
For FreightCar America 1Q26, ‘Continued Aftermarket Revenue Growth’
FreightCar America posted first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $64.3 million, a 33% drop from a year earlier, but achieved its highest gross margin in over a decade at 16.8%. The company recorded a net income of $41.6 million after a $49.1 million non‑cash warrant...
Power Integrations Appoints Mike Balow as SVP of Worldwide Sales to Boost Growth
Power Integrations announced that Michael Balow, a former executive at onsemi and Infineon, will serve as senior vice president of worldwide sales. The San Jose‑based chipmaker says Balow will lead global sales, channel strategy and growth initiatives, targeting high‑growth segments...
One-Size-Fits-All Sales Lose Deals Across Cultures
If you sell the same way to everyone, you are losing deals. Different cultures expect different things. Push too hard in the wrong place and it is over. Most people never realize why they lost. Where have you seen this happen? https://t.co/aunvbBkV3J
Safe Pro Group Names Brian Mack Chief Growth Officer, Launches Gov’t Growth Team
Safe Pro Group Inc. has created a dedicated U.S. government growth team and named Brian Mack, former senior business development director at Anduril, as its Chief Growth Officer. The move, supported by veteran Benjamin Chitty as VP of Government Growth,...
Mubadala and Tubacex Activate $200 M TBX Nexxia Joint Venture in Abu Dhabi
Mubadala Investment Company and Tubacex Group have officially launched TBX Nexxia, a $200 million joint venture in Abu Dhabi that brings advanced corrosion‑resistant alloy (CRA) oil‑country tubular goods (OCTG) manufacturing onshore. The facility, backed by ADNOC, marks the first regional platform of...
How Management, Property Type Can Help Apartment REITs Weather Rent Downturn
RBC forecasts Canada’s apartment vacancy rate to top 3% by 2026 as immigration slows and new supply floods the market, pressuring rents. Equiton Living’s COO Jonathan Fleischer says the downturn is cyclical, not structural, and highlights that legacy, affordable buildings...
Epigamia Names Ritesh Gauba as CEO
Epigamia announced Ritesh Gauba as its new chief executive officer, while elevating Ankur Goel to co‑founder and chief operating officer. The leadership shift follows a record FY26 in which the brand posted more than 50% growth and strong profitability. Backed by private‑equity...
Vicor Q1 2026 Revenue Jumps 20% as New Fab Strategy Fuels Growth
Vicor Corp reported first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $113 million, up 20.2% year‑over‑year, and announced a shift toward acquiring existing fab facilities and adding a second 3DI interconnect line. The moves aim to ease capacity constraints while expanding the company’s defense and...
Rush Street Interactive COO Sells $1.37 Million of Stock Amid Earnings Beat
Rush Street Interactive's chief operating officer sold $1.37 million worth of company stock on May 2, 2026. The sale came as RSI's shares climbed 0.9% after the firm posted earnings that beat consensus. Analysts are watching the insider move alongside strong...
Lenovo Appoints Sumir Bhatia as APAC Chief Commercial Officer to Lead Hybrid AI
Lenovo named veteran Sumir Bhatia as its inaugural Chief Commercial Officer for the Asia Pacific region, launching a dedicated commercial organization to sell hybrid AI solutions. The move follows the planned retirement of COO Ivan Cheung and signals a tighter...
Hire only if You Already Have a Scalable Process
Hired a salesperson to fix a pipeline problem. Pipeline stayed empty. Salesperson stayed confused. Costs went up. Hiring doesn't fix distribution. It amplifies whatever's already there. Before the next hire, ask one question: is there something already working that this person can multiply? If the answer...
Capcom COO Rob Dyer Signals Pragmata Sequel Potential After Million‑Copy Launch
At the Iicon conference in Las Vegas, Capcom USA COO Rob Dyer said the studio’s newly released Pragmata, which sold more than one million copies in its first two days, may evolve into a lasting franchise. The comment highlights Capcom’s...
Closing the Insight‑Action Gap Boosts Deal Velocity
MyPOV: The gap between revenue insight and action is where deals stall. @Clari + @Salesloft just closed it. @CR_MSchneider with the hot take on their platform integration and new MCP server. Read more here: https://t.co/LMsf37cTul
Codingal Names Praveen Kumar VP of Operations to Drive Global K‑12 EdTech Scaling
Codingal has appointed Praveen Kumar as Vice President of Operations. Kumar, who grew Apna’s ARR to $11 million in two years and Udacity’s India vertical to $6 million in 18 months, will oversee teacher management, customer experience and program delivery as the...
Prioritize Timing over Volume to Meet Ready Buyers
Buyers don't act when you're ready. They act when they are. Stop optimizing for volume. Start optimizing for timing. Show up consistently enough to be there when they move.
SmartRound Appoints Naoki Nakao as VP of Revenue to Drive AI‑plus Platform Shift
SmartRound announced that Naoki Nakao, a former Mizuho Bank banker and head of its investor success team, will serve as executive officer and Vice President of Revenue. The move is positioned as a catalyst for the company’s shift from a...
AMPIN Energy Transition Appoints Ritesh Singhi as COO to Drive Utility-Scale Growth
AMPIN Energy Transition announced the appointment of Ritesh Singhi as chief operating officer. The veteran executive will lead the company’s utility‑scale business, leveraging more than two decades of renewable‑energy experience to accelerate project execution and strategic growth.
Occidental Names COO Richard Jackson as CEO, Effective June 1
Occidental Petroleum said COO Richard Jackson will become president and chief executive on June 1, 2026, succeeding Vicki Hollub, who will retire after a decade at the helm. Jackson will also join the board, while Hollub remains as a director, ensuring continuity...
Owens Corning Appoints Todd Fister as Chief Financial and Operating Officer to Drive Organic Growth
Owens Corning promoted Executive Vice President Todd Fister to serve as Chief Financial and Operating Officer, merging finance and operations to accelerate organic growth, improve margins and strengthen its market‑leading positions. The move follows the company’s recent divestiture of its...
Insight Australia Travel Appoints Kathy Turner as COO to Drive Growth
Insight Australia Travel and Australian Geographic Travel have named industry veteran Kathy Turner as chief operating officer. The appointment is aimed at strengthening the companies' operational platform as they scale their premium experience travel offerings across Australia and New Zealand.
Kōloa Rum Names Robert Ramer COO as Expansion Accelerates
Kōloa Rum Company appointed Robert Ramer as chief operating officer effective May 1, 2026, succeeding long‑time leader Bob Gunter. The move comes as the Hawaiian rum maker ramps up global distribution and operational capacity.
Canada Life Installs New COO and First Chief Customer Officer to Drive Growth
Canada Life announced the permanent appointment of Sean Christian as chief operating officer and the hiring of Rose St Louis as its first chief customer officer. The moves are designed to tighten operational execution and embed a unified customer‑experience strategy...
Encompass Health Q1 2026 Revenue Jumps 9% as COO Tuer Highlights Efficiency Gains
Encompass Health posted $1.59 billion in first‑quarter revenue, up 9% year over year, while adjusted EBITDA rose 11.2% to $348.8 million. COO Patrick Tuer emphasized stronger discharge metrics, lower labor costs and a revised 2026 outlook that lifts net operating revenue guidance...
CadreIQ Makes the Case for Revenue Execution Governance as Sales Leaders Rebuild for the Age of AI
CadreIQ is urging sales leaders to move beyond visibility, intelligence and orchestration toward Revenue Execution Governance, a discipline that proves strategy is actually executed in the field. The company defines "Execution Debt" as the hidden cost of missed plays, inconsistent...
Confluent Medical Technologies Hires New Chief Operating Officer
Confluent Medical Technologies announced the appointment of Tom Testa as chief operating officer, effective April 29. Testa brings a track record that includes serving as CEO and CFO of Corza Medical and as VP and general manager of Nordson Medical’s...
ProPetro COO Adam Muñoz Tackles Cost Cuts as Q1 Revenue Falls 7%
ProPetro (PUMP) posted first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $271 million, a 7% sequential decline, and a net loss of $4 million. COO Adam Muñoz detailed a multi‑pronged effort to tighten the cost structure, accelerate fleet utilization and fund a $540‑$610 million capital program, especially...
Runway East Appoints Sophie Marsh As Chief Operating Officer
Runway East, a fast‑growing UK flexible‑workspace provider, has appointed Sophie Marsh as chief operating officer. Marsh arrives with more than 14 years of experience scaling startups and high‑growth real‑estate businesses, most recently at Appear Here and Onefinestay. She will oversee...
Sportico Transactions: Moves and Mergers Roundup for May 1
The May 1 Sportico roundup highlights a wave of strategic hires, high‑profile brand partnerships, and sizable investments across the sports ecosystem. Notable moves include Will Wright joining BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing as COO, Jarrod Schwarz becoming Yahoo Sports GM, and Coca‑Cola...
Pacira Q1 2026 Earnings Highlight COO Brendan Teehan's Product Launch Drive
Pacira BioSciences posted a 7% rise in EXPAREL sales to $143.3 M and double‑digit growth for ZILRETTA and ioverao in Q1 2026, attributing the momentum to COO Brendan P. Teehan’s accelerated product launches and expanded sales teams. The company also repurchased...
Cerus Names Vivek K. Jayaraman as New COO, Raises 2026 Revenue Guidance
Cerus Corporation introduced Vivek K. Jayaraman as its incoming chief operating officer during its Q1 2026 earnings call. The leadership change coincides with a 24% jump in product revenue to $53.7 million and an upward revision of full‑year product revenue guidance...
Guillaume Etorre Joins SiPearl as Chief Operating Officer
SiPearl, the European fabless designer of high‑performance, energy‑efficient CPUs, announced the appointment of Guillaume Etorre as Chief Operating Officer. Etorre, who joined on Jan 26 2026, reports to CEO Philippe Notton and will oversee chip design, applications, reference systems, operations, quality, and...
TBO Tek COO Deepak Khanna Steps Down After Nearly Two Decades
Travel distribution platform TBO Tek announced that Chief Operating Officer Deepak Khanna will step down effective April 30, 2026 after nearly 19 years with the firm. Khanna was instrumental in scaling the Gurugram‑based company’s operations and global footprint. The firm recently reported an 86%...
Ares Names Firm Veteran Peter Ogilvie as COO, Head of Strategy
Ares Management announced that Peter Ogilvie, a firm veteran of almost two decades, has been appointed chief operating officer and head of strategy. The dual role places Ogilvie at the helm of both day‑to‑day operations and long‑term strategic planning. The...