In private capital-backed businesses, the gap between a strong value creation plan and strong returns often comes down to one person. We place Chief Operating Officers who build operating rhythm, remove bottlenecks, and create the execution capability your investors need, with a qualified shortlist within 72 hours of brief.
Why this hire matters
Strategy is only as good as the organisation that executes it. PE sponsors invest in plans, but they create returns through people. A COO who can hold accountability across functions, establish operating discipline, and drive pace without creating chaos is one of the most valuable and difficult hires in a portfolio company.
What makes COO mandates particularly nuanced is that the role itself varies significantly. The right COO for a buy-and-build integration programme is a different person to the right COO for scaling a SaaS platform or professionalising a fragmented B2B services business. We scope the mandate carefully before we begin the search, because the title is consistent, but the requirement rarely is.
What great looks like
Process architect
Builds scalable operating models without bureaucracy. Distinguishes between processes that drive value and those that create friction. Knows when to standardise and when to stay flexible.
Cross-functional authority
Commands genuine respect across sales, operations, finance, and people functions. Breaks down silos without political damage. Operates as a unifying force rather than an additional layer of management.
Data-driven
Uses management information and KPIs to drive accountability and decision-making. Makes the operating rhythm visible, to the CEO, the board, and the team, so that performance is understood in real time, not retrospectively.
Pace setter
Brings urgency without chaos. Understands that speed is a competitive advantage in private capital-backed businesses and builds organisations that move fast without losing quality or burning out people.
HMN's approach
Before we write a search brief, we spend time understanding what the COO mandate actually is
Whether you need a CEO #2 with full P&L accountability, an integration lead for a complex acquisition programme, or a transformation director during a period of rapid organic scale, the brief shapes everything that follows.
We assess sector experience carefully
The operating model of a B2B services business is structurally different from a tech-enabled platform or a healthcare services group, and we do not treat COO mandates as interchangeable. We also assess operating style fit with the CEO, because a COO who clashes with the chief executive destroys more value than one who was never hired.
We offer both permanent and interim COO placements
For defined transformation programmes or integration projects, an interim appointment with a clear mandate and timeline can often be the most effective structure. Shortlists are delivered within 3–4 weeks; for urgent mandates, we can present a qualified initial shortlist within 72 hours of brief.
The process
1
Brief
We define the mandate precisely, the COO needed for a buy-and-build integration is a different person to the COO needed to scale revenue operations. We invest time upfront to get this right.
2
Search
We map COOs with directly relevant sector, stage, and operating model experience. Approaches are discreet and direct, including to candidates currently delivering successfully in role and not actively looking.
3
Shortlist
We present 3–5 focused candidates with assessments of operating style, sector fit, and CEO working dynamic. Delivered within 3–4 weeks, or 72 hours for urgent mandates.
4
Close
We support through offer negotiation, onboarding, and a structured 90-day induction plan, covering board relationships, team dynamics, and quick-win priorities.
Frequently asked questions
When should a private capital-backed business hire a COO?
Typically when the CEO is overextended and execution is suffering as a result; during periods of rapid scale where operating discipline is at risk; or post-acquisition, where integration complexity requires dedicated leadership. A COO hire is often the difference between a value creation plan that is executed and one that stays on slides.
Do you place interim COOs as well as permanent?
Yes. For defined transformation programmes, integration mandates, or as bridge cover during a permanent search, we source experienced interim COOs with clear mandates and timelines. Interim and permanent searches can run simultaneously where needed.
Do you work across sectors?
Yes. We place COOs across B2B services, tech-enabled businesses, healthcare, consumer, and industrials within private capital. Sector experience is one of the primary filters in our search process, operating models differ significantly and we do not treat the role as sector-agnostic.
Ready to start a COO search?
What our clients say
“Our COO hire was the most operationally critical appointment we'd made since founding. HMN Capital mapped the market thoroughly, gave us honest assessments, and helped us make the right decision under time pressure.”
CEO, Private Capital-Backed Healthcare Business
“The COO brief is notoriously difficult to spec — it means different things in every business. What impressed us was how well HMN Capital listened before they started searching. The shortlist was exactly right.”
Investment Director, Northern European PE Fund