Who is COO?
A Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a senior executive of a company and second in command to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The COO can also be described as a CEO’s right- hand man. Unlike the CEO whose job concerns long-term vision and mission, a COO deals with daily operations.
A COO is also referred to as “Chief Operation Officer”, “Operations Director”, or, “Executive Vice President of Operations”.
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Difference between COO and CEO
The COO is the second highest ranking official in the company and second in command to the CEO. The COO also looks over departments dealing with recruitment, pay role, legal and training. The COO deals with daily operations of a company whereas, the CEO’s job is concerned with long term vision, mission and goals.
| CEO | COO |
| Highest ranking official | Second highest ranking official |
| Reports to the board of directors | Answers to the CEO |
| Long term planning and goals | Daily operations |
| Focuses more on external matters | Deals with internal matters |
Qualifications of a CEO
A COO must have at least 10-15 years of prior work experience in related fields. The COOs must also be familiar with the work profile of every department as they are the heads of multiple departments on the broader spectrum.
A few qualities and skills that make up for a good COO are: –
Education
For being eligible for a COOs position, one must have a bachelor’s degree in business. Though, the Chief Operational Officers usually do have a master’s degree.
Work experience
COO candidates usually have significant experience backing their candidature. 10- 15 years’ experience is preferred for a COO.
Skills
COOs must possess strong skills such as leadership skills, team building and communication to inspire and lead the departments. Qualities such as problem-solving abilities and critical thinking also go a long way.
Roles and Responsibilities of a COO
According to Mckinsey “The COO job description has never been a fixed one: it varies by industry, organization, and need. Some COOs may see their role as that of a mentor, whereas others may be partners or heirs apparent to the chief executive.”
The Chief Operational Officer plays a crucial role in the smooth functioning of the company.
The main responsibilities of a COO include
- Overseeing day-to-day operations of the company
- Recruiting and hiring
- Implementing the plans and strategies put in place by the CEO
- Ensuring implementation of policies
- Assisting and keeping the CEO updated
- Guiding employees to their potential
- Maintaining relationships with partners and clients
Types of COO
The Harvard Business Review categorizes COO in 7 different categories, these are:
The Executor
The role of the COO is to execute the plans devised by the CEO or the management team(s).
The Change Agent
Often, a company hires a COO to change the company’s course. The COO is here, in this case to completely turnaround or change the structure of the company.
The Mentor
A few organizations may hire a COO as a mentor to shape their budding CEO, who is often the founder themselves.
The Other Half
The COO has a very similar experience and set of skills as that of the CEO of the company or, possess skills that the CEO lacks to fill the void.
The Partner
When the COO is hired as a partner to the CEO to boost the productivity of the CEO themselves because they work the best with a partner.
The Heir Apparent
The COO position in this case is established to prepare or test the expected future CEO.
The MVP
Sometimes, companies open up the position of COO to promote the employees who are “too valuable to lose”.
3 Prominent COOs Worth Knowing
RAY LANE (ORACLE)
Ray Lane was brought in by Larry Ellison in 1992 to join Oracle and was promoted to COO in 1996. Ray turned the company’s profit margins around. Lane parted ways with Oracle in 2000.
MORT TOPFER (DELL)
Dell was started in 1984 by Michael Dell and was the first company ever to sell computers directly to consumers. It was after 1993 when the company was falling apart, and Michael decided to hire people with experience and Mort Topfer joined Dell. He was not the COO, but his work profile was that of a COO. It was Topfer’s experience and strategies that pulled Dell up and made it a success.
SHERYL SANDBERG (FACEBOOK)
Sheryl Sandberg was appointed as Facebook’s COO in 2008. She played a pivotal role in Facebook’s success. It was her who expanded Facebook’s user base and was overseeing other daily operations.
FAQs
Q1. What is the role of a COO?
A Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a senior executive of a company and second in command to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The COO can also be described as a CEO’s right- hand man.
Q2. What are the qualifications and skills of a COO.
A.A COO must have at least 10-15 years of prior work experience in related fields. The COOs must also be familiar with the work profile of every department as they are the heads of multiple departments on the broader spectrum.
Q3. What are the responsibilities of a COO?
A. The key responsibilities of a COO include overseeing day-to-day operations of the company, implementing strategies of the CEO, assisting the CEO and maintaining relationships with the clients