For newly appointed COOs, GMs and VPs Operations
Your first 100 days decide the operating rhythm.
Either you set it, or you inherit someone else's. I've stepped into senior operations roles several times — including eight months as acting COO across nine assets at Nordgold.
I help newly appointed operations leaders in mining and process industries get through that window with a plan, a KPI cascade and a few hard conversations done early.
The first 100 days
Three things to get done before the window closes
See the operation as it is.
Walk the sites, find the few numbers that decide a good day, and check whether people trust them. Maintenance schedule adherence usually tells a new COO the most in month one.
Set the operating rhythm.
A meeting cascade from shift to executive level, a KPI cascade that reaches the shift supervisor, and clear decision rights.
Have the hard conversations early.
On people, targets and priorities — while you still have the mandate of someone new, and before the year's plan is locked.
None of this needs a consulting team. It needs a plan, a sparring partner who has done it before, and the discipline to run the routines every week.
The format
One month to start
No pitch and no long contract. We start small and see whether it helps.
First 100 Days
- For
- Newly appointed COO, GM or VP Operations
- What you get
- A structured plan for the first 100 days, plus weekly sparring sessions
- Duration
- 1 month
- Then
- Ongoing advisory, if it's useful
The first conversation
Thirty minutes, no agenda, no pitch. Most of these calls end with me sending two pages of notes.
Track record
Operating roles I've held
| Where | What changed |
|---|---|
| Nordgold — Deputy COO; acting COO for 8 months (9 assets, 9,000 people) | All four managed assets turned FCF-positive (+USD 2M to +54M), top-quartile costs (–USD 98/oz); labor productivity +22%, attrition under 7% on rotational work |
| EuroChem — Head of the Business System, mining division | 4 navigator teams across 4 sites; ~USD 30M impact in the first year |
| EVRAZ — Head of the Target Operating Model Program | Operating-model transformation for 40,000+ employees across 6 assets; a transformation office of 18+ people |
FAQ
Is the first call a sales call?
No. It's thirty minutes about your first quarter. If a structured plan and weekly sparring would help, I'll say so; if not, you still get the notes.
Do you work remotely?
Mostly, yes. Diagnostics and quarterly reviews happen on site; the rest is remote.
Confidentiality?
An NDA before any data changes hands. I don't share client material, and the cases on this page are described without client data.
Just started a new operations role?
A 30-minute, no-agenda conversation about your first quarter.