How quickly can you hire with Toptal?

Typically, you can hire a Fractional COO with Toptal in about 48 hours. For larger teams of talent or Managed Delivery , timelines may vary. Our talent matchers are highly skilled in the same fields they’re matching in—they’re not recruiters or HR reps. They’ll work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics, and match you with ideal candidates from our vetted global talent network. Once you select your Fractional COO, you’ll have a no-risk trial period to ensure they’re the perfect fit. Our matching process has a 98% trial-to-hire rate, so you can rest assured that you’re getting the best fit every time.

How do I hire a Fractional COO?

To hire the right Fractional COO, it’s important to evaluate a candidate’s experience, technical skills, and communication skills. You’ll also want to consider the fit with your particular industry, company, and project. Toptal’s rigorous screening process ensures that every member of our network has excellent experience and skills, and our team will match you with the perfect Fractional COOs for your project.

How are Toptal Fractional COOs different?

At Toptal, we thoroughly screen our Fractional COOs to ensure we only match you with the highest caliber of talent. Of the more than 200,000 people who apply to join the Toptal network each year, fewer than 3% make the cut. In addition to screening for industry-leading expertise, we also assess candidates’ language and interpersonal skills to ensure that you have a smooth working relationship. When you hire with Toptal, you’ll always work with world-class, custom-matched Fractional COOs ready to help you achieve your goals.

Can you hire Fractional COOs on an hourly basis or for project-based tasks?

You can hire Fractional COOs on an hourly, part-time, or full-time basis. Toptal can also manage the entire project from end-to-end with our Managed Delivery offering. Whether you hire an expert for a full- or part-time position, you’ll have the control and flexibility to scale your team up or down as your needs evolve. Our Fractional COOs can fully integrate into your existing team for a seamless working experience.

What is the no-risk trial period for Toptal Fractional COOs?

We make sure that each engagement between you and your Fractional COO begins with a trial period of up to two weeks. This means that you have time to confirm the engagement will be successful. If you’re completely satisfied with the results, we’ll bill you for the time and continue the engagement for as long as you’d like. If you’re not completely satisfied, you won’t be billed. From there, we can either part ways, or we can provide you with another expert who may be a better fit and with whom we will begin a second, no-risk trial.

Hire the Top 3% of Fractional COOs

Toptal is a marketplace for top Fractional COOs. Top companies and startups hire Fractional COO freelancers from Toptal for their mission-critical projects.

Hire a Top Fractional COO Now

No-Risk Trial, Pay Only If Satisfied.

Trusted by leading brands and startups

Hire Fractional COOs

View Rick

Rick Ferrone

Fractional COO

United States

Toptal Member Since July 4, 2022

Rick is a business strategy, financial planning, and operations expert with over 20 years of experience as a chief operating and strategy officer and a Big 5 management consultant. He has led three company turnarounds, including one for a $500 million multinational firm, growing revenue by 28% and increasing profitability by 21% within two years. Leveraging his experience with companies of all sizes and across industries, Rick is willing to start delivering value and results in new projects.

Fractional COOs FP&A Business Plan Consulting Business Development Financial Modeling Growth Strategy Management Consultants Business Modeling Business Operations Financial Performance Improvement Strategic Planning Financial Analysis Business Proposal Writing

View Abigail

Abigail Keene-Babcock

Fractional COO

United States

Toptal Member Since April 1, 2022

Abigail has 15+ years of experience working with leaders inside seed-to-Series-D startups and with Fortune 500 clients as a management consultant. She works across all areas of strategy and operations, from HR and finance to operational design and excellence in customer-facing functions. As a strategist, analyzer, and builder, Abigail has a track record of quickly integrating with teams, distilling root causes, filling ownership gaps, and executing data-driven and people-centric plans.

Fractional COOs Management Consultants Startup Consulting

View Karen

Karen Mildenhall

Fractional COO

United States

Toptal Member Since June 6, 2022

Karen is a Fortune 500 transformative corporate executive with over 20 years of expertise leveraging the connection between strategy, risk, operations, people, customers, communications, and P&L management while leading and advising senior leaders on large-scale strategic and operational change. She established a track record of collaboratively leading globally diverse teams to create groundbreaking change in over a dozen industries. She has a dozen business turnrounds in her career.

Fractional COOs M&A Post-merger Integrations Business Consultant Business Transformation Management Consultants

View Curtis

Curtis H Short

Fractional COO

United States

Toptal Member Since June 5, 2023

Curt has 30+ years of experience spanning large, mid-size, and small companies—private equity and public, for-profit, and not-for-profit (NFP)—specializing in process improvement. He has successfully led three sell-side M&A transactions and negotiated and implemented a 3-party transitional services agreement. Curt is a CPA with an MBA who loves learning new businesses and looks forward to driving client business success, leveraging his extensive background.

Fractional COOs FP&A Accounting Budgeting Consulting Financial Forecasting Financial Modeling Business Analysis Consulting Financial Performance Improvement Start-Up Controller Financial Reporting US GAAP Accounting Interim CFOs Excel

View John

John Gauch

Fractional COO

Canada

Toptal Member Since March 10, 2022

John combines a general manager's and an innovator's experiences and tools. He builds and scales products and businesses that stand out in the marketplace. John brings a unique lens and flexible end-to-end approach to this work, integrating his prior corporate law, finance, sales and business development, marketing and product, and business design experience.

Fractional COOs Business Consultant Financial Performance Improvement Due Diligence Growth Strategy Market Research Analyst Strategic Planning Budgeting Consulting P&L Management Consultants Market Sizing Business Operations Fundraising

View Niloufer

Niloufer Afzal, MBA, CM

Fractional COO

Canada

Toptal Member Since May 4, 2022

A growth strategy expert with tier 1 companies, Niloufer led the transformation of a $300 million pet business that was acquired for two times EBITDA. Her areas of expertise are strategic planning, innovation, customer strategy, and eCommerce transformation. She is an award-winning architect of iconic brands across North America, Europe, and Asia; J.M. Smucker, Reckitt, Philips, Kraft-Heinz, McCain, GSK, Tetra Pak, and Mars. Nilo joined Toptal to help organizations unlock and accelerate growth.

Fractional COOs Strategic Planning Business Transformation Management Consultants Pitch Deck Consulting Fundraising Business Analysis Consulting Growth Strategy Financial Modeling Budgeting Consulting Business Plan Consulting Market Sizing Human Resources

View Tatiana

Tatiana Banadyk

Fractional COO

Poland

Toptal Member Since May 26, 2022

With an engineering and quality management background, Tatiana is an expert in operational and quality management, change management, and Lean manufacturing. Her portfolio includes over 50 consulting projects in various industries. She succeeded in developing effective teams for processes optimisation, digitalization, continuous improvement and problem solving. Tatiana considers freelancing an excellent opportunity to work on the most interesting projects.

Fractional COOs Management Consultants

View Victoria

Victoria Kruchevska

Fractional COO

Germany

Toptal Member Since April 14, 2020

Victoria is a chartered financial analyst and a certified financial risk manager with 10+ years of experience in international startups and top-tier European investment banks. Her expertise spans many areas, including financial leadership, budgeting and financial modeling, credit risk, equity valuation, and IPOs of small and mid-sized technology companies.

Fractional COOs Banking Consulting Business Research FP&A M&A Credit Analysis Bloomberg Financial Modeling Stock Market Consulting Budgeting Consulting Project Finance Consulting

View Kevin

Kevin Roberts

Fractional COO

United States

Toptal Member Since June 27, 2022

Over the last 20+ years, Kevin has closed 46 M&A deals totaling several billion in value. He started his career at leading investment banks—Bank of America and Merrill Lynch—and respected private equity firms—Trinity Hunt—advising clients ranging from $1-billion companies to startups and investment firms to family offices. Kevin joined Toptal mainly to leverage his capabilities in M&A and strategic finance, aiming at helping talented entrepreneurs and investors achieve their growth objectives.

Fractional COOs Private Equity Due Diligence Valuations Investment Strategy Transaction Advising Fundraising Financial Modeling Investment Analysis Financial Analysis FP&A Venture Capital M&A

View Puneet

Puneet Sapra

Fractional COO

United States

Toptal Member Since March 8, 2017

Puneet has been CFO of public, middle-market private equity-backed companies, and startups. He has extensive experience working with founders, boards of directors, external partners, and finance teams to grow revenues and profit organically, through M&A, debt, and equity financing.

Fractional COOs FP&A M&A Accounting Interim CFOs

View Simone

Simone Girardeau

Fractional COO

Canada

Toptal Member Since June 15, 2023

Simone has 10+ years of expertise in strategy consulting, private equity, venture capital (VC) backed businesses, and entrepreneurship. As a freelance, she has vast experience in strategic projects for VC and private equity (PE) backed companies, fundraising, and supporting earlier-stage businesses. A strategic problem solver, she enjoys providing structure to solve complex challenges. Simone quickly grasps the broader perspective, understands practical limitations, and executes for impact.

Fractional COOs Growth Strategy

Discover More Fractional COOs in the Toptal Network

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THE TOPTAL ADVANTAGE

98% of Toptal clients choose to hire our talent after a risk-free trial.

Toptal's screening and matching process ensures exceptional talent are matched to your precise needs.

Start Hiring

THE TOPTAL ADVANTAGE

98% of Toptal clients choose to hire our talent after a risk-free trial.

Toptal's screening and matching process ensures exceptional talent are matched to your precise needs.

Start Hiring

Toptal in the press

... allows corporations to quickly assemble teams that have the right skills for specific projects.

Despite accelerating demand for coders, Toptal prides itself on almost Ivy League-level vetting.

Our clients

Creating an app for the game

Leading a digital transformation

Building a cross-platform app to be used worldwide

Drilling into real-time data creates an industry game changer

Testimonials

Martin so far is a complete Rockstar. His first bit of work produced a tool for us to model and forecast our financials and is far and away worth every penny we paid and more. Just thought I’d share that with you.

Pete Pellizzari

CEO

Erik has been an extremely valuable member of our team who has tremendous breath of experience with start ups in our lifecycle phase. What makes his contribution unique and highly effective is not only his excellent financial modeling skills and knowledge, but also the emotional intelligence with which he manages each relationship at Vault, understands our team dynamics, and helps us tackle start up challenges effectively. It is rare to find a part-time consultant who makes you feel like he/she is genuinely invested in the success of your company.

Romy Parzick

COO

Toptal has been an incredible key partner for Sidekick. As an early-stage start-up, we’ve leveraged both design and financial talent. The experience has been incredible, with those professionals bringing creativity, expertise, and advice to ensure Sidekick succeeds. My Toptal financial expert helped steer Sidekick’s business model, which resulted in an initial ROI of 650x! My experience with Toptal has given me great confidence in the future.

Doug MacKay

Founder / CEO

Chris was great to work with and was always available on my schedule. His communication skills and personality were a 10/10. His outputs on the project were top notch and allowed us to develop more efficient forecasting and initiative prioritization frameworks. I would definitely use Chris again.

Chris Pozek

CEO

What really sets Toptal apart is the caliber of finance talent available in their network. I had a very specific and pressing need, and Toptal quickly matched me with the perfect person for the job. The expert produced a thoughtful and robust financial analysis that has ultimately allowed us to forecast and prioritize initiatives much more efficiently.

Chris Pozek

CEO

How to Hire Fractional COOs Through Toptal

Talk to One of Our Industry Experts

A Toptal director of finance will work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics.

Work With Hand-Selected Talent

Within days, we'll introduce you to the right Fractional COO for your project. Average time to match is under 24 hours.

The Right Fit, Guaranteed

Work with your new Fractional COO for a trial period (pay only if satisfied), ensuring they're the right fit before starting the engagement.

Find Experts With Related Skills

Access a vast pool of skilled finance experts in our talent network and hire the top 3% within just 48 hours.

Fractional CFOs Interim COOs Part-time CFOs Virtual CFOs Interim CEOs Outsourced CFOs Interim CFOs

FAQs

How quickly can you hire with Toptal?
Typically, you can hire a Fractional COO with Toptal in about 48 hours. For larger teams of talent or Managed Delivery, timelines may vary. Our talent matchers are highly skilled in the same fields they’re matching in—they’re not recruiters or HR reps. They’ll work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics, and match you with ideal candidates from our vetted global talent network.

Once you select your Fractional COO, you’ll have a no-risk trial period to ensure they’re the perfect fit. Our matching process has a 98% trial-to-hire rate, so you can rest assured that you’re getting the best fit every time.
How do I hire a Fractional COO?
To hire the right Fractional COO, it’s important to evaluate a candidate’s experience, technical skills, and communication skills. You’ll also want to consider the fit with your particular industry, company, and project. Toptal’s rigorous screening process ensures that every member of our network has excellent experience and skills, and our team will match you with the perfect Fractional COOs for your project.
How are Toptal Fractional COOs different?
At Toptal, we thoroughly screen our Fractional COOs to ensure we only match you with the highest caliber of talent. Of the more than 200,000 people who apply to join the Toptal network each year, fewer than 3% make the cut.

In addition to screening for industry-leading expertise, we also assess candidates’ language and interpersonal skills to ensure that you have a smooth working relationship.

When you hire with Toptal, you’ll always work with world-class, custom-matched Fractional COOs ready to help you achieve your goals.
Can you hire Fractional COOs on an hourly basis or for project-based tasks?
You can hire Fractional COOs on an hourly, part-time, or full-time basis. Toptal can also manage the entire project from end-to-end with our Managed Delivery offering. Whether you hire an expert for a full- or part-time position, you’ll have the control and flexibility to scale your team up or down as your needs evolve. Our Fractional COOs can fully integrate into your existing team for a seamless working experience.
What is the no-risk trial period for Toptal Fractional COOs?
We make sure that each engagement between you and your Fractional COO begins with a trial period of up to two weeks. This means that you have time to confirm the engagement will be successful. If you’re completely satisfied with the results, we’ll bill you for the time and continue the engagement for as long as you’d like. If you’re not completely satisfied, you won’t be billed. From there, we can either part ways, or we can provide you with another expert who may be a better fit and with whom we will begin a second, no-risk trial.

Tap Into World-Class Talent

Trusted Experts Only
All of our talent are seasoned experts who ramp up quickly, readily contribute as core team members, and work with you to minimize onboarding time.
The Right Fit
We have a knack for matching you with the right fit. Start working with your new hire on a no-risk trial period, paying only if satisfied.
Scale as Needed
Hire talent within 48 hours and scale your team up or down as needed, no strings attached.
Seamless Hiring
We handle all aspects of billing, payments, and NDA’s. Let us take care of the overhead while you focus on building great products.
Flexible Engagements
Choose the engagement type that suits your needs — hourly, part-time, or full-time — with the ability to change anytime.
Expert Talent Matching
Focus on your project and enjoy support from your dedicated account executive and expert talent matcher.