John Gauch, Management Consultant in Toronto, ON, Canada
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John Gauch

Bio

John is a fractional COO and operator who partners with founders to scale their businesses. He brings a multidisciplinary background, including corporate law, customer insights, sales leadership, general management, and product strategy. John has supported dozens of early-stage teams, including one company that exceeded the $100 million in revenue milestone and another that nearly reached that mark. His approach is structured and flexible, built on strong relationships and disciplined execution.

Career Highlights

Sales Performance Coach
Somersault Innovation
Fractional Chief Operating Officer
John Gauch
General Manager
Axiom

Education Highlights

Juris Doctor
New York University, School of Law
M.Phil.
Cambridge University, Peterhouse College
Bachelor's Degree
Cornell University, College of Arts & Sciences

Certification Highlights

LEANSTACK Continuous Innovation Coach
LEANSTACK
Certified Professional Scrum Product Owner
Scrum.org
Certificate, Disruptive Strategy
Harvard Business School Online

Case Studies

Expertise

  • Business Process Improvement (BPI)
  • Consumer Insights
  • Fractional COO
  • Growth Strategy
  • Operations
  • P&L Management
  • Product Growth
  • Startup Consulting

Work Experience

Fractional COO

2025 - PRESENT
Velarium LLC
  • Built an operating rhythm that freed the founder for strategic work. Initiated financial planning and recurring reviews, and improved reporting, tax, AR, pricing hygiene, and other business operations.
  • Established a clear meeting cadence across product, sales, technology, and management, clarifying task delegation and ownership.
  • Accelerated go-to-market execution, supported active sales opportunities, refreshed foundational sales assets, and began to introduce core sales practices to support scalable growth in 2026.
Focus areas: Business Development, Growth Strategy, Organizational Design, Business Strategy, COO, Process Improvement, Finance, Business Operations, Pricing, Team Coaching, B2B Sales, Fractional COO, Structure & Organizational Design, Technology, Human Resources (HR), HR Operations, Scalable Operating Models, Sales Management, Facilitation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Product-market Fit, Startup Accelerators, Operational Audits, Sales Enablement, AI Tools, AI Agents, Workflow Design, Contract Negotiation, Contract Review, Term Sheet Advisory, Deal Execution, Entrepreneurship, Marketing Operations

Sales Performance Coach

2023 - PRESENT
Somersault Innovation
  • Taught sales teams to apply design thinking—the creative problem-solving methodology used to innovate and grow new businesses—to increase their sales pipeline.
  • Assisted salespeople in forging deeper connections and conducting better discovery, improving the speed of securing meetings with decision makers, expanding to new lines of business, broadening the solution footprint, and increasing deal size.
  • Renewed team members' passion and motivation for their work.
Focus areas: Sales, B2B Sales, Sales Growth, Sales Planning, Coaching, Team Coaching, Sales Coaching, Business Coaching, Executive Coaching, SaaS, Software Sales, Tech Sales, Design Thinking, Sales Strategy, SaaS Sales, Sales Management, Facilitation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Product-market Fit, Operational Audits, Sales Enablement, AI Tools, AI Agents, Workflow Design

Fractional Chief Operating Officer

2022 - PRESENT
Synervoz
  • Collaborated with the CEO to operate and grow this Techstars alum. A specialist in audio software development and creator of the Swithboard SDK, Synervoz develops voice AI apps and software for leading startups and enterprises, like Amazon and Meta.
  • Carried out new business development and sales efforts and supported corporate development initiatives, including fundraising.
  • Oversaw internal operations, HR (people ops), finance (bookkeeping, reporting, analysis), and legal management.
  • Partnered with the CTO and the director of engineering to manage custom engineering projects.
Focus areas: Business Operations, Sales Operations, Operations Strategy, Sales, Sales Growth, Sales Planning, Business to Business (B2B), Business Design, Startups, Lean Startups, Startup Funding, Startup Consulting, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Finance, Legal, Human Resources (HR), Intellectual Property, Change Management, Consultative Selling, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Outbound Prospecting, Reporting, Sales Coaching, Sales Leadership, B2B Sales, Mentorship & Coaching, Business Analysis, Data Analysis, Organizational Structure, Leadership Coaching, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Interim COO, Operations Management, Sales Strategy, Cold Calling, Full Cycle Sales, Outbound Sales, Sales Consulting, Cash Flow Management, Organizational Design, Structure & Organizational Design, Technology, HR Operations, Scalable Operating Models, Sales Management, Facilitation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Product-market Fit, Startup Accelerators, Operational Audits, Sales Enablement, AI Tools, AI Agents, Workflow Design, Contract Negotiation, Contract Review, Term Sheet Advisory, Deal Execution, Investor Relations, Entrepreneurship, Marketing Operations

Fractional Chief Operating Officer

2019 - PRESENT
John Gauch
  • Structured frameworks for clients to create and grow products, teams, and companies as an operating partner to the founder or CEO.
  • Advised CEO of Techstars-alum Synervoz, which provides audio software research and development for companies like Bose, Amazon, and Meta, venture-backed startups building music, media, gaming, social, and AI apps, SaaS services, and electronics.
  • Advised the founder of an online education company on marketing and operations, building on original insights from carrying out and assessing a series of customer interviews.
  • Served as a management coach to the CEO, and advised the finance department on updating and improving an educational nonprofit's financial operations.
  • Advised the founder of an online "peer coaching" platform on finding problem-solution fit, including the creation and testing of prototypes at Harvard University.
  • Set up a SaaS fintech's foundational operations, processes, and systems for the CEO and founding team. Fine-tuned the customer service workflow of a SaaS healthtech startup.
Focus areas: Business Design, Business Models, Business Modeling, Lean Startups, Lean Canvas, Design Thinking, Customer Journey, Customer Research, Research, Analysis, Creative Problem Solving, Strategy, CX Strategy, Operations, New Products, Marketing, Product Owner, Innovation, P&L Management, Business Development, Business Consulting, Consulting, Management, Team Leadership, Agile, SaaS, Consumer Insights, Product Management, New Product Rollout, User Research, Consumer Trends, Consumer Behavior, Business to Consumer (B2C), Business to Business (B2B), Product Design, Prototyping, Process Improvement, Operations Improvement, Performance Improvement, Design Research, Market Research, Innovation Management, New Business Development, Due Diligence, Business Planning, Competition Research, Competitive Strategy, Competitive Intelligence, Growth Strategy, Launch Strategy, Company Strategy, Quantitative Analysis, Team Development, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Customer Segmentation, Market Segmentation, User Empathy, User Experience (UX), Contract Negotiation, Business Setup, Strategic Planning, Client Presentations, Process Design, Primary Research, Interviews, Interviewing, Customer Experience Management, New Product Business Cases, Budgeting, P&L Forecasting, Critical Analysis, Critical Thinking, Writing & Editing, Accounting, Corporate Finance, Product Growth, Growth, Growth Analysis, Financials, User Testing, Sprints, UX Design, Customer Analysis, Growth Marketing, Journey Mapping, New Product Development, Sales Planning, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Management Consulting, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategies, Market Entry, Partnerships, Strategy Development, Storytelling, Market Sizing, Software, Software Sales, Hardware, Pricing, Pricing Plans, Pricing Models, Leadership, Business Strategy, Sales Growth, Modeling, Product Strategy, Customer Data, Sales Strategy, Customer Experience, Product Consultant, Product Strategy Consultant, Business Services, Marketing Strategy, eCommerce, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Market Research Analyst, Discovery, COO, Business Operations, Go-to-market Plans, Product Launch, EMEA, Consumer Health, Organizational Design, Financial Modeling, Chief Operations Officer (COO), Small Business, Fundraising, Investment Ideas, Value Proposition, Fundraising Strategy, Pitch Decks, Business Plan Consulting, Investor Presentations, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Board Reporting, Hiring, Early-stage Startups, Design, Startup Consulting, Jobs to be Done (JTBD), Customer Interviews, User Interviews, Seed Fundraising, Negotiation, Healthcare, Apps, Sales Effectiveness, Sales Commission Structure, Digital Health, TOM, Organizational Strategy & Design, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Psychology & Mental Health, Finance, B2C, Hiring Process Development, Performance Management, Market Research & Analysis, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Competitive Analysis, Business Intelligence (BI), Team Management, Business Transformation, Business to Business to Consumer (B2B2C), B2B2C, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Profit & Loss (P&L), Revenue & Expense Projections, Board Decks, Annual Planning, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Crisis Management, Venture Capital, Startup Funding, Chief of Staff, Operational Excellence, Process Optimization, Early-stage Venture Capital, Pitch Deck Consultant, Sports, Advisory, Business Advisory, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Business Process Improvement (BPI), Human Resources (HR), Fractional COO, Growth Strategy Consultants, Software as a Service (SaaS), Mobile, Fractional CCO, Recruitment, HRIS, Recruiting, Buyer Personas, Marketing Analytics, Customer Insights, Startups, Client Relations, Sales Pipeline Management, Customer Acquisition, Project Management, B2B, Intellectual Property, Change Management, Sales Operations, Consultative Selling, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Outbound Prospecting, Reporting, Sales Coaching, Sales Leadership, B2B Sales, Mentorship & Coaching, Business Analysis, Data Analysis, Organizational Structure, Leadership Coaching, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Interim COO, Operations Management, Sales, Cold Calling, Full Cycle Sales, Outbound Sales, Sales Consulting, Cash Flow Management, Structure & Organizational Design, Technology, HR Operations, Scalable Operating Models, Sales Management, Facilitation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Product-market Fit, Startup Accelerators, Operational Audits, Sales Enablement, AI Tools, AI Agents, Workflow Design, Contract Review, Term Sheet Advisory, Valuation, Deal Execution, Investor Relations, Entrepreneurship, Marketing Operations

Head of Operations (via Toptal)

2024 - 2025
FreshAhead (The Forward Thinking Company)
  • Collaborated on growth with the founder/CEO and head of marketing while handling finance, people, legal, and overall business functions.
  • Rethought how software is built and used in developing the FreshAhead SaaS solution to optimize the agriculture supply chain—beginning with plant- and field-level insights.
  • Replatformed the organization on the Rippling system and updated HR processes.
  • Hired a new tax and finance team, restated three years of financials, and overhauled financial infrastructure.
  • Oversaw an outside law firm for managing contracts, IP, trademarks, and compliance matters.
  • Supported go-to-market motions, including events, new business development, and sales.
Focus areas: COO, Chief Operations Officer (COO), Operations, Business Planning, Business Design, Fractional COO, New Business Development, Recruiting, Finance, Financials, HRIS, People Development, QuickBooks Online, Market Research, Advisory, Business Advisory, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Business Process Improvement (BPI), Human Resources (HR), SaaS, Growth Strategy Consultants, Software as a Service (SaaS), Mobile, Fractional CCO, Recruitment, Buyer Personas, Marketing Analytics, Customer Insights, Startups, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Fundraising, Project Management, Organizational Design, B2B, Intellectual Property, Change Management, Reporting, B2B Sales, Mentorship & Coaching, Business Analysis, Data Analysis, Organizational Structure, Leadership Coaching, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Interim COO, Operations Management, Sales, Sales Strategy, Cold Calling, Full Cycle Sales, Outbound Sales, Sales Consulting, Cash Flow Management, Structure & Organizational Design, Technology, HR Operations, Scalable Operating Models, Facilitation, Product-market Fit, Startup Accelerators, Operational Audits, AI Tools, AI Agents, Workflow Design, Contract Negotiation, Contract Review, Term Sheet Advisory, Entrepreneurship

Strategy Advisor (via Toptal)

2023 - 2025
Feldspar
  • Provided strategic business advice to the founder and CEO of a startup digitizing the sport of track with innovative new materials, sensors, and software.
  • Advised on the initial business setup and business design.
  • Supported recruitment approach and organizational design.
  • Served as a sounding board and thought partner on the business strategy and go-to-market approach.
Focus areas: Strategy, Business Setup, Board Membership, Recruiting, Recruitment, Organizational Design, Go-to-market Plans, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategies, Business Design, Early-stage Venture Capital, COO, Chief Operations Officer (COO), Fractional COO, Market Research, Fundraising, Pitch Deck Consultant, Sports, Advisory, Business Advisory, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Business Process Improvement (BPI), Human Resources (HR), Growth Strategy Consultants, Fractional CCO, Buyer Personas, Marketing Analytics, Customer Insights, Startups, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Business Development, Customer Acquisition, B2B, Intellectual Property, Change Management, Consultative Selling, Reporting, Mentorship & Coaching, Business Analysis, Data Analysis, Organizational Structure, Leadership Coaching, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Interim COO, Operations Management, Sales, Sales Strategy, Sales Consulting, Structure & Organizational Design, Technology, Scalable Operating Models, Facilitation, Product-market Fit, Startup Accelerators, Operational Audits, AI Tools, AI Agents, Workflow Design, Valuation, Investor Relations, Entrepreneurship

Advisor (via Toptal)

2024 - 2024
Safe Start Child Proofing
  • Provided on-demand strategic counsel to the founder and CEO during a critical transition for this hybrid child safety business offering products online and in-home services.
  • Advised on capital structure, M&A, and business operations.
  • Provided on-demand development-focused business coaching.
Focus areas: COO, Strategy, Operations Strategy, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategies, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Equity Capital, Equity, Business Operations, Chief Operations Officer (COO), Fractional CCO, Advisory, Business Advisory, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Business Process Improvement (BPI), Fractional COO, Growth Strategy Consultants, eCommerce, Recruitment, Recruiting, Startups, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Fundraising, Intellectual Property, Mentorship & Coaching, Retail & Wholesale, Business Analysis, Data Analysis, Organizational Structure, Leadership Coaching, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Interim COO, Operations Management, Sales, Sales Strategy, Sales Consulting, Cash Flow Management, Organizational Design, Structure & Organizational Design, Facilitation, Startup Accelerators, Operational Audits, Workflow Design, Valuation, Entrepreneurship

General Manager

2019 - 2021
Personal Trainer Development Center
  • Improved revenue and profitability in 2020, reset strategy and positioning in 2021, and took key steps to boost growth to address COVID-19.
  • Developed a mobile digital app to complement the core product using a series of iterative 2-week sprints exploring whitespace with a sign-up waitlist exceeding 10,000 people.
  • Led and improved emerging human resources, finance, legal functions, and project prioritization and planning.
  • Designed and systematically carried out foundational and ongoing customer insights projects, including creating an evidence-backed customer experience map and informing strategy, KPIs, marketing, product, and operational priorities.
Focus areas: Strategy, CX Strategy, Customer Research, Operations, New Products, Marketing, Product Owner, Business Consulting, Business Planning, Product Growth, Growth Strategy, Growth, Growth Analysis, User Research, Market Research, Design Research, Financials, User Testing, User Experience (UX), Sprints, User Empathy, Process Design, UX Design, Customer Analysis, Growth Marketing, Customer Journey, Prototyping, Product Design, Launch Strategy, Business Development, New Business Development, New Product Development, New Product Business Cases, New Product Rollout, P&L Management, Team Leadership, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Management, Startups, Research, Analysis, Creative Problem Solving, Innovation, Consulting, Agile, SaaS, Consumer Insights, Product Management, Consumer Trends, Consumer Behavior, Business to Business (B2B), Process Improvement, Operations Improvement, Performance Improvement, Innovation Management, Due Diligence, Competition Research, Competitive Strategy, Competitive Intelligence, Company Strategy, Quantitative Analysis, Team Development, Customer Segmentation, Market Segmentation, Contract Negotiation, Business Setup, Business Design, Strategic Planning, Lean Startups, Client Presentations, Primary Research, Interviews, Customer Experience Management, Budgeting, P&L Forecasting, Business Models, Critical Analysis, Critical Thinking, Writing & Editing, Google, Interviewing, Management Consulting, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategies, Market Entry, Partnerships, Strategy Development, Storytelling, Market Sizing, Software, Accounting, Journey Mapping, Due Diligence Consultant, Pricing, Pricing Plans, Pricing Models, M&A (Buy-side), Joint Ventures, Leadership, Design Thinking, Business Strategy, Sales Growth, Modeling, Business Modeling, Lean Canvas, Product Strategy, Customer Data, Sales Strategy, Customer Experience, Product Consultant, Product Strategy Consultant, Business Services, Marketing Strategy, eCommerce, Market Research Analyst, Discovery, COO, Business Operations, Go-to-market Plans, Product Launch, Consumer Health, Organizational Design, Financial Modeling, Chief Operations Officer (COO), Small Business, Fundraising, Investment Ideas, Value Proposition, Fundraising Strategy, Pitch Decks, Business Plan Consulting, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Board Reporting, Hiring, Early-stage Startups, Design, Startup Consulting, Jobs to be Done (JTBD), Customer Interviews, User Interviews, Seed Fundraising, Negotiation, Healthcare, Apps, Sales Effectiveness, Sales Commission Structure, Digital Health, TOM, Organizational Strategy & Design, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Finance, B2C, Hiring Process Development, Performance Management, Market Research & Analysis, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Competitive Analysis, Business Intelligence (BI), Team Management, Business Transformation, Business to Business to Consumer (B2B2C), B2B2C, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Profit & Loss (P&L), Revenue & Expense Projections, Board Decks, Annual Planning, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Crisis Management, Venture Capital, Startup Funding, Chief of Staff, Operational Excellence, Process Optimization, Sports, Advisory, Business Advisory, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Business Process Improvement (BPI), Human Resources (HR), Fractional COO, Growth Strategy Consultants, Mobile, Software as a Service (SaaS), Fractional CCO, Recruitment, HRIS, Recruiting, Buyer Personas, Marketing Analytics, Customer Insights, Client Relations, Sales Pipeline Management, Customer Acquisition, Project Management, B2B, Intellectual Property, Change Management, Sales Operations, Consultative Selling, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Outbound Prospecting, Reporting, Sales Coaching, Sales Leadership, B2B Sales, Mentorship & Coaching, Business Analysis, Data Analysis, Organizational Structure, Leadership Coaching, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Interim COO, Operations Management, Sales, Full Cycle Sales, Outbound Sales, Sales Consulting, Cash Flow Management, Structure & Organizational Design, Technology, HR Operations, Scalable Operating Models, Sales Management, Facilitation, Product-market Fit, Startup Accelerators, Operational Audits, Sales Enablement, Workflow Design, Contract Review, Term Sheet Advisory, Deal Execution, Entrepreneurship, Marketing Operations

VP, Product

2014 - 2019
Spartan Race
  • Improved product performance (from sign-ups to retention) and grew revenue by 10 times, geographic footprint by 10 times, and partners from 0 to 200.
  • Introduced new approaches to qualitative research, carried out projects, and applied findings to product and marketing strategies and plans, leading to the above gains.
  • Built a growth strategy encompassing two new business models, an in-market brick-and-mortar gym and a digital app (Daily Burn) experiment.
  • Developed high-impact partnerships (e.g., 24 Hour Fitness) and meeting partner, end-user, and Spartan goals to boost product impact and support new initiatives.
Focus areas: Product Owner, New Products, Marketing, Innovation, Strategy, CX Strategy, Customer Research, Operations, Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Business Planning, Product Growth, Growth Strategy, Growth, Growth Analysis, User Research, Market Research, Design Research, Financials, User Testing, User Experience (UX), Sprints, User Empathy, Process Design, UX Design, Customer Analysis, Growth Marketing, Customer Journey, Journey Mapping, Prototyping, Product Design, Launch Strategy, Business Development, New Business Development, New Product Development, New Product Business Cases, New Product Rollout, P&L Management, Management, Product Management, Project Management, Team Leadership, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Startups, Research, Analysis, Creative Problem Solving, Scrum, SaaS, Consumer Insights, Consumer Trends, Consumer Behavior, Business to Consumer (B2C), Process Improvement, Performance Improvement, Innovation Management, Competition Research, Competitive Strategy, Competitive Intelligence, Company Strategy, Quantitative Analysis, Team Development, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Customer Segmentation, Market Segmentation, Contract Negotiation, Business Design, Strategic Planning, Lean Startups, Client Presentations, Primary Research, Interviews, Customer Experience Management, Budgeting, P&L Forecasting, Business Models, Critical Analysis, Critical Thinking, Writing & Editing, Interviewing, Management Consulting, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategies, Market Entry, Partnerships, Strategy Development, Storytelling, Market Sizing, Google, Sales, Operations Improvement, Business Setup, Accounting, Due Diligence Consultant, Pricing, Pricing Plans, Pricing Models, Joint Ventures, Leadership, Design Thinking, Business Strategy, Sales Growth, Modeling, Business Modeling, Lean Canvas, Product Strategy, Customer Data, Sales Strategy, Customer Experience, Product Consultant, Product Strategy Consultant, Marketing Strategy, eCommerce, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Market Research Analyst, Discovery, COO, Business Operations, Go-to-market Plans, Product Launch, EMEA, Consumer Health, Financial Modeling, Small Business, Investment Ideas, Value Proposition, Pitch Decks, Business Plan Consulting, Investor Presentations, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Board Reporting, Hiring, Early-stage Startups, Design, Startup Consulting, Jobs to be Done (JTBD), Customer Interviews, User Interviews, Seed Fundraising, Negotiation, Sales Effectiveness, Sales Commission Structure, Digital Health, TOM, Organizational Strategy & Design, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Psychology & Mental Health, Finance, B2C, Hiring Process Development, Performance Management, Market Research & Analysis, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Competitive Analysis, Software, Business Intelligence (BI), Team Management, Business Transformation, Business to Business to Consumer (B2B2C), B2B2C, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Profit & Loss (P&L), Revenue & Expense Projections, Board Decks, Annual Planning, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Crisis Management, Venture Capital, Chief of Staff, Operational Excellence, Process Optimization, Sports, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Business Process Improvement (BPI), Growth Strategy Consultants, Recruitment, HRIS, Recruiting, Buyer Personas, Marketing Analytics, Customer Insights, Client Relations, Sales Pipeline Management, Customer Acquisition, B2B, Intellectual Property, Sales Operations, Consultative Selling, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Outbound Prospecting, Reporting, Sales Coaching, Sales Leadership, B2B Sales, Mentorship & Coaching, Retail & Wholesale, Business Analysis, Data Analysis, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Operations Management, Full Cycle Sales, Outbound Sales, Sales Consulting, Technology, Scalable Operating Models, Sales Management, Facilitation, Product-market Fit, Startup Accelerators, Operational Audits, Sales Enablement, Workflow Design, Contract Review, Term Sheet Advisory, Valuation, Deal Execution, Entrepreneurship, Marketing Operations

General Manager

2009 - 2012
Axiom
  • Launched new office and crafted and implemented a business (sales, marketing) strategy to attain three-year operating plan goals.
  • Led over 300 consultative client development meetings designed to explore and surface client "struggles" and goals. Nurtured strategic accounts.
  • Used product and service design methodologies to create custom client solutions addressing challenges.
  • Recruited, led, and developed a high-performing team that grew from one to over 20 employees in 18 months.
Focus areas: P&L Management, Sales, Business Development, Marketing, Business Consulting, Consulting, Management, Team Leadership, Project Management, Strategy, CX Strategy, Customer Research, Operations, Product Owner, Business Planning, Sales Planning, Growth Strategy, Growth, Growth Analysis, User Research, Market Research, Design Research, Financials, User Experience (UX), User Empathy, Process Design, UX Design, Customer Analysis, Growth Marketing, Customer Journey, Launch Strategy, New Business Development, New Product Rollout, Startups, Research, Analysis, Creative Problem Solving, New Products, Innovation, Consumer Insights, Product Management, Consumer Behavior, Business to Business (B2B), Product Design, Process Improvement, Operations Improvement, Performance Improvement, Competition Research, Competitive Strategy, Competitive Intelligence, Company Strategy, Quantitative Analysis, Team Development, Customer Segmentation, Market Segmentation, Contract Negotiation, Business Setup, Business Design, Strategic Planning, Lean Startups, Client Presentations, Primary Research, Interviews, Customer Experience Management, Budgeting, Business Models, Critical Analysis, Critical Thinking, Writing & Editing, Interviewing, Management Consulting, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategies, Market Entry, Strategy Development, Storytelling, Market Sizing, Microsoft, New Product Business Cases, P&L Forecasting, Accounting, Product Growth, Journey Mapping, New Product Development, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Pricing, Pricing Plans, Pricing Models, Leadership, Design Thinking, Business Strategy, Sales Growth, Modeling, Business Modeling, Lean Canvas, Product Strategy, Customer Data, Sales Strategy, Customer Experience, Product Consultant, Product Strategy Consultant, Business Services, Marketing Strategy, Market Research Analyst, Discovery, COO, Business Operations, Go-to-market Plans, Product Launch, Financial Modeling, Chief Operations Officer (COO), Value Proposition, Business Plan Consulting, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Board Reporting, Hiring, Early-stage Startups, Design, Startup Consulting, Jobs to be Done (JTBD), Customer Interviews, User Interviews, Negotiation, Corporate Law, Sales Effectiveness, Sales Commission Structure, TOM, Organizational Strategy & Design, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Finance, Hiring Process Development, Performance Management, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Competitive Analysis, Business Intelligence (BI), Team Management, Business Transformation, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Profit & Loss (P&L), Revenue & Expense Projections, Annual Planning, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Crisis Management, Venture Capital, Chief of Staff, Operational Excellence, Process Optimization, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Business Process Improvement (BPI), Growth Strategy Consultants, Recruitment, HRIS, Recruiting, Buyer Personas, Marketing Analytics, Customer Insights, Client Relations, Sales Pipeline Management, Customer Acquisition, B2B, Intellectual Property, Change Management, Sales Operations, Consultative Selling, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Outbound Prospecting, Reporting, Sales Coaching, Sales Leadership, B2B Sales, Mentorship & Coaching, Business Analysis, Data Analysis, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Operations Management, Cold Calling, Full Cycle Sales, Outbound Sales, Sales Consulting, Cash Flow Management, Technology, Human Resources (HR), HR Operations, Scalable Operating Models, Sales Management, Facilitation, Product-market Fit, Operational Audits, Sales Enablement, Workflow Design, Contract Review, Term Sheet Advisory, Deal Execution, Marketing Operations

Retail Client Manager

2006 - 2009
IBM
  • Formed trusted executive relationships and owned client P&Ls to gross profit level, achieving >$55 million in annual sales.
  • Collaborated with consulting partners to create and execute software and process design engagements exceeding $15 million.
  • Developed deep customer understanding as an embedded member of BJ's wholesale club and staples tech organizations, synthesizing client insights to set strategic account goals and plans.
Focus areas: Business Consulting, Sales, Project Management, Product Growth, Growth, Growth Strategy, Growth Analysis, Sales Planning, Software Sales, Hardware, Business Planning, Research, Analysis, Creative Problem Solving, Strategy, CX Strategy, Operations, P&L Management, Consulting, Management, Team Leadership, SaaS, Consumer Insights, User Research, Consumer Trends, Business to Business (B2B), Operations Improvement, Process Improvement, Performance Improvement, Market Research, New Business Development, Competition Research, Competitive Intelligence, Launch Strategy, Company Strategy, Quantitative Analysis, Team Development, Customer Segmentation, Market Segmentation, User Experience (UX), Contract Negotiation, Strategic Planning, Client Presentations, Interviews, Interviewing, Customer Experience Management, Budgeting, P&L Forecasting, Critical Analysis, Critical Thinking, Writing & Editing, Accounting, Financials, UX Design, Customer Analysis, Customer Journey, Journey Mapping, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategies, Strategy Development, Storytelling, Market Sizing, Software, Pricing, Pricing Plans, Pricing Models, Leadership, Design Thinking, Business Strategy, Sales Growth, Modeling, Business Modeling, Lean Canvas, Customer Data, Sales Strategy, Customer Experience, Business Services, eCommerce, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Market Research Analyst, Discovery, Business Operations, Go-to-market Plans, EMEA, Financial Modeling, Value Proposition, Business Plan Consulting, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Board Reporting, Hiring, Design, Customer Interviews, User Interviews, Negotiation, Sales Effectiveness, Organizational Strategy & Design, Operational Efficiency Improvement, B2C, Competitive Analysis, Business Intelligence (BI), Team Management, Business to Business to Consumer (B2B2C), B2B2C, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Profit & Loss (P&L), Revenue & Expense Projections, Annual Planning, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Crisis Management, Chief of Staff, Operational Excellence, Process Optimization, Business Process Improvement (BPI), Growth Strategy Consultants, Software as a Service (SaaS), Mobile, Recruitment, Recruiting, Buyer Personas, Marketing Analytics, Customer Insights, Business Development, Client Relations, Sales Pipeline Management, Customer Acquisition, B2B, Intellectual Property, Change Management, Sales Operations, Consultative Selling, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Outbound Prospecting, Reporting, Sales Coaching, Sales Leadership, B2B Sales, Mentorship & Coaching, Retail & Wholesale, Business Analysis, Data Analysis, Organizational Structure, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Full Cycle Sales, Sales Consulting, Technology, Sales Management, Facilitation, Sales Enablement, AI Tools, AI Agents, Workflow Design, Contract Review, Term Sheet Advisory, Deal Execution

Senior Professional Financial Analyst

2001 - 2005
IBM
  • Created, executed, and streamlined pricing processes for a global $500M software consulting business.
  • Owned business model and financial strategy on engineering, product, and marketing teams to achieve software product growth targets (content management, forms).
  • Explored and built plans for disruptive SaaS email offering. Co-led initiatives to commercialize software consulting assets and price and market hosted software solutions.
  • Synthesized structured and unstructured customer, market, and financial data to evaluate acquisitions and JVs.
Focus areas: Business Consulting, Business Setup, Project Management, Product Growth, Growth, Growth Analysis, Software Sales, Business Models, Business Planning, Pricing, Pricing Plans, Pricing Models, New Products, M&A (Buy-side), Joint Ventures, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Research, Analysis, Creative Problem Solving, Strategy, CX Strategy, Customer Research, Operations, Marketing, Product Owner, Innovation, Business Development, Consulting, Management, Team Leadership, SaaS, Consumer Insights, New Product Rollout, User Research, Business to Business (B2B), Product Design, Prototyping, Process Improvement, Operations Improvement, Performance Improvement, Design Research, Market Research, Innovation Management, New Business Development, Due Diligence, Competition Research, Competitive Strategy, Competitive Intelligence, Growth Strategy, Launch Strategy, Company Strategy, Quantitative Analysis, Team Development, Customer Segmentation, Market Segmentation, User Empathy, User Experience (UX), Contract Negotiation, Business Design, Strategic Planning, Lean Startups, Client Presentations, Process Design, Primary Research, Interviews, Interviewing, Customer Experience Management, New Product Business Cases, Budgeting, P&L Forecasting, Critical Analysis, Critical Thinking, Writing & Editing, Accounting, Corporate Finance, Financials, User Testing, UX Design, Customer Analysis, Customer Journey, Journey Mapping, New Product Development, Sales Planning, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Management Consulting, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategies, Market Entry, Partnerships, Strategy Development, Storytelling, Due Diligence Consultant, Market Sizing, Software, Hardware, Leadership, Design Thinking, Business Strategy, Sales Growth, Modeling, Business Modeling, Lean Canvas, Product Strategy, Customer Data, Sales Strategy, Customer Experience, Product Consultant, Product Strategy Consultant, Business Services, Market Research Analyst, Discovery, Business Operations, Product Launch, EMEA, Financial Modeling, Investment Ideas, Value Proposition, Pitch Decks, Business Plan Consulting, Investor Presentations, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Board Reporting, Hiring, Early-stage Startups, Design, Startup Consulting, User Interviews, Seed Fundraising, Negotiation, Corporate Law, Sales Commission Structure, TOM, Organizational Strategy & Design, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Finance, Performance Management, Market Research & Analysis, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Competitive Analysis, Business Intelligence (BI), Team Management, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Profit & Loss (P&L), Revenue & Expense Projections, Annual Planning, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Startup Funding, Chief of Staff, Operational Excellence, Process Optimization, Pitch Deck Consultant, Business Process Improvement (BPI), Software as a Service (SaaS), Mobile, Recruitment, Recruiting, Fundraising, Intellectual Property, Sales Operations, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Outbound Prospecting, Reporting, B2B Sales, Mentorship & Coaching, Business Analysis, Data Analysis, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Operations Management, Technology, Scalable Operating Models, Operational Audits, AI Tools, AI Agents, Workflow Design, Contract Review, Term Sheet Advisory, Valuation, Deal Execution, Investor Relations

Business Development Manager

2000 - 2001
Internet Appliance Network (IAN)
  • Leveraged transactional expertise and product skills to help release visionary consumer devices on tight timelines for a startup backed by top venture capital firms.
  • Developed, negotiated, and closed strategic tech relationships to optimize customer experience and power Virgin Entertainment's VirginConnect service with 10,000+ users in the first month.
  • Analyzed the market, products, and positioning of IAN and MyInternetDesktop service and their competitors. Created a business intelligence system and supervised two analysts.
Focus areas: Business to Business (B2B), Business Development, New Business Development, Sales, Negotiation, Financial Modeling, Customer Research, Competition Research, Fundraising, Investment Ideas, Value Proposition, Fundraising Strategy, Pitch Decks, Investor Presentations, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Hiring, Early-stage Startups, Design, Startup Consulting, Corporate Law, Sales Effectiveness, B2C, Market Research & Analysis, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Competitive Analysis, Software, Business Intelligence (BI), Business to Business to Consumer (B2B2C), B2B2C, Board Decks, Venture Capital, Chief of Staff, Operational Excellence, Process Optimization, Market Research, Early-stage Venture Capital, Pitch Deck Consultant, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Software as a Service (SaaS), Mobile, Recruitment, Recruiting, Buyer Personas, Marketing Analytics, Customer Insights, Startups, Client Relations, Sales Pipeline Management, Customer Acquisition, Project Management, B2B, Intellectual Property, Sales Operations, Consultative Selling, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Outbound Prospecting, Reporting, Mentorship & Coaching, Data Analysis, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Sales Strategy, Cold Calling, Full Cycle Sales, Outbound Sales, Technology, Scalable Operating Models, Product-market Fit, Workflow Design, Contract Negotiation, Contract Review, Term Sheet Advisory, Valuation, Deal Execution, Entrepreneurship

Corporate Associate

1998 - 2000
Cravath, Swaine & Moore
  • Represented companies and investment banks in public and private debt and equity securities offerings.
  • Advised investment banks, private equity firms, and Fortune 500 companies in acquisitions and divestitures.
  • Counseled lead banks putting in place large-scale, secured and unsecured syndicated loan facilities for their end clients.
Focus areas: Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Corporate Finance, Contracts, Contract Negotiation, Term Sheets, Term Sheet Negotiations, Partnerships, Investing, Debt Raises, Equity Raises, Private Equity, Private Placements, Reg S Private Placement, Securities Regulation, Global Banking

Technology Transactions Associate

1998 - 2000
Morrison & Foerster
  • Advised senior leaders on transactional and intellectual property issues, including technology development agreements; SaaS, software, and content licenses; Internet, marketing, and distribution agreements.
  • Structured and negotiated mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, and venture capital investments.
  • Developed new business opportunities in collaboration with firm partners.
Focus areas: Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Corporate Finance, Early-stage Venture Capital, Intellectual Property, Intellectual Property Law, Intellectual Property Licensing, Contract Negotiation, Contracts, Term Sheets, Terms & Conditions, Partnerships, Human Resources (HR), Software as a Service (SaaS), Startup Funding, Business Setup, Business Design, Startups, Startup Consulting, Entrepreneurship

Education

1993 - 1996

Juris Doctor in Corporate Law

New York University, School of Law - New York, NY, USA

1992 - 1993

M.Phil. in International Relations

Cambridge University, Peterhouse College - Cambridge, UK

1986 - 1990

Bachelor's Degree in History

Cornell University, College of Arts & Sciences - Ithaca, NY, USA

Certifications

APRIL 2023 - PRESENT

LEANSTACK Continuous Innovation Coach

LEANSTACK

NOVEMBER 2020 - PRESENT

Convu Connect (Peer Coaching Program)

Convu

MAY 2019 - PRESENT

Certified Professional Scrum Product Owner

Scrum.org

AUGUST 2018 - PRESENT

Certificate, Disruptive Strategy

Harvard Business School Online

MARCH 2017 - PRESENT

Specialization, Design Thinking and Innovation

University of Virginia, Darden School of Business

JANUARY 2015 - PRESENT

Core Coach Training

Wellcoaches

JUNE 2014 - PRESENT

Conducting the ITC Approach with Teams

Minds at Work

SEPTEMBER 2013 - PRESENT

Immunity-to-Change (ITC) Facilitator Workshop

Minds at Work

MARCH 2008 - PRESENT

Retail Executive Program

Santa Clara University, Leavey School of Business, Retail Management Institute

MAY 2007 - PRESENT

Business Insights Program

IBM

Skills

Finance

Market Research, Due Diligence, Budgeting, P&L Forecasting, Fundraising, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Profit & Loss (P&L), Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Advisory, Data Analysis, Interim COO, Corporate Finance, Pricing, Financial Modeling, Seed Fundraising, Business Intelligence (BI), Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Startup Funding, Equity Capital, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Accounting, M&A (Buy-side), Valuation, Debt Raises, Equity Raises, Private Equity

Industry Expertise

Small Business, Early-stage Startups, Sports, Software, Healthcare, Venture Capital, Retail & Wholesale, Technology, Startup Accelerators

Data & Analysis Software

QuickBooks Online

Geographic Expertise

EMEA

Other

Startups, Research, Analysis, Creative Problem Solving, Strategy, CX Strategy, Customer Research, Operations, New Products, Innovation, P&L Management, Sales, Business Development, Business Consulting, Consulting, Management, Team Leadership, Project Management, Consumer Insights, New Product Rollout, User Research, Consumer Trends, Consumer Behavior, Business to Consumer (B2C), Business to Business (B2B), Performance Improvement, Business Planning, Competition Research, Competitive Strategy, Competitive Intelligence, Growth Strategy, Company Strategy, Team Development, Customer Segmentation, Market Segmentation, User Empathy, User Experience (UX), Contract Negotiation, Business Setup, Business Design, Strategic Planning, Lean Startups, Process Design, Primary Research, Interviews, Interviewing, Customer Experience Management, New Product Business Cases, Product Growth, Growth, Growth Analysis, Financials, UX Design, Customer Analysis, Customer Journey, Journey Mapping, New Product Development, Sales Planning, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Management Consulting, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategies, Market Entry, Partnerships, Strategy Development, Storytelling, Due Diligence Consultant, Market Sizing, Software Sales, Leadership, Design Thinking, Business Strategy, Sales Growth, Product Strategy, Customer Data, Sales Strategy, Customer Experience, Business Services, Marketing Strategy, Market Research Analyst, Discovery, COO, Business Operations, Go-to-market Plans, Product Launch, Consumer Health, Organizational Design, Negotiation, Chief Operations Officer (COO), Value Proposition, User Interviews, Customer Interviews, Jobs to be Done (JTBD), Pitch Decks, Business Plan Consulting, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Hiring, Startup Consulting, Sales Effectiveness, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Market Research & Analysis, Competitive Analysis, Team Management, Annual Planning, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Business Coaching, Coaching, Executive Coaching, Chief of Staff, Operational Excellence, Process Optimization, Operations Strategy, Recruiting, Recruitment, Fractional COO, Fractional CCO, People Development, Pitch Deck Consultant, Advisory, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Business Process Improvement (BPI), Growth Strategy Consultants, Buyer Personas, Customer Insights, Client Relations, Sales Pipeline Management, Customer Acquisition, B2B, Intellectual Property, Change Management, Consultative Selling, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Outbound Prospecting, Reporting, Sales Leadership, B2B Sales, Mentorship & Coaching, Business Analysis, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Operations Management, Full Cycle Sales, Scalable Operating Models, Sales Management, Facilitation, Product-market Fit, Sales Enablement, Workflow Design, Contract Review, Term Sheet Advisory, Deal Execution, Entrepreneurship, Google, Microsoft, Corporate Law, Early-stage Venture Capital, Marketing, Product Owner, SaaS, Product Management, Product Design, Prototyping, Process Improvement, Operations Improvement, Design Research, Innovation Management, New Business Development, Launch Strategy, Quantitative Analysis, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Client Presentations, Business Models, User Testing, Sprints, Growth Marketing, Pricing Plans, Pricing Models, Joint Ventures, Modeling, Business Modeling, Lean Canvas, Product Consultant, Product Strategy Consultant, eCommerce, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Investment Ideas, Fundraising Strategy, Investor Presentations, Board Reporting, Design, Apps, Sales Commission Structure, Digital Health, TOM, Organizational Strategy & Design, Psychology & Mental Health, Finance, B2C, Hiring Process Development, Performance Management, Business Transformation, Business to Business to Consumer (B2B2C), B2B2C, Excel 365, Notion, Slack, Trello, Microsoft Teams, Board Decks, Crisis Management, Fractional Chief Strategy Officer, Equity, Board Membership, HRIS, Human Resources (HR), Mobile, Software as a Service (SaaS), Marketing Analytics, Sales Operations, Sales Coaching, Organizational Structure, Leadership Coaching, Cold Calling, Outbound Sales, Sales Consulting, Cash Flow Management, Structure & Organizational Design, HR Operations, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Operational Audits, AI Tools, AI Agents, Investor Relations, Marketing Operations, Agile, Scrum, Economics, Political Analysis, International Affairs, History, Critical Analysis, Critical Thinking, Writing & Editing, Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Hardware, Xero, Legal, Team Coaching, Sales Coaching, Tech Sales, SaaS Sales, Intellectual Property Law, Intellectual Property Licensing, Contracts, Term Sheets, Terms & Conditions, Term Sheet Negotiations, Investing, Private Placements, Reg S Private Placement, Securities Regulation, Global Banking

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