According to a study from Accenture, the role of the Chief Operating Officer (COO) is one of the most misunderstood in business today.
With many different interpretations of what the role entails, which can encompass everything from strategic vision to hands-on management, it can be a tricky task for COOs to find a successful balance, both on an individual and organisational level.
What’s clear is the varied and evolving role of the COO is a reflection on the challenges and complexities of running a successful global organisation. From to dealing with pressure from investors and staying ahead of the competition, the COO is often the steady hand on the ship, subtly helping to navigate the ever-changing waters of modern business.
COO at Quinyx is Magnus Olausson. Magnus joined Quinyx early in 2015 with his previous role being the Company Operations Director at Spotify. During his seven years at Spotify, Magnus helped take the company from 37 employees and 2000 beta users to 1,600 employees in 30 countries with over 60 million users.
He says the key skills that make a great COO always come back to finding balance and doing it with a healthy dose of curiosity and excellent communication: “The skills that make a great COO are being able to move from vision and strategy down to some level of detail,” he says.