Cost Optimization Without Compromising Performance
As COO, your focus is typically on performance. You want teams to deliver high-quality products as quickly as possible to avoid disappointing customers. But cost optimization is also a concern. Some leaders use cost optimization as a defensive move. They cut budgets,...
COO’s on the Move: February 2026
Operational excellence is more critical than ever. This month’s COO On the Move features leaders who are optimizing performance, streamlining processes, and scaling operations to support sustainable growth. Today, Operations Council will focus on 12 COOs that accepted...
Leading Cross-Functional Teams with Clarity
Within a company, operations are so much more than, well, operations. Success requires a collaborative effort among marketing, finance, IT, and other departments. But this collaboration often fails due to a lack of clarity. Clarity can fail for various reasons. First,...
Forecasting with Confidence: Aligning Ops and Finance
As COO, you want to ensure your operations run smoothly, but financials are a concern. You must make every business decision by considering how each investment will contribute to ROI and by working within the budget. Similarly, you must ensure your organization’s CFO...
The New Procurement Frontier: AI Agents Driving Value and Resilience
In an era where artificial intelligence is transforming business functions from the ground up, procurement stands at a pivotal crossroads. By embracing agentic AI, autonomous systems that do work, not just show data, organizations can reimagine processes, unlock new...
Operational Frameworks for High-Growth Companies
Most companies have a common goal: growth. They want their organization to expand, reach new markets, and sell more products. The right operational framework can help businesses achieve this objective. An effective framework will be designed to address the unique...
COO’s on the Move: January 2026
Operational leadership is evolving as companies prioritize efficiency, resilience, and execution at scale. These newly appointed COOs are stepping in to optimize operations, align teams, and drive performance across the enterprise. In this blog, Operations Council...
What AI Investment and Risk Trends Mean for COOs
The AI Leaders Council’s 2026 Corporate AI Outlook Study highlights not only where AI is being used, but how organizations are funding initiatives and managing risk as adoption expands. For COOs, these trends provide important signals about operational readiness and...
The 2026 Economic Outlook: What Every C-Suite Leader Needs to Know
In early January, Executive Councils hosted a C-suite briefing focused on the economic conditions shaping 2026. Moderated by Neil Brown, CEO of Executive Councils, the session featured Curtis Dubay, Chief Economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The discussion...
Why AI Is Becoming an Operations Priority in 2026
Our partner community, the AI Leaders Council, recently released the 2026 Corporate AI Outlook Study, which examines how organizations across North America are adopting and scaling artificial intelligence. While the study includes perspectives from technology and...
How COOs Can Shape Corporate Strategy in 2026
2026 is here, and many companies are reworking their corporate strategy to prepare for what’s ahead. As COO, you can play a huge part in that strategy. An innovative approach to operations can give your company a competitive edge while utilizing all the modern...
Tech Stack Optimization for Scalable Growth
Like all executives, a chief operation officer should be focused on scalable growth- the type of growth that boosts customers, location, and revenue without added cost, chaos, or errors. The right technology can help you reach your goals. Technology tends to boost...
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