The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a key role in any organization, typically serving as the second-in-command and reporting directly to the Executive Director (CEO). While the COO title is most common, there are a number of alternative titles that may be used interchangeably, such as Director of Operations, Vice President of Operations, and Chief Financial Officer (CFO).If you are an Operations Director looking to transition into a similar profession or an alternative career, it is important to develop the right skills to position yourself for success. Other roles that may be similar to the COO include Chief Counsel (also known as General Counsel or Chief Legal Officer), Product Manager (CPO), Chief Information Officer (CIO), Security Manager, Investment Director, and Managing Partner. Each of these roles has its own unique responsibilities and skill sets. The COO is responsible for the daily operations of the company and its office building and routinely reports to the highest-ranking executive, usually the Executive Director (CEO).
For example, Research in Motion's corporate structure had more than one COO, including Jim Rowan as Director of Global Operations and Thorsten Heins as Director of Product Operations and Sales. A Chief Information Officer typically manages a team of IT specialists responsible for maintaining daily IT operations. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) is responsible for the information technology (IT) strategy to support the goals and objectives of an organization. A Security Manager is tasked with maintaining the physical security of a company's facilities, assets, and employees. An Investment Director (known as a CIO in the investment world) is the executive who manages the oversight of investments in a company, organization or institution. A Chief Compliance Officer oversees compliance in an organization and ensures that your company complies with policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
A Revenue Director is tasked with connecting sales, marketing and customer relationship management teams and processes within an organization to create the ideal customer experience. A Risk Manager is an executive whose role is to identify, analyze and mitigate the internal or external risks of an organization. For most organizations, top management holds three key positions: Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). If you are an Operations Director looking for a career transition or alternative profession, it is important to understand what skills are needed for each role. This article provides an overview of some possible career transitions and professions similar to those that a typical Operations Manager would typically do.
