Chief Operating Officer

Our client is looking for a battle-tested operational leader who has scaled complex, high-velocity businesses through hypergrowth and crisis. The ideal person combines the strategic acumen of a management consultant, the execution intensity of a founder, and the regulatory sophistication of a compliance veteran. Professional DNA 15+ years of progressive operational leadership, including 5+ years at C-suite or equivalent Proven record scaling operations from $1B to $10B+ in annual transaction volume Direct P&L ownership of $300M+ with demonstrable margin improvement Led organizations of 2,000+ employees across 6+ continents Crisis management experience with documented recovery from major operational incidents Deep experience in 24/7/365 environments where downtime is not an option Industry Pedigree (Highly Preferred) Digital assets / cryptocurrency exchange operations at Tier-1 or Tier-2 platforms Prime brokerage, electronic trading, or HFT infrastructure at bulge-bracket institutions Global payments infrastructure (Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Stripe-scale) High-frequency matching engine environments processing 150,000+ TPS Multi-jurisdictional licensing & compliance (MiCA, VARA, MAS, FCA) Leadership Characteristics Exceptional composure under extreme pressure — thrives when others freeze Data-obsessed decision maker who balances quantitative rigor with strategic intuition Culturally fluent across Western and Asian markets Magnetic talent attractor who recruits and retains A-players Zero-ego collaborator who elevates the executive team Relentless bias for action — ships, iterates, and improves at startup velocity Technical & Regulatory Literacy Conversant in blockchain architecture, custody solutions, and DeFi mechanics Understanding of cold/hot wallet infrastructure and reserve management Familiarity with perpetual contracts, options, and derivatives market structure Working knowledge of AML/KYC frameworks across APAC, EMEA, and LATAM Experience engaging tier-1 financial regulators Education & Credentials MBA from a top-tier global business school (INSEAD, Wharton, Harvard, LBS preferred) Undergraduate degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Finance, or Economics Additional certifications valued: CFA, FRM, CAIA