James V.-COO/ CEO/ General Manager / Managing Director (Interim)
Check rate
Experience
General Manager / Managing Director (Interim)
OTOQI
Appointed by investors to lead a critical turnaround and scaling phase for the DACH business unit of an automotive platform preparing for Series B.
- Stabilised and transformed a fractured regional team, building cohesion, autonomy, and leadership trust
- Reignited key client relationships, restoring operational continuity and driving revenue acceleration
- Increased profitability to 10% EBITDA within 2 months; scaled MRR by 1.6x within 4 months
- Improved Gross Margin from 37% to 42% in under 3 months
- Executed cross-functional strategies across commercial, operational, product, and legal
- Rebuilt management structure and hired key leadership to support long-term growth
- Negotiated SLAs and influenced product roadmap based on customer feedback and field data
Founder & Managing Partner
KOMPAS Advisory
Advisory and interim executive firm supporting venture-backed and bootstrapped founders through critical inflexion points, from ideation to profitability and international expansion.
Interim COO AlphaNeural AI - AI Marketplace
- Advised founding team on GTM positioning, tokenomics, product roadmap, and fundraising pitch. Supported launch strategy, community engagement, and investor outreach.
Founder Advisor & Sparring Partner: THFS (HR Intelligence platform).
- Bootstrapped environment; advised on product-market fit, early team build, and commercial strategy from ideation phase.
Strategic Advisor: TKO (Sustainable fashion e-commerce) | Baltics.
- Advised C-Level on operational pivot/ turnaround plans, and fundraising strategy. Supported investor readiness and go-to-market execution.
Market Expansion Advisor - North American Mobility Scaleup (confidential).
- Led transatlantic market entry into Europe: ops setup, compliance, legal, hiring, and customer onboarding. Defined multi-market GTM strategy across DACH and CEE; advised board on regional regulatory nuances.
Ideation to Launch Lead: Robotics Startup (Services Sector).
- Took concept from blank slate to operational business in under 60 days. Created customer journey, pricing strategy, ops stack, and talent model.
Early-Stage Advisor: Confidential e-commerce classifieds platform.
- Advised on platform strategy, marketplace dynamics, and founder mentoring through ideation to MVP definition.
COO / Co-Founder
GoTiger
Last-mile logistics startup focused on Asian grocery delivery. Funding team member focussed on designing and executing customer-facing operations, supply chain, and fulfilment infrastructure.
- Achieved CM2 profitability within 2.5 months: delivered double-digit order growth, lean operational spend
- 98%+ inventory accuracy, sub-2% wastage, 99%+ delivery success rate via tech-enabled data solutions and rigorous 3PL performance management
- Full P&L ownership: sole accountability for OKRs, target operating model blueprinting, budget forecasting, funding requirements, and recruitment/training of operational teams
Director of Operations / GM Berlin
GORILLAS
Led DACH operations for one of Europe's fastest-growing startups during its most intense growth phase.
- Full P&L ownership across DACH, including GM responsibility for Berlin - Gorillas' third-largest global market with 2.2K+ employees and 22 dark stores, delivering >60M euro ARR
- Built and led the DACH Country operations team (8 direct reports) across warehouse, rider operations, performance, people, and customer support
- Led the strategic shift from hypergrowth to profitability: CM2 optimisation, delivery network consolidation, and rollout of first successful rider incentivisation scheme
- Stabilised a complex unionised environment through successful worker council negotiations while maintaining operational scale and continuity
- Improved customer experience and employee satisfaction through targeted upgrades to real estate and hub infrastructure
- Supported executive fundraising efforts by contributing to pre-Series B bridge capital sourcing
Director of Strategic Projects
FREE NOW
Owned cross-functional operational delivery, during rapid expansion and evolution into a MaaS platform.
- Spearheaded European Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) expansion, integrating six major partners and scaling multimodal rides 4.5x and fleet size 3x across multiple cities
- Led cross-functional initiatives to optimise booking funnels, launch loyalty programs, and execute co-branded campaigns - driving user growth and cross-selling from the core ride-hailing base
- Owned commercial strategy for retention and LTV: implemented CS improvements, fraud prevention, and data monetisation tools to boost user lifetime value
- Oversaw product-market fit and BAU integration efforts across markets to improve NPS and platform defensibility.
Head of Growth Operations
FREE NOW
Built and led high-impact growth operations team and executed turnaround initiatives across multiple European markets.
- Built and scaled the central operations function; hired senior leaders and created strategic playbooks used across 12 European markets
- Led multi-million EUR cross-border M&A integration, unifying customer bases and tech platforms across three key markets, coordinating 1000+ stakeholders
- Drove 29% YoY growth by halving M&A integration timelines, expanding fleet supply by 32.5% and customer base by 59%
- Served as Interim GM for Spain and Portugal: led team restructuring, brand repositioning, and product innovation in regulated markets
- Launched Romania and Greece - first markets in four years - achieving record-high ride volumes from day one
- Conducted in-depth market analyses to identify growth levers and operationalise new business lines into scalable BAU operations
Co-Founder / COO
Quatr
Founded and led operations for an early e-commerce concept.
- Built MVP and led GTM planning
- Negotiated retail onboarding and channel partnerships
- Managed dev team and lean ops across logistics, CX, and inventory
- Raised initial pre-seed funding and set financial trajectory
Operations Director
Stonewash
Led operations and customer success for a high-retention SaaS platform serving global publishers.
- Achieved >97% YoY client retention
- Created scalable CX and support processes; drove operational maturity
- Directed business audits and growth optimisation initiatives
- Supported successful acquisition of the business
Operations Manager
Ridge End Capital
Part of a specialist turnaround management team overseeing the restructuring of a €250M asset portfolio (real estate & agriculture) across Slovakia, Czechia, and Ukraine.
- Developed and executed asset turnaround plans
- Coordinated on-the-ground operations, legal, and commercial actions
Operations Consultant
Maddox Consulting (Contract)
Part of a 4-person core team executing a £2bn contract bid between Siemens and Crossrail.
- Delivered strategic analysis and bid documentation
- Supported transport infrastructure and digital systems planning
Reconnaissance & Target Acquisition Specialist
British Army
Elite military operations leadership in high-pressure environments.
- Commanded reconnaissance teams in strategic operations
- Built resilience, precision, and mission-focused leadership
Industry experience
See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.
Experienced in Information Technology, Retail, Aerospace and Defense, Government and Administration, Cosmetics, and Media and Entertainment.
Business area experience
See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.
Experienced in Operations, Marketing, Product Development, Strategy, Customer Service, and Human Resources.
Summary
Executive with deep experience leading transformations, scaling operations, and driving profitability in fast-paced startup and scale-up environments (from bootstrapped companies to 2x Unicorns). Proven success in turning around teams and businesses with strategic vision and hands-on execution. Adept at working with C-level stakeholders, investors, and cross-functional teams to deliver sustainable growth and build high-performing, mission-driven organisations. Known for thriving in high-pressure, high-growth contexts across Europe.
Skills
Executive Leadership & General Management
- Interim Ceo / Coo / Gm / Managing Director
- Executive Leadership Team (Elt) Member
- Full P&L Ownership (Up To €60m+ Arr, 2,000+ Headcount)
- Turnaround & Restructuring
- Business Stabilisation & Crisis Management
- Hypergrowth To Profitability Transition
- Target Operating Model Design & Okr Setting
- Board & Investor Management
- Fundraising Support (Pre-Seed To Series B, Bridge Capital)
- Executive Hiring & Leadership Team Building
- Organisational Design & Restructuring
- Post-Merger Integration (Pmi)
- Change Management & Business Transformation
- Corporate Governance
- Venture-Backed & Bootstrapped Environments
Operations & Scale
- Multi-Country Operations (Dach, Cee, Southern Europe, 12+ Markets)
- Multi-Site & Network Operations
- Dark Store & Warehouse Operations
- Last-Mile Logistics & Delivery Operations
- Supply Chain & Fulfilment Infrastructure
- 3pl Management & Performance
- Inventory Management & Accuracy
- Process Design & Operational Excellence
- Sop & Playbook Creation
- Capacity Planning & Resource Optimisation
- Real Estate & Hub Network Consolidation
- Unit Economics Optimisation (Cm1 / Cm2 / Cm3)
- Gross Margin Improvement
- Cost Reduction & Lean Operations
- Sla & Quality Management
- Operational Kpi & Dashboard Design
Commercial & Growth
- Go-To-Market (Gtm) Strategy
- Market Entry & International Expansion
- Multi-Market Scaling
- Revenue Acceleration & Mrr Growth
- Pricing Strategy
- Customer Acquisition & Retention
- Loyalty Programmes
- Lifetime Value (Ltv) Optimisation
- B2b Sales & Key Account Management
- Client Relationship Turnaround
- Channel & Strategic Partnerships
- Marketplace Strategy & Dynamics
- Two-Sided Marketplace Launch
- Product-Market Fit Validation
- Customer Experience (Cx) Improvement
- Nps Improvement
Product, Tech & Data
- Product Roadmap Influence & Prioritisation
- Cross-Functional Product Delivery
- Requirements Definition & User Stories
- Data-Driven Decision Making
- Business Intelligence & Analytics
- Tech-Enabled Operations
- Platform Strategy
- Agile / Scrum / Kanban
- Jira / Confluence
- Figma / Mock-Ups & Prototyping
- Funnel & Conversion Optimisation
- Digital Transformation
M&A, Legal & Regulatory
- Cross-Border M&A Integration
- Due Diligence Support
- Contract & Sla Negotiation
- Multi-Market Regulatory Compliance
- Works Council & Union Negotiations
- Labour Relations & Employment Law
- Licensing & Market Entry Compliance
- Stakeholder Management (1,000+ Stakeholders)
People & Culture
- Team Building & Scaling (35 To 2,000+)
- Leadership Development & Coaching
- Founder Coaching & Mentoring
- Talent Acquisition & Hiring
- Performance Management
- Mission-Driven Culture Building
- Employee Engagement & Retention
- Unionised Workforce Management
- Distributed & Remote Team Leadership
Sector Expertise
- Food Delivery & Quick Commerce (Q-Commerce)
- Mobility-As-A-Service (Maas) & Ride-Hailing
- B2b Automotive Tech
- E-Commerce & Classifieds
- B2b Saas
- Ai Marketplaces
- Tokenomics & Web3
- Hr Tech
- Sustainable Fashion E-Commerce
- Logistics & Supply Chain
- Real Estate & Agriculture Turnaround
Context
- Berlin / Dach Market Expertise
- Pan-European Operating Experience
- English (Native), German (Conversational)
- British Army Leadership Background
Languages
Education
University College London (UCL)
BA Hons · History of Art · London, United Kingdom
Statistics
Experience
Global experience
Expertise
Qualifications
Profile
Frequently asked questions
Have questions? Find more information here.
James is based in Berlin, Germany and can operate in on-site, hybrid, and remote work models.
James speaks the following languages: English (Native), German (Intermediate).
James has at least 20 years of experience. During this time, James has worked in at least 11 different roles and for 10 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 10 months. Note that James may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.
Based on recent experience, James would be well-suited for roles such as: General Manager / Managing Director (Interim), Founder & Managing Partner, COO / Co-Founder.
James's most recent position is General Manager / Managing Director (Interim) at OTOQI.
In recent years, James has worked for OTOQI, KOMPAS Advisory, GoTiger, and GORILLAS.
James is most experienced in industries like Information Technology, Retail, and Aerospace and Defense. James also has some experience in Government and Administration, Cosmetics, and Media and Entertainment.
James is most experienced in business areas like Operations, Marketing, and Product Development. James also has some experience in Strategy, Customer Service, and Human Resources.
James has recently worked in industries like Retail, Cosmetics, and Information Technology.
James has recently worked in business areas like Operations, Human Resources, and Strategy.
James holds a Bachelor in History of Art from University College London (UCL).
James is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.
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Average rates for similar positions
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Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 16 Oct 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
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