ONwrapped 2026 🎁
Running operations can feel like a sample size of one. Let’s compare notes.
ONwrapped is Operations Nation’s year-end gathering for operations leaders - and the founders, CEOs and investors who work alongside them.
It’s an afternoon to look back at what changed in 2026, talk honestly about what the job asks of us, and share what we want to take into 2027. We’ll bring the insights and opinions we collected over the year to life, make room for different points of view, and leave plenty of time to meet people who understand the work.
Expect live data, short talks and debates, candid stories, and the kind of conversations you’ll want to carry on in January. Then drinks.
2026: the year we started comparing notes
For a long time, many operations leaders have had to judge their role against a sample size of one: their own experience.
Is this remit normal? Should I own the AI rollout? Is losing half my week to fires a me problem, or a job problem?
Over the last few years, we’ve started asking those questions together - in Slack threads, at breakfasts, around dinner tables, and through the surveys. A few things have become clear:
AI is landing on operations desks, often without the budget, decision rights or mandate to go with it.
Remits keep growing. If work doesn’t clearly belong anywhere, it often finds its way to ops.
The same questions keep coming up. Who owns AI? Why does prevention go unnoticed? Is “operations” even the right word for the job?
We’re putting numbers around the work. The Modern COO Benchmark 2026, run with Vestd, gives the profession a reference point beyond any one person’s experience.
180 operations leaders have taken part in the COO Course, learning the job alongside peers.
These conversations matter beyond the operations community. Founders, CEOs and investors shape the conditions around the role, so we’re bringing some of them into the room too.
What’s on 📌
This isn’t a traditional conference. It’s a fast-moving afternoon of short talks, debates and stories, each built around a question worth discussing. The room will have a say, too.
This is a taster of the sessions and topics we’re exploring, not the final agenda. We’ll announce the full programme in November.
⏪ 2026 in 10 minutes. A look back at the year: the headlines, community moments, numbers and some of the more absurd realities of running operations.
📊 The year in numbers. What did the Modern COO Benchmark find - and how do you compare? We’ll put the data on screen and look at it together.
🔥 Why we keep fighting fires. Why does so much of the ops week get eaten by firefighting? We’ll explore what’s behind it - and why it may be bigger than a personal prioritisation problem.
🗣️ Is the word “operations” costing us? Different perspectives on the COO role, from strategic partnership with the CEO to getting things done across the business. Does the word capture the value of the work, or leave too much unsaid?
🤖 Who owns the AI? As AI finds its way into more teams, who decides where it belongs, what gets resourced and how it gets put to work? And, most importantly, what AI shouldn't touch.
🎓 End of seasON: the COO Course. Nine cohorts. 180 operations leaders. Alumni reflect on what changed when they learned the job alongside peers - and what carries on.
🧭 ON 3.0. After five years, what’s next for Operations Nation? More on how ON is evolving and how the whole community (and beyond!) can help shape it.
🔮 Five bets for 2027. We’ll make five predictions about operations next year and ask the room how confident it is in each. We’ll bring them back at ONwrapped 2027 to see what we got right.
🎤 What should ops leave behind in 2026? A roaming mic, one question and your answers on the closing screen.
And then… ReceptiON 🥂
Food, drinks and the conversations that didn’t fit into the afternoon.
Between sessions, themed breaks around “what’s on your plate right now?” will help you meet people working on the same things - not just whoever happens to be nearest the coffee.
Who it's for 👥
We’re planning for around 150 people: operations leaders from the ON community and beyond, alongside founders, CEOs and investors.
If you run operations
This is for COOs, Heads, Directors and VPs of Operations, and Chiefs of Staff. You'll leave with:
A clear read on how your role compares in scope, time and seat at the table, so "is this normal?" has an answer you can take to your CEO.
A position on AI ownership, worked out before it lands on you by default.
A shortlist of what to stop owning in 2027, said out loud in a room that will hold you to it.
People to call in January who are dealing with the same things you are.
If you're a founder or CEO
An honest look at what your ops leader is carrying, and what separates a true partnership from "the person who makes it happen".
A clearer brief for operations in 2027: what to hand over, what to fund, and who should own AI.
A room full of operations leaders, whether you're hiring your first COO or want a sharper sparring partner for the one you have.
If you're an investor
A ground-level view of how startups and scaleups actually run, including where AI is genuinely working and where it's stuck in a pilot.
A better sense of what strong operations leadership looks like, so you can spot it and recommend it to the founders you back.
Direct access to the operations leaders your portfolio companies keep asking you for.
Your ticket includes ✅
✅ The full afternoon. Doors open at 11:00 (arrive by 12:15pm), the programme starts at 12:30pm, and ReceptiON runs until 8:30pm.
🤝 Connection with a purpose. Themed breaks and prompts will help you meet people working on the same challenges, from either side of the table.
🍷 ReceptiON. Snacks and drinks after the programme.
👥 Who’s coming, before you arrive. Ahead of the day, we’ll share the attendee list (names, roles, companies and LinkedIn) so you can plan who to find. Prefer not to be on it? Tick the box when you register.
🎁 Your 2026 Ops Wrapped card. Fill it in on the day: years in ops, how many of the 27 business functions you own, where your week actually goes, and the one thing you’re done owning. Then flip it over to see how you compare with the Benchmark, and go and find the people whose cards look like yours.
🎥 The recordings. Every segment is published as its own chapter, so you can forward the 12 minutes that matter to your CEO (or your ops lead).
Speakers 🗣️
More will be announced soon. Confirmed so far:
🗣️ Divinia Knowles FCMA, The COO Coach, Founder @ London COO Roundtable
🗣️ Aušrinė Keršanskaitė, Co-Founder @ Operations Nation
🗣️ Charlene Chen, Co-Founder @ Operations Nation
Hosted at Google, London 🙌
Thank you to Google for hosting ONwrapped 2026.
Want to partner on ONwrapped? We're working with a small number of partners whose products and services genuinely help operations leaders do the job. Email partnerships@operationsnation.com.
What people said about our last big event ⭐
"Absolutely best conference I have ever been to - great and insightful sessions with key takeaways as opposed to staying on the surface. I came away with tangible items as opposed to obscure things. Lots of people from different walks of life, and great connections." - Penny Penati
"I'm now a full convert to community conferences vs business expos! It was a jam packed schedule, I have a little bit of FOMO from some of the sessions I couldn't join and really valued the networking coffee time too. Thank you for being so inclusive with the spaces, facilities and food, super appreciated!" - Alice Montgomery
FAQs 💡
Tickets 🎫
I'm not in operations. Is this for me?
Yes, if you're a founder, CEO or investor who works with operations leaders, or wants to. A good part of the afternoon is about exactly that relationship.
How much is a ticket?
Tickets are free. You’ll still need to register in advance.
Can I transfer my ticket if I can't make it?
You can transfer your ticket to someone else until 24 November. Email events@operationsnation.com and we'll sort it.
On the day ℹ️
Where is it?
Google's London office at King's Cross. Full arrival details go to registered guests before the day.
When should I arrive?
Doors open at 11:00am, and the programme starts at 12:30pm sharp. Please arrive by 12:15pm at the latest: the doors will close then, and we won’t be able to admit anyone who arrives later. If you leave the venue during the event, you will not be able to re-enter.
Will I be filmed?
Yes. ONwrapped will be recorded for YouTube, including stage segments and some audience shots. If you'd rather not appear on camera, tell us when you register and we'll make sure you don't.
Will partners get my details?
We’ll share the attendee list with everyone attending, including our partners. It will include your name and LinkedIn profile, but not contact details such as your email address. Google, as our event host, will have access to your registration details for registration purposes only.
If you’d like an introduction to a partner, you can opt in when you register. You can also choose not to appear on the attendee list. If you do, you won’t receive a copy of the list either.
I have dietary or accessibility needs.
Tell us when you register and we'll plan for them. If you have a serious food allergy, we recommend bringing your own food as a backup.
Got another question?
Email us at events@operationsnation.com.