The Modern COO: How has the role changed - and where is it going next?
Get in a room with other operations leaders who know exactly what your job feels like.
The best conversations at Operations Nation happen around a table with people who've inherited the same messy remit, carry the same invisible work, and don't need the role explaining to them.
If you've been in operations for five years or more, you'll know exactly what we mean. (If you've been doing it for ten or more... you're one of the OGs!)
The role has changed enormously over the last decade. The expectations have grown. The scope has expanded. And now AI is forcing every operations leader to ask another question:
What should this role actually become?
Operations has never been the glamorous function. Most of the time, it's the part of the business people only notice when something breaks. The best CEOs see operations as a strategic advantage. Others still see it as overhead, or assume technology will eventually make much of it unnecessary.
We think the reality is far more interesting than either of those stories.
That's why Operations Nation and Vestd are launching The Modern COO Benchmark Report 2026.
As we ask hundreds of operations leaders to complete the survey, we're also bringing together a small group of experienced peers to explore what the operations role has really become, why it keeps evolving, and where it's heading next.
Because if we're going to tell the story of modern operations, it should start with the people living it every day.
Please note
This event runs alongside a second roundtable on the evolution of the COO role. You're welcome to register for one roundtable only.
On the day
🥪 Breakfast is on us. Pastries, fruit, coffee and snacks will be provided.
💻 Stay and cowork before and after. You're welcome to arrive early and spend the rest of the day at Work.Life alongside the wider Operations Nation community.
In this session, we'll:
🔹 Unpack how COO scope actually accumulates, and why things defaults to ops
🔹 Get honest about whether the current shape of the job is sustainable
🔹 Map out what an excellent COO looks like by 2030
What to expect:
A closed, 8-10 person roundtable.
Chatham House Rule applies throughout, so you can speak freely.
We'll be recording the audio for accurate quote capture only, nothing here gets published, and any quotes used in the benchmark report stay anonymous unless you choose otherwise.
You should join us if you're:
✅ A COO, VP Ops, Operations Director, or Head of Operations at a Seed to Series C startup
✅ Someone who's picked up more than you were hired to own, and has views on it
✅ Genuinely in the work, not observing it from a distance
However, you're unlikely to benefit if:
❌ You're earlier than Seed stage or without direct ops responsibility
❌ You're looking for a broadcast-style session rather than a small group conversation
❌ Your title sits in a narrower function rather than a broad operational remit
Together with 🙌
This session is run jointly by Operations Nation and Vestd, as part of the launch for The Modern COO Benchmark Report 2026.
Vestd is the go-to platform for share schemes, equity management, shareholder governance and funding round execution. FCA-authorised, B-Corp and ISO 27001 certified.
The event and coworking day is hosted at Work.Life - a flexible workspace that takes the hard work out of working happy. B Corp certified. Workspaces designed for startups, SMEs and growing teams who need a place to come together.