A Day in the Life of a COO

What were you doing before hyble?

I was an advisory director at EY (a global consultancy firm), based in Tokyo.  I helped EMEA and LATAM focussed organisations grow their business interests in APAC.

What does a typical day look like for you?

There are only two consistent parts to my week, let alone my day! First thing on a Monday I block time to rigorously plan and prioritise my focus for the week.  Last thing on a Friday I block time to reflect on what has been achieved, often resulting in an overwhelming “wow, the business has achieved so much”! 

Guiding twelve functions across many time zones makes for an exciting and dynamic schedule in between.

What is it like working for a remote-first company?

There are pros and cons to remote working and as a glass half full kind of guy I do appreciate the flexibility and additional family time that remote work allows me.  I certainly don’t miss the two-hour commute around the M25 in London at 5am I used to have!  The lack of in person interaction has been somewhat of a challenge for me as an extrovert, but I have taken it upon myself to actively meet up with individuals and teams at least once a week.  I love the support the business provides to take individual ownership on this.

What excites you the most about your work?

That Friday reflection time!  Being part of a hyper scaling business can make you feel like you must handcuff yourself to the rocket ship to stay onboard.  It can be a bumpy ride with a few sharp turns along the way.  But in any given week, SO much will be achieved and SO much progress made that reflecting on the progress gives me a great sense of achievement and equally it feels humbling to be part of a team of 100+ over achievers that at hyble.  Having been part of large organisations previously, I can say at least for me, this is far more exciting!!

What new skills have you learnt since joining hyble?

Prioritising ruthlessly, efficient decision making, the 80/20 rule, communication and alignment, the importance of living and enacting the business values, trust being the foundation of functioning teams, the potential of people to step up given the opportunity.