This is a great opportunity for an experienced Group Chief Operating Officer (COO) to become a key executive partner to the Group CEO and the Executive Committee, responsible for turning strategic intent into operational reality across all jurisdictions and business lines of the Asset and Wealth Management division of an international investment holding. The role combines traditional operational leadership with a transformation mandate — building ‘operations of the future’ through automation, data intelligence, and process excellence.
Key goals
- Operational Discipline: Ensure flawless execution of strategic decisions across all jurisdictions.
- Digital Transformation: Drive automation, AI, and data-driven decision-making across operations and client platforms.
- Efficiency & Scale: Optimise processes, reduce costs, and enhance speed and reliability of client servicing.
- Governance & Risk: Maintain world-class compliance, internal control, and business continuity frameworks.
- Culture & People: Build an agile, high-performance, and innovation-driven culture.
Responsibilities
- Strategy Execution & Alignment
- Translate Group strategic priorities into actionable operational roadmaps per jurisdiction.
- Drive and monitor the implementation of Executive Committee and CEO decisions through measurable KPIs.
- Ensure consistent execution standards across entities and prevent strategic leakage.
- Report progress to the CEO and the Board, highlighting variances and corrective actions.
- Operations, Efficiency & Scalability
- Lead process reengineering across front, middle, and back offices to shorten cycles and eliminate bottlenecks.
- Implement Lean and Agile methodologies, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
- Integrate global best practices in asset & wealth management operations.
- Oversee operational risk controls, SLAs, and ensure cost discipline and scalability.
- Digital Transformation & AI Integration
- Oversee Group IT, systems, and digital functions to ensure standardisation, resilience, and interoperability.
- Implement automation, workflow engines, RPA, and low-code solutions across the operational value chain.
- Deploy AI and predictive analytics to enhance forecasting, client service, and decision-making.
- Govern data architecture, cybersecurity, and data governance standards.
- Measure ROI on digital investments and ensure scalable adoption of future technologies.
- Governance, Compliance & Operational Risk
- Ensure implementation of all Group-approved policies and procedures across jurisdictions.
- Coordinate the development and enforcement of AML/KYC, risk, audit, data protection, ethics, conflicts of interest, and control frameworks.
- Supervise operational risk management, vendor oversight, and business continuity planning (BCP).
- Maintain regulatory alignment across the UK, Cyprus, Switzerland, and UAE entities.
- Cross-Functional Integration
- Strengthen collaboration between Compliance, Risk, Legal, Technology, Product, Operations, and Finance.
- Define accountability (RACI), eliminate silos, and resolve inter-departmental overlaps.
- Lead operational steering committees and cross-functional forums.
- Serve as the bridge between strategy and execution across business units.
- Change Management, Culture & Talent
- Lead change programs related to digitalisation and new operating models.
- Foster a culture of agility, learning, and innovation.
- Oversee recruitment, capability development, and succession planning of key specialists.
- Cascade KPIs and accountability frameworks across all operational layers.
- Reporting, Data & Analytics
- Deliver regular operational, risk, and transformation reports to the CEO and Board.
- Develop and maintain dashboards, performance analytics, and early-warning systems.
- Conduct root-cause analyses and ensure implementation of corrective actions.
Key Skills
- 15+ years in financial services operations, preferably in asset & wealth management.
- Proven record of leading digital transformation, automation, and process excellence programs.
- Experience managing multi-jurisdictional operations under complex regulatory frameworks.
- Deep understanding of operational risk, compliance, and internal controls.
- Proficiency in Lean, Six Sigma, or Agile methodologies.
- Successful track record in managing large-scale IT integrations and cross-functional initiatives.
- Strategic thinker with strong execution discipline and stakeholder management skills.
- Data-driven, analytical, and resilient under pressure.
- Excellent communication and leadership abilities; capable of shaping a performance-driven culture.
Job advantages
- Dual focus: running current operations while transforming the organisation for the next decade.
- Strategic impact: the COO is the engine turning the Group’s vision into measurable results.
- High accountability: ensuring Group-wide operational consistency and digital advancement.
- Global integration: uniting jurisdictions and teams into one coherent operating model.
- Leadership legacy: building the technological and cultural backbone of Signet Group’s future.
- Base possible locations: Cyprus, London or Zurich.
