Photo by Laurence Vander Elstraeten, Buro Bonito

About

Els Meyvaert

Business builder, organisational designer & fractional COO.

I founded this community and platform to bring together COO's and other operating leaders who shape the operational backbone of growing and evolving companies, for those scaling with intention or under pressure, building structures where people and performance can both thrive.

With more than 20 years of experience across organisational design, people and team building, go-to-market execution, internationalisation, funding, data and emerging technology, and sustainability and compliance, I created this space to elevate operations from executional necessity to strategic advantage, through dialogue, shared learning and practical insight.

This is more than a network: it's a thinking partner for (future) COO's, whether that means training, coaching, a strategy determined and handed to you, or hands-on execution, committed to designing organisations that perform today and endure tomorrow.

01 //Operating principles

Visionary thinking, grounded execution.

Ambitious in strategy, pragmatic in the daily work of shipping it.

Technology as a business design material.

AI, data and platforms are shaped into operating models, not bolted onto them.

Scale without losing humanity.

Structures, teams and rhythms that grow with the company and still feel like a good place to work.

02 //What I do

Scale & Operating Models

Designing structures, teams, governance and processes that help organisations scale with intention.

People, Culture & HR Design

Building teams, leadership structures and inclusive cultures that let people and performance grow together.

Go-to-Market & Growth Strategy

Building pragmatic commercial strategies, value propositions and partner ecosystems for B2B, SaaS and technology-led businesses.

Internationalisation

Guiding market entry and cross-border scale-up across EMEA and APAC, from first hire abroad to multi-region operations.

Funding & Investor Readiness

Preparing the story, structure and stakeholder management organisations need to raise capital and grow investor confidence.

Data, AI & Emerging Technology

Turning data architecture, AI, blockchain and Web3 into understandable, valuable and executable business models.

Sustainability & Compliance Strategy

Helping organisations navigate CSRD, Digital Product Passport, ESG data models and sustainability-driven transformation.

LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®

I am a certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator, using the methodology to help teams explore complex challenges, make ideas tangible, and create shared understanding. By giving everyone a voice and making different perspectives visible, I help organisations unlock insights and move from discussion to meaningful action.

Price for a one day workshop (max. 12 people): 5000 EUR, ex. VAT

03 //How I work

You can bring me in at any of these levels, across any of the domains above.

I Research

Running my own operational excellence (OpEx) research — surveying and interviewing operating leaders, benchmarking how organisations structure, measure and improve their operations, and turning the findings into practical insight the community can use.

I Review

Running OpEx reviews to check what could be improved in terms of operational excellence — mapping how work actually flows, where value leaks, and which changes deliver the most impact.

I Train

Sharing knowledge through presentations, workshops and training, so teams and leaders build capability, not just deliverables.

I Coach

Acting as a sparring partner for COOs and operating leaders working through a specific issue — including guiding and building out dedicated teams, and ghostwriting the strategies or plans of action that come out of it.

I Determine

Defining the strategy myself, including ghostwriting the strategy or plan of action, as a ready-to-use deliverable.

I Plan

Turning strategy into structured plans and programs — from digital transformation and operational excellence initiatives to full program and project management — with clear milestones, ownership and sequencing.

I Execute

Doing the work as a consultant or fractional COO — solo or embedded with a team — until it's operational.

04 //Selected impact

Scaled SettleMint from early-stage startup to international scale-up with offices in Dubai, Singapore, Delhi and Tokyo.
Led engineering, customer success and internal operations at Robovision.
Built go-to-market and operating models for Fujitsu, PwC, Climapulse, Krane Labs, Vlerick, Robovision and Spotable.
Selected as one of 10 International Women in Tech by US Market Access Center and SAP.
Nominated for Inspiring 50 Women in Belgian Tech.