The COO's Design Table
A conversation space
for (future) Chief Operating Officers,
designing organisations for scale.
Welcome!
Most conversations about the Chief Operating Officer role focus on execution: delivery, efficiency, operational excellence. Important, yes. But incomplete.
Anyone can start an organisation. But as organizations grow, scale and diversify, the real challenge shifts. The work is no longer just about running operations well. It becomes about designing the organisation itself: its structure, governance, decision-making systems, operating model and the conditions under which meaningful work can happen at scale.
The mission of The COO's Design Table is to make organisational design visible, discussable and learnable for Chief Operating Officers, navigating growth and complexity.
It exists to:
At its core, The COO's Design Table aims to shift the conversation from running operations well to designing organisations deliberately, so that complexity becomes something that can be shaped, not merely managed.
A COO operates at the intersection of 4 critical domains that together form the backbone of a high-performing organization, and these are the knowledge domains we will investigate.
1. People
People, the human capital of any business, is the foundation of everything. This includes talent acquisition, development, performance management, leadership and culture.
A strong COO ensures that the right people are in the right roles, aligned with strategy and values and supported to perform at their best.
2. Data, information & knowledge
Operational excellence depends on transforming raw data into actionable insight and embedding experience into institutional knowledge.
This requires strong information flows, clear reporting structures and learning systems that enable continuous improvement and informed decision-making.
3. Technology
The technology stack should not merely function in the background. It must actively enable efficiency, scalability and innovation. Systems and tools must be integrated, reliable, secure and aligned with strategic goals, so operations can run smoothly and grow sustainably.
4. Processes
Processes tie everything together. Well-designed processes structure how work gets done within teams, across departments and with external partners. They create clarity, accountability and consistency, ensuring that people, information and technology work in harmony.
How can you book your seat at the table?
The COO's Design Table is a curated conversation space:
if you are a Chief Operating Officer in a scaling organisation and you would like to:
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Be a guest on the podcast,
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Share your experiences and lessons with peers,
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Reflect openly on your organisation's design journey,
You are warmly invited to book your seat.
To express your interest, please fill out this form. Each participation starts with a personal intake conversation to ensure depth and alignment.
About the COO's Design Table
Founded by Els Meyvaert, this platform brings together COO's and other operating leaders who shape the operational backbone of growing and evolving companies. This space is designed for those navigating complexity, scaling with intention or under pressure, and building structures that enable both people and performance to thrive, with operational excellence as a strategic objective.
With almost 20 years of experience in organisational design, data architecture, team building and systems thinking, Els created this space to stimulate meaningful dialogue, shared learning and practical insight in support of strong strategic execution.
Here, operations leaders step beyond the demands of the day-to-day to reflect critically on structure, decision-making, governance and long-term scalability, elevating operations from executional necessity to strategic advantage. We will cover all the complex topics, these leaders are dealing with.
Because this is more than a network: it is a thinking partner for (future) COO's committed to designing organisations that perform today and endure tomorrow.
