Chief Operating Officer, APAC

Position Summary

The Chief Operating Officer APAC provides regional leadership for operational excellence, delivery quality, regulatory compliance and organisational effectiveness across the Asia Pacific region. The role ensures that operational capabilities, processes and teams are aligned to the organisation’s strategic goals and that client delivery meets the highest standards of accuracy, efficiency and service. The COO APAC shapes the operating model for the region and drives continuous improvement, scalability and cross border consistency.

This role partners closely with the global COO and the regional CEO, serving as a senior advisor on operational performance, risk management and business transformation. The COO APAC represents the region within the global operations leadership community and ensures that APAC requirements, constraints and opportunities are reflected in enterprise level planning and decision making.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Executive Influence

• Provide strategic direction for regional operations, ensuring alignment with the global operating model and group strategy.
• Translate global objectives into regional execution plans, operational frameworks and measurable performance outcomes.
• Influence senior leaders across APAC to secure alignment, resources and commitment to operational priorities.
• Evaluate regional market dynamics, regulatory environments and client expectations to inform operational strategy.
• Represent APAC operations in global leadership forums and contribute to enterprise wide decision making.

Operational Excellence and Delivery Quality

• Lead the design, optimisation and scaling of operational processes across the region to ensure efficiency, accuracy and client satisfaction.
• Oversee regional service delivery, ensuring consistent standards of quality, turnaround and operational discipline.
• Establish regional KPIs and governance frameworks for performance, risk and operational controls.
• Ensure rigorous compliance with regulatory obligations across all jurisdictions within APAC.
• Identify and mitigate operational risks, ensuring robust business continuity and resilience planning.

Transformation, Process Improvement and Technology Enablement

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on productivity, standardisation and simplification.
• Partner with global operations, technology and digital teams to implement automation, workflow solutions, data tools and future ready operational capabilities.
• Lead operational integration for mergers, acquisitions and expansions across the region.
• Promote a culture of innovation and operational excellence through structured transformation programmes.
• Ensure operational processes evolve to support new services, markets and client requirements.

Cross Functional Leadership and Collaboration

• Partner with commercial, finance, HR, risk, compliance and product teams to ensure seamless delivery and regional alignment.
• Support new business activities, sales opportunities and key client relationships from an operational readiness perspective.
• Collaborate with regional CEOs and country heads to ensure local market needs are addressed while maintaining global consistency.
• Ensure operational considerations are integrated into strategic planning, commercial decisions and regional growth initiatives.

Talent Leadership and Organisational Development

• Lead and develop high performing operational teams across multiple countries and service lines.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement and professional development.
• Ensure clear performance management, succession planning and leadership development across the region.
• Align regional workforce planning, capacity models and skills development with changing client and business needs.
• Promote a unified and inclusive culture across diverse markets and teams.

Required Technical Skills

Operational Process and Service Delivery

• Expertise in designing, managing and scaling operational processes across multiple jurisdictions.
• Strong understanding of risk management, regulatory obligations and controlled operational environments.
• Experience implementing operational governance frameworks, KPIs and quality assurance mechanisms.
• Familiarity with service delivery models in financial and professional services environments.

Transformation and Technology

• Experience leading large scale operational transformation, including digitisation, automation and process reengineering.
• Understanding of workflow platforms, data driven operations and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Ability to partner with technology and digital teams to implement new tools and systems.

Regional and Market Knowledge

• Knowledge of APAC regulatory environments, market dynamics and operational considerations across diverse jurisdictions.
• Experience navigating complexity across regional cultures, languages, service expectations and operating conditions.

Leadership and Business Skills

• Executive level communication and stakeholder influence across cultures and geographies.
• Strong organisational leadership capability with a track record of managing large multi-country teams.
• Ability to translate global strategy into regional execution with disciplined follow through.
• Proven ability to manage complexity, drive change and deliver measurable operational outcomes.
• Strong financial acumen with experience in budgeting, cost management and operational efficiency.
• Skilled in managing senior relationships, fostering collaboration and supporting high stakes decision making.