Fractional COO & Chief of Staff
for Banking Technology
Embedded executive operations leadership for fintech and banking technology companies - without the full-time overhead.
When growth starts outpacing your operating model
Most banking technology and fintech companies do not stall because of a bad strategy or an unmotivated team. They stall when complexity compounds faster than the operating model was designed to absorb — when the weight of decisions, dependencies, and competing priorities exceeds what the current structure can carry.
The pattern is consistent. Delivery timelines extend. Escalations increase. Senior leaders spend more time in triage than in architecture. The people working hardest are absorbing what the system cannot.
This is the moment that calls for something more than a consulting engagement with a deck. It calls for an experienced operator who steps in, diagnoses where execution is actually breaking, and restores the discipline that lets your organization scale without fracturing.
That is what a fractional COO engagement with NewWave is designed to do.
This engagement is designed for you if…
Growth has outpaced your operating model — delivery is slowing and nobody agrees on who owns what
A recent acquisition needs to be integrated without losing the customers, margins, or momentum that justified the deal
Your implementation backlog is growing faster than your team can absorb and client outcomes are beginning to slip
You need COO-level operational leadership but are not ready or willing to commit to a full-time executive hire at that level
A key operating leader has departed and you need experienced, embedded leadership while the permanent search is underway
Your board or PE sponsor is asking harder questions about delivery performance and margin improvement
What executive operations leadership looks like in practice
NewWave fractional COO engagements are embedded and operational. This is not advisory work delivered from the sidelines. It is experienced leadership operating inside your organization, working alongside your team to restore execution discipline and structural clarity.
Execution Diagnostics
Before anything else is changed, the origin of the problem is identified. Execution rarely breaks where it is most visible. Delivery friction, escalation loops, and margin compression almost always originate upstream — in how decisions are structured, how accountability is defined, and how growth commitments are made. The diagnostic finds that origin.
Decision Architecture
Unclear decision ownership is the most common source of execution delay in scaling banking technology organizations. This work clarifies who owns what, establishes operating cadences that reduce approval friction, and builds the decision rights framework that lets your organization move faster without requiring executive sign-off on everything.
Cross-Functional Alignment
When Product, Engineering, Delivery, and Customer Success are not coordinated, the customer absorbs the gap. This work aligns those functions around shared priorities, clean handoffs, and accountable execution — not through more meetings, but through clearer ownership and better-structured operating rhythm.
Implementation and Delivery Discipline
For banking technology companies specifically, implementation throughput is the binding constraint on growth. NewWave's principal has led organizations delivering 190+ implementations annually across 1,300+ client institutions. That experience translates directly into faster delivery, more predictable timelines, and client outcomes that hold up at renewal.
How the first 90 days typically unfold
Every engagement begins with a conversation. From there, the work is shaped around what will create the greatest impact with the least disruption. Most engagements follow a three-phase structure in the first 90 days.
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Focus
Structural diagnostic — map where execution is breaking and where load is originating
Outcome
Clear picture of structural strain and its origin — not just visible symptoms
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Focus
Decision architecture — clarify ownership, establish operating cadence, align priorities
Outcome
Defined decision rights and operating rhythm the team can follow without escalation
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Focus
Execution stabilization — implement governance, reduce escalation loops, measure progress
Outcome
Measurable reduction in friction, faster decisions, improved delivery predictability
At the end of the first 90 days, the engagement scope is reviewed and adjusted based on what the organization needs next. Some engagements conclude. Most continue. None are locked in by contract terms that outlast the value being created.
Engagement Model
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Time Commitment
1–3 days per week
Typical Duration
3–12 months, renewable
Best Suited for
Scaling company needing ongoing operational leadership without full-time cost
How the work Happens
Embedded — operating inside the organization alongside your leadership teamDescription text goes here
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Time Commitment
Full-time, defined term
Typical Duration
3–6 months
Best Suited for
Executive departure or leadership transition requiring full coverage
How the Work Happens
Embedded — full accountability for operational outcomesDescription text goes here
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Time Commitment
Flexible, as needed
Typical Duration
Ongoing or project-based
Best Suited for
CEO who needs an execution partner and thought leader
How the Work Happens
Strategic — supporting executive judgment and decision-makingDescription text goes here
If execution is under pressure, let’s talk…
Most engagements begin with a single conversation focused on understanding where complexity is creating friction and what would need to change.
No pitch. No proposal. Just clarity.