Theano Evagelou

Executive operator and strategic advisor with more than 20 years of experience spanning executive leadership, business transformation, operations, profitability improvement, growth strategy, business development, contract negotiation, succession, and high-stakes decision-making. Particularly effective in founder-led and privately held businesses navigating growth, operational complexity, leadership transition, or the need to professionalize for the next stage. Brings a distinctive combination of commercial discipline and relationship intelligence, recognizing that sustainable performance sits at the intersection of strategy, systems, leadership, relationships, and execution.

Advanced training in coaching, communication, human dynamics, somatic intelligence, behavioural change, sexuality, and intimacy strengthens work in leadership, negotiation, client experience, partnerships, and relationship-focused businesses. Open to executive leadership, strategic advisory, fractional executive, business transformation, succession, and select partnership opportunities, including businesses focused on human connection, matchmaking, relationship technology, and wellness.

Founder | Executive & Relationship Intelligence Advisor - Theano Inc. - Remote

(2025-01)

• Advise founders, executives, organizations, and individuals navigating growth, transition, operational complexity, leadership challenges, relationships, and high-stakes decisions.
• Executive advisory spans business transformation, operations, profitability improvement, growth strategy, negotiation, leadership, organizational effectiveness, and translating strategy into practical execution.
• Specialize in relationship intelligence and the human dynamics influencing communication, connection, intimacy, trust, leadership, client relationships, and sustainable performance.
• Developed original thought leadership around Emotional Economy™ and Emotional Debt™—frameworks examining how relational quality and accumulated emotional costs influence wellbeing, leadership, decision-making, performance, and connection.
• Serve as strategic architect on a $2.5M multi-party renovation initiative, coordinating stakeholders, commercial positioning, communication, and client response strategy.
• Advised a property-services organization on the design of a scalable recurring-revenue model, including commercial strategy, operating workflows, and long-term business planning.

Executive Leadership Advisor - Confidential

(2023-01 - 2025-12)

Private Engagement

• Provided one-on-one coaching and advisory support over an 18-month engagement to a senior executive and second-in-command at one of Canada's largest financial institutions.
• Guided a high-stakes leadership and career transition involving organizational exit strategy, executive identity, decision-making under pressure, stakeholder communication, and long-term career repositioning.

Acting Chief Executive Officer - Toronto Decorating Corporation - Toronto, ON

(2023-01 - 2026-12)

Second-generation family enterprise

• Appointed Acting CEO during the most significant leadership transition in the company's history, with responsibility spanning operations, financial performance, organizational systems, vendor relationships, contract negotiations, team leadership, and growth strategy.
• Led the business back from near-insolvency following a $2M loss; rebuilt the team and operating model, improved Q4 profitability by 73%, and reduced the deficit from $450K to $120K.
• Designed and implemented company-wide SOPs, management dashboards, KPI frameworks, accountability structures, and financial reporting; strengthened operational and financial controls.
• Reduced material costs by approximately 30–40% and navigated succession and governance dynamics during an active ownership transition.
• Coached senior leaders and managers through organizational change, accountability, decision-making, and leadership effectiveness.

Director of Operations & Strategic Planning - Toronto Decorating Corporation - Toronto, ON

(2009-01 - 2017-12)

• Directed operations, business development, client management, sales strategy, project delivery, P&L management, and team leadership across a multi-million-dollar services business.
• Negotiated and salvaged a $350K at-risk client account by investigating project-management failures, mediating multi-party conflict, and rebuilding the client relationship.
• Identified and managed a $500K+ fraudulent billing situation; negotiated resolution and recovered $180K in outstanding receivables.

Bachelor of Business Administration - Marketing - James Madison University (1995-09 - 1999-05)