Owen Knowles
COO | Board Member | NED | Founder | Investor
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About
A data-driven leader working cross-functionally to translate the company strategy into results through both strategic planning and hands-on management, ensuring one eye is always on the business goals and long-term impact.
Versatile professional with expertise in fast-growth early to scale-up stage businesses, specialising in financial and risk management, revenue strategy, strategic planning and execution, change management, OKRs and project management. Proven leadership in multiple executive roles, responsible for 7 figure budgets, opening global offices, managing international events, and driving revenue growth. Demonstrated entrepreneurial success as an exited Founder (COO) of an FMCG start-up.
Experience
GROUP CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER [CONTRACT], 05/2023 – 02/2024 [10 months] VeUP & Quadri Ventures; Monaco & London, UK – Tech B2B & Venture Capitalist
COO & Special Advisor at VeUP & Quadri Ventures, responsible for developing and executing the group strategy on of the Chairman and the board. The group comprises a Tech Consultancy, a Venture Capital Firm, and a neo-bank.
- Collaborated closely with the Chairman, guiding VeUP to achieve approximately $30 Million in revenue by Q1 2024 — a remarkable 600% growth since my inception.
- Led the strategy development and directed the senior leadership team in securing €30 Million in post-seed funding.
- Crafted the strategy alongside revenue leaders to transform the revenue department into specialised roles, integrating marketing and employing AI and automation tools, resulting in a 20-fold increase in MQLs and SQLs.
- Implemented organisational structures, governance, departmental KPIs, and forecasting and recruited several key senior roles in preparation for the growth anticipated in 2024.
- Instituted consistent processes enabling Quadri Ventures (VC) to review numerous companies weekly through VeUP, culminating in eight significant investments over six months, totalling over $30 Million.
Chief of Staff at a hyper-growth SaaS Enterprise B2B serving FTSE 100 clients with a company-wide mandate translating the
- CEO’s strategy into results. Aligned Enablement team of 6 departments, ~70 headcount.
- Grew team from 2 to 11 as Interim Head of Operations, reducing travel costs by 18%, managing 5 offices
- Established a new legal department and saved over $100,000 annually as Interim Head of Legal
- Implemented and managed OKRs across 300 employees in 5 time zones
- Improved sales conversion rates and revenue by restructuring sales team and new commission structures
- Delivered a $1,000,000+ global event for 250 people, 40% under the previous budget per person
- Opened four global offices with a $9,000,000 investment
- Transitioned 70 contractors to employees in India with a $350,000 investment
- Established a 5-year PhD support program with a $1,500,000+ investment
- Increased data-science pipeline revenue by 300%+ in 8 weeks
- Managed ISO27001 and SOC2 accreditations and certifications
- Led Intercom roll-out on a tight timeline
- Secured cost savings of over $300,000 across subscriptions, tooling, and improved efficiencies
- Secured a 12-month contract with a key UK Pharma supplier at an 8-figure value
- Agreed pilot projects with 9 clients
- Streamlined Salesforce setup for efficient workflows and delivered sales training
- Developed, tested, and validated two MVP-stage products in collaboration with the CEO & CTO
- Created automated weekly reporting dashboards and performance metrics
- Cultivated high-value client relationships and secured a deal with the largest global mining corp
- Successfully exited the business after one year with a 300%+ ARR increase
- Secured listings with two of the five biggest national UK distributors
- Raised a six-figure sum from the first round of UK investments
Managed various projects, honing skills in project planning, organisation, timeline management, stakeholder coordination, and cash flow management.
Education
BA (HONS) Fashion & Business

