Chief Operations Officer

Summary

Taltran Global has been exclusively retained by a high-growth, private equity-backed hospitality and distributed gaming operator seeking a VP / SVP of Operations to lead and scale operations through its next phase of expansion. The title will be determined based on the experience and seniority of the successful candidate, with significant opportunity for advancement and a clear path to COO as the organization continues to scale. Led by an experienced executive team with a strong track record of building and exiting businesses in the gaming and hospitality sector, the company has rapidly scaled its Illinois footprint from 2 locations to approximately 50. Today, the business generates approximately $20M in annual revenue and is executing an aggressive M&A-driven growth strategy, with plans to expand to 150-200+ locations and $150M-$200M in revenue over time. Reporting directly to the CEO, this executive will be responsible for building the operational infrastructure required to support that growth. The mandate is centered on operational value creation which includes improving unit economics, revenue, margins and efficiency while establishing greater consistency and standardization across the portfolio. This is a highly hands‑on role for a builder rather than a caretaker. The successful candidate will combine strategic leadership with a willingness to work directly in the field, solve operational challenges, develop scalable processes and help shape the organization as it enters its next stage of growth. Taltran Global is registered in the state Delaware, United States of America. Registered office address; 1013 Centre Road, Suite 403-B, Wilmington, DE 19805, County of New Castle. All CV’s provided by Taltran Global are done so in good faith and in the strictest of confidence. Unless explicitly agreed in writing all introductions are subject to our standard terms and conditions of business that can be found on or requested directly via View email address on click.appcast.io.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead operational performance across a rapidly growing portfolio of hospitality, gaming and entertainment locations.
• Drive store‑level performance and unit economics, identifying opportunities to increase revenue, improve margins, reduce costs and enhance profitability.
• Assess existing operations and build scalable systems, processes and infrastructure to support continued growth.
• Develop and implement SOPs, best practices and standardized operating procedures across the multi‑location footprint.
• Create greater operational consistency across acquired locations while maintaining appropriate differentiation between brands and concepts.
• Lead and develop Regional Managers and location‑level leadership, establishing clear accountability and consistent execution.
• Establish and improve KPIs, dashboards and operational reporting to provide greater visibility into location‑level performance for executive leadership and the Board.
• Support the operational integration of newly acquired locations, identifying opportunities for post‑acquisition optimization and value creation.
• Partner closely with Finance on budgeting, purchasing, forecasting, cost management and location‑level profitability.
• Partner with HR on recruiting, training, leadership development and building a scalable employee pipeline.
• Support new location openings, geographic expansion and continued growth through acquisition.
• Serve as a strategic partner to the CEO, CFO and broader executive team on growth strategy and organizational development.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or a related field; MBA is advantageous.
• Significant multi‑unit / multi‑location operations leadership experience is required.
• Experience within hospitality, restaurants, bars, franchising, entertainment, retail, or a similarly distributed consumer‑facing business.
• Demonstrated success improving unit economics, revenue, margins, costs and operational efficiency across multiple locations.
• Proven ability to develop and implement SOPs, processes and operational best practices across a distributed footprint.
• Strong P&L and financial acumen, including budgeting, cost management, profitability analysis and performance measurement.
• Experience leading multi‑site teams, ideally including Regional Managers, District Managers, General Managers or equivalent field leadership.
• Experience managing large hourly workforces in high‑volume operating environments.
• Strong analytical capabilities with experience using KPIs and operational reporting to drive performance and accountability.
• Hands‑on, player‑coach leadership style with a willingness to personally diagnose and solve operational challenges.
• Private equity‑backed or other high‑growth company experience.
• M&A and post‑acquisition operational integration experience.
• Franchise or master franchise experience.
• New location openings and geographic expansion.
• Strong commercial mindset with the ability to balance customer experience, operational execution and financial performance.
• Comfortable operating in a lean, fast‑paced and rapidly scaling environment where processes and infrastructure are still being built.
• Confident, adaptable and comfortable navigating ambiguity and change.