01
Commercial logic
Reduce recruitment time and operating cost while maintaining continuity.
Selected work sample · Organisational redesign
Turning a leadership gap into a stronger operating model
Rather than replace a departing functional Head like-for-like, I redesigned Operations around end-to-end ownership. The monthly operating cost run rate fell by approximately 50% over 18 months while delivery speed, quality and customer experience improved.
01 / Context
The departure exposed a wider ownership problem.
At a European digital music distribution platform serving approximately 300,000 active artists and labels, the Head of QA & Delivery announced their departure. The expected response was to recruit an external replacement for the same role. The 14-person department needed daily leadership, an escalation point and someone able to translate admin-tool and platform problems for Engineering.
As Head of Artist & Label Relations (Customer Support), I saw the wider issue from the customer side. Releases moved through separate teams without a single end-to-end owner. Incomplete requirements, lost hand-offs and late technical escalations surfaced as missing or delayed releases and artist complaints.
10 daysAverage internal delivery time
1 to 2 daysTypical lead time after aggregator acceptance
No single ownerAcross the complete release journey
02 / Strategic decision
Replace the structure, not the vacancy.
Within one week, before HR published the vacancy, I proposed combining Artist & Label Relations, QA & Delivery and related specialist functions under my leadership.
The model created one accountable Operations owner, developed internal Team Leads and avoided the cost and onboarding time of an external Head. It also gave the COO one clear point of accountability without adding another management layer.
02
Operating logic
Give the full release journey one accountable leader and clearer escalation paths.
03
Talent logic
Create meaningful leadership scope for proven internal operators.
The COO approved the proposal during the outgoing Head’s notice period. Planned leave reduced the effective handover to approximately two weeks.
03 / Execution
A practical operating system, built around the work.
The redesign combined structure, workflow, data and product changes. The aim was not more process; it was earlier visibility, clearer ownership and fewer preventable exceptions.
Map the whole journey
I documented the path from paid release registration through quality and specialist checks, aggregator delivery, publication and post-release support. The map made the missing end-to-end owner visible.
Define accountable measures
I introduced Delivery Time and delivery lead time, set a 21-day lead-time target, and combined SQL and Metabase data with admin-tool and Help Scout reporting.
Build leadership from within
I integrated six operating units, appointed internal Team Leads, and progressively delegated workload, escalations, systems and KPI accuracy.
Create a light operating cadence
Stand-ups ran every two days, Team Leads reported weekly, and one 30-minute COO review replaced fragmented leadership updates. Trello made ownership and progress visible.
Turn evidence into Product priorities
Artist feedback and operational data supported a shared Product OKR that reserved roughly one in three initiatives for an Operations priority.
Prevent work instead of processing it
With Product and Engineering, we clarified upload requirements and field mapping. We also built shared guidance, a knowledge base, specialist ownership and testing and translation guilds.
04 / Impact
Lower cost. Faster flow. Better quality.
≈50%
reduction in the monthly Operations cost run rate over 18 months, according to Finance reporting.
Headcount moved from approximately 30 to 15 through voluntary departures and roles not being backfilled. There were no layoffs. All six units remained active while reported volumes increased.
10 days → 1 to 2 days
Delivery Time
Average time from paid release registration to aggregator submission, reached within two months.
1 to 2 days → 15 days
Delivery lead time
Average time between aggregator acceptance and scheduled publication, reached within two months against a 21-day target.
5 min → 1 min
QA Touch Time
Average internal review time within six months; errors escaping QA later declined by approximately 15%.
3.0 → 4.5 / 5
Support Happiness Score
Within six months. Replies to Resolve fell from approximately 7 to 2, while average First Reply Time improved from approximately 48 hours to 24 hours or less.
−40%
Preventable errors
Field Update Requests and copyright-infringement claims each declined within six months. Aggregator tickets caused by pre-release errors fell by approximately 40% within eight months.
3 weeks → 2 weeks
Localisation turnaround
Average turnaround improved by approximately 30% within two months. Video-platform issue resolution also improved from approximately 15 days to 5 days within six months.
Figures are retrospective and rounded. Results were delivered with the Operations teams and cross-functional Product and Engineering partners.
05 / What this demonstrates
Judgment that carries through to execution.
Strategic judgment
Reframed a replacement hire as an operating-model decision.
Ownership
Acted within one week, before the vacancy was published.
Organisational design
Created clear accountability across six operating units.
Cross-functional leadership
Converted Operations evidence into shared Product priorities.
Talent development
Built responsibility through Team Leads, Seniors and guilds.
End-to-end execution
Connected structure, workflow, data and measurable outcomes.