Chief Operating Officer (COO)

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER (COO) RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS

At Lime Talent, we understand the critical importance of finding a qualified Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead your organisation’s day-to-day operations effectively. Based in London, we offer unparalleled expertise in executive FMCG recruitment across the UK and internationally.

The search for a new COO can undoubtedly be a daunting task. It requires a candidate with a blend of industry expertise, operational acumen, and strong leadership capabilities. Our extensive network and industry insights enable us to identify candidates who not only possess these requisite skills and experience, but also align seamlessly with your company culture and strategic objectives. Having the right recruitment partner is crucial in this industry and with our wealth of experience, our team will assist in crafting optimal talent attraction strategies as well as set competitive salaries to attract and secure the best possible COO candidate for your organisation.

 

Why Use Us?

Established in 2013, we have a proven track record of placing executive talent within the FMCG sector, serving both established blue-chip companies and emerging challenger brands. We work closely with you to understand your unique requirements, helping you navigate the complexities of executive recruitment and elevate your organisation’s operational leadership to new heights.

 

You can see some of our clients below

Within Chief Operating Officer (COO) we cover the following sub categories:

Food & Drink

Alcoholic Drinks

Health, Beauty & Personal Care

Consumer Products

Direct to Consumer & Subscription

What our clients say

  • “Lime Talent are responsive, flexible, honest and therefore very easy to work with. When I need support for trickier roles, then Lime are my first port of call and I always recommend them as they strike a good balance of challenge/blue chip from their network.”

    UK Country Manager | Tony’s Chocolonely

  • “Lime Talent have been a fantastic partner to me as I’ve built out the UK & Europe team for Who Gives a Crap. Their ability to get a quick understanding of our business, the needs I had for the roles and the calibre of Lime’s candidate pool has been invaluable. It’s allowed us to move quickly to build out a team from scratch, hiring roles across a range of functions including commercial, marketing, strategy & insights. I simply wouldn’t have been able to do this without Lime’s support & expertise!”

    MD UK & Europe | Who gives a crap

  • “Lime Talent have remained our trusted partners for the last 5 years. Most of our hires have come through Lime with the team clearly identifying the talent that have made the business successful so far. The candidates we receive are incredibly well filtered and we know before we meet them, that they will have the requisite calibre to succeed.”

    Managing Director | Itsu

  • “Lime Talent demonstrate a high degree of honesty and openness about the risks and considerations of placing specific people and you are continually assured they take a long-term approach to working with Ferrero. Highly recommended.”

    Customer Development Director | Ferrero

  • “Lime Talent made the process as easy as possible by providing well-screened candidates along with regular updates. They also provided clear guidance on the recruitment landscape that helped us position our role as attractive to candidates with the relevant skill set.”

    Marketing Manager | Windmill Organics

  • “Lime did a good job for us and I’ve enjoyed working with them on roles. Moved quickly and have been communicative, understanding our requirements on limited information.”

    CEO | Hackney Gelato

  • “The best recruitment business I’ve worked with. Highly recommended.”

    Founder | Holy Moly

DIRECTOR

Paul Jackson is co-founder of Lime Talent. He started his career in 2004 and has extensive experience placing senior Supply Chain, Buying, Technical and NPD candidates with some of the world’s leading consumer goods brands and exciting high growth startups.

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    Client Portfolio

    • Tony's Chocolonely
      Track Record
      We started working with Tony’s in 2018 to assist with their UK launch securing them:
      - UKI Head of Marketing
      - UK Head of Sales
      - UK Operations & Finance Manager
      Feedback
      “I used Lime Talent in the very early days of our UK launch with the team helping me hire my (now) UK leadership team who are all still with us since 2018. "
      Feedback
      "Lime Talent are responsive, flexible, honest and therefore very easy to work with. When I need support for trickier roles, then Lime are my first port of call and I always recommend them as they strike a good balance of challenge/blue chip from their network.” UK Country Manager
    • Danone
      Track Record
      Preferred supplier for roles within commercial and supply chain functions
    • who gives a crap
      Track Record
      Helping to build their EU team with roles including:
      - EU Head of Consumer
      - EU Head of Commercial
      - As well as various other roles
      Feedback
      “Lime Talent have been a fantastic partner to me as I've built out the UK & Europe team for Who Gives a Crap. Their ability to get a quick understanding of our business, the needs I had for the roles and the calibre of Lime's candidate pool has been invaluable. "
      Feedback
      "It's allowed us to move quickly to build out a team from scratch, hiring roles across a range of functions including commercial, marketing, strategy & insights. I simply wouldn't have been able to do this without Lime's support & expertise!" MD UK & Europe
    • L'Oreal
      Track Record
      Various projects from Manager to Director level within functions such as
      - eCommerce
      - Market Intelligence
      - Revenue Growth
      - Category Strategy
      - Business & Data analysis

    FAQ Section

    What does a Chief Operating Officer (COO) do in an FMCG or consumer goods business?

    A COO leads the end-to-end operational strategy of a business, ensuring it can scale efficiently while delivering excellent product quality, service levels and commercial performance.
    Key areas often include:

    • Supply chain & logistics
    • Operations & manufacturing
    • Procurement & sourcing
    • Quality, technical and regulatory
    • Systems, processes, and organisational structure
    • Cost efficiency, margin improvement and risk management

    In fast-growing challenger brands, the COO usually acts as the operational backbone, building the infrastructure that enables rapid and sustainable growth.

    How is a COO different from a Supply Chain Director or Operations Director?

    A Supply Chain Director typically focuses on planning, logistics, warehousing, inventory, and S&OP.
    An Operations Director often oversees production, quality, technical and day-to-day operations.
    A COO is broader and more senior — responsible for the entire operational environment of the business, often sitting on the board and owning cross-functional strategy, culture, and commercial delivery.

    What salary does a COO earn in the UK FMCG sector?

    COO salaries vary depending on scale, ownership structure and operational complexity:

    • Challenger / SME: £120,000–£180,000 + bonus + LTIP
    • PE/VC-backed scale-up: £140,000–£220,000 + equity
    • Mid-size FMCG: £150,000–£250,000 + bonus + LTIP
    • Global FMCG: £200,000–£350,000 + executive benefits

    Equity is increasingly common in growth-stage consumer brands where the COO is instrumental in scaling operations.

    What skills and experience are required for a COO in consumer goods?

    Typical requirements include:

    • Strong leadership across supply chain, manufacturing and operations
    • Experience scaling a business from early growth to maturity
    • Deep commercial acumen and P&L understanding
    • Building high-performing teams and operational structures
    • Experience managing 3PLs, co-manufacturers or international supply networks
    • Risk mitigation, compliance and quality oversight
    • Data, systems and technology adoption (ERP, S&OP, automation)
    • Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on operational problem-solving

    Do COOs need a background in FMCG?

    For most consumer goods businesses, yes — especially where supply chains are complex, food safety is critical or production is outsourced.
    However, some brands value broader operational leadership or experience in fast-paced, high-growth sectors such as ecommerce, DTC, health & wellness or manufacturing.

    When should a challenger brand hire its first COO?

    Typical triggers include:

    • Rapid revenue growth creating operational strain
    • Increasing retailer or supply chain complexity
    • Need for stronger forecasting, logistics or quality processes
    • International expansion
    • Founder bandwidth issues
    • Preparation for investment or acquisition

    A COO is often the first true ‘scaling’ hire beyond the founder and commercial team.

    How do Lime Talent recruit COOs for FMCG businesses?

    Lime Talent runs a highly targeted COO executive search process that includes:

    • Market mapping across supply chain, operations and general management
    • Identification of leaders with scale-up and FMCG expertise
    • Behavioural and competency-based interviews
    • Full referencing, salary benchmarking and leadership profiling
    • Hands-on support through offer negotiation and onboarding

    We specialise in supporting founder-led and VC/PE-backed consumer brands hiring operational leadership for the first time.

    Why do consumer brands choose Lime Talent to hire their COO?

    Because COOs in FMCG must blend operational excellence with commercial impact — understanding margin, retailer requirements, forecasting and the realities of physical product businesses.
    Lime Talent has deep experience recruiting senior operational leaders who can build scalable systems, manage risk and support accelerated growth.

    How long does a COO search typically take?

    Most COO searches take 6–10 weeks, depending on:

    • Complexity of the role
    • Operational maturity of the business
    • Equity and package competitiveness
    • Candidate notice periods
    • Required technical depth
      We can also support interim COO placements for urgent needs or transformation projects.

    Can Lime Talent place interim or fractional COOs?

    Yes — we regularly appoint interim:

    • COOs
    • Heads of Operations
    • Supply Chain Directors
    • Manufacturing or Technical specialists
      Interims are ideal during transitions, funding rounds, restructures or urgent operational challenges.

    Do Lime Talent recruit COOs internationally?

    Yes. While the UK is our primary market, we also support COO searches in Europe, North America, the Middle East and APAC — especially for global consumer brands launching or scaling operations in the UK.