Running a business in asset, automotive, and equipment finance and leasing takes a dedicated team willing to scale with your ambitions. Often, the need for a Chief Operating Officer becomes clear once a lender, lessor, or platform vendor has grown well beyond its original size and structure.
The COO is responsible for ensuring day-to-day operations run efficiently and effectively, so finding the right person to lead that function can make or break the bottom line. In a sector where origination volumes, servicing complexity, and platform performance all depend on tight operational execution, the stakes are especially high.
Beyond managing the day-to-day, the right COO also frees up the CEO to focus on growth, new funding lines, partnerships, or market expansion, rather than being pulled into the detail of running multiple departments.
With that in mind, here are the best ways to evaluate top talent when hiring a Chief Operating Officer for your business.
Tip #1: Define Your Needs in the Job Description
The best way to attract the right calibre of applicant is a future-oriented job description that sets out the responsibilities of the role in specific, concrete terms. It should also cover the key objectives you need the COO to deliver against, such as:
- Increasing company value through operational efficiency and disciplined growth
- Building a strategic plan aligned with the company’s commercial goals
- Operating in line with the company’s core values and risk culture
Beyond the description itself, it’s worth clearly communicating the value of the role and the long-term career trajectory it offers — strong candidates in this space are weighing several opportunities at once. It’s equally important to look closely at a candidate’s track record: prior experience they can evidence, verifiable results, and the industry relationships they bring with them.
Tip #2: Prioritise Leadership Competence Over Sector Experience Alone
A strong grasp of asset, auto, or equipment finance is a genuine asset on any COO’s CV, but the role ultimately depends on proven managerial skill and the ability to lead with influence. When evaluating candidates, weigh demonstrated leadership and operational discipline first — sector familiarity matters, but a tested, trusted leader who can adapt quickly is often more valuable than sector tenure alone.
Tip #3: Partner with a Specialist Executive Search Firm to Find Quality COO Candidates
Hiring for a COO can be a time-consuming and costly stage of a company’s growth, particularly for a niche or executive-level position within Asset, Auto, and Equipment Finance and leasing. Sourcing the right talent in a market this specialised, where relevant candidates are often not actively looking, is genuinely difficult to do well internally, which is why many businesses turn to a dedicated executive search partner.
A specialist search partner understands both the sector and the specific demands of the role, which is critical to reaching candidates you’d otherwise never see. Interviewing candidates already vetted by an experienced search partner also saves significant time, since those who progress past the initial screening are typically already well-suited to the role.
The Bottom Line
A high-performing COO can make a real difference to the growth trajectory of a business in this sector, but the wrong choice can cost time, money, and momentum for everyone involved.
Hiring a Chief Operating Officer suited to your business takes careful consideration, the tips above should help you identify the qualities to look for as you evaluate your shortlist.
If you’re in the UK and operate within asset, automotive, or equipment finance and leasing, and want the benefits of a specialist executive search partner, get in touch with us today to see how we can help.
