Executives

Three people working on laptops while a colleague presents at a whiteboard

The Rise of the Operator: Why Founders Are Hiring COOs Earlier

Companies that once waited for a crisis to bring in operational leadership are now hiring chief operating officers years earlier, and the founders pushing hardest for it are the experienced ones.

By Priya Natarajan August 5, 2026

An executive in a suit standing at a large office window, looking out

Leadership

The CEO Sabbatical Stops Being a Confession

A planned executive absence used to read as weakness or exit. Boards are learning to treat it as a stress test the organization is supposed to pass.

By Margaret Holloway July 22, 2026