65. A COO’s journey to a Google exit

In this episode we discuss: AI Native Ops, How Brex Rebuilt Operations. We are joined by Camilla Matias, COO at Brex. Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here. We chat about the following: What actually breaks first when a company scales: people, process, or structure—and how do you know? How do you build operational rigour without killing speed and culture in a fast-growing business? What does “good onboarding” really look like beyond just paperwork and checklists? When tools or systems fail—how do you know if it’s the software or your implementation? What’s the difference between building processes for today vs. building systems that scale for the next 12–24 months?

In this episode we discuss: Puzzle setting, not goal setting. We are joined by Radhika Dutt, Author, Speaker, Consultant. Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here. We chat about the following with Radhika Dutt: What if traditional goal setting is actually limiting innovation rather than driving it? How might teams think differently if they framed challenges as “puzzles” instead of targets to hit? Are OKRs pushing organisations toward short-term optimisation instead of real problem-solving? How can leaders create space for curiosity and exploration in environments obsessed with metrics? What would change inside your company if teams focused on solving the right problem rather than just hitting the next KPI?

In this episode we discuss: The BizzOps Anti-Playbook. We are joined by Vessela Clewley, Strategy & Biz Ops Executive. Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here. We chat about the following with Vessela Clewley: What does it really take to step into leadership for the first time — and why do so many people underestimate the shift? How do you build confidence as a leader when you don’t yet feel “ready”? What’s the difference between managing tasks and truly leading people? How can organisations better support first-time managers before they burn out? What unspoken pressures do women in leadership roles carry — and how can we address them more openly?

In this episode we discuss: Collaborative AI for revenue teams. We are joined by Mylo Portas, CEO of Choras. Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here. We chat about the following with Donna McCurley: What actually makes a podcast commercially sustainable — beyond downloads and vanity metrics? How do you build creative systems that scale without killing originality? What does it really take to grow an independent podcast network in today’s crowded market? Where do most founders misunderstand the operational complexity of media businesses? Is podcasting still early… or are we already in the consolidation phase?

In this episode we discuss: How to really use AI in your GTM team. We are joined by Donna McCurley, Creator of the AI Sales Operating System™ (AiSOS). Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here. We chat about the following with Donna McCurley: Who should actually “own” AI inside your GTM function — and what happens if nobody does? What does real AI governance look like in practice — beyond policies and buzzwords? Are AI agents creating hidden shadow systems inside your organisation? Why are most AI rollouts in sales failing to drive measurable revenue impact? How do you move from AI experimentation to a true AI sales operating system?