The COO will lead Krause Group’s diverse business portfolio including Soccer, Wine, and Real Estate verticals and Growth & Investments while overseeing the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) who oversees all Shared Services functions. This role will shape organizational strategy, drive cross-portfolio performance, and ensure alignment with our purpose and values. The COO will be someone who combines high-level leadership experience with direct execution abilities, is detail-oriented while maintaining a practical mindset, and can operate effectively with minimal guidance or resources.

• Partner with the Founder & CEO and Senior Leadership Team to develop and execute strategic vision.
• Drive operational excellence and performance across all verticals, businesses and functions.
• Lead the Shared Services functions through CAO: Finance, Grow People (HR), Legal, Brand, Strategic Execution Office (SEO), Risk, Government Affairs, and Information Technology (IT).
• Lead the Head of Growth & Investments on expansion initiatives.
• Champion Corporate Social Responsibility goals across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership, Operational Excellence Execution

• Collaborate with the Founder & CEO to develop, lead, and execute the organizational and strategic planning processes for Krause Group and its verticals.
• Lead operational planning, performance tracking, and business review processes to align execution with strategic priorities.
• Partner with the Founder & CEO and Head of Growth & Investments to ensure that current and future investment opportunities align with the organization’s vision.
• Partner closely with vertical leaders to deliver growth, innovation, and operational excellence.
• Ensure operational discipline, financial stewardship, and compliance across all verticals, functions, and businesses.
• Drive continuous improvement and change management initiatives to improve quality, efficiency, and impact.
• Identify and lead cross-functional initiatives to improve business processes.
• Manage resource allocation and drive the integration of Krause Group’s purpose and profit relationship across all verticals, businesses, and functions.
• Represent the organization in external relationships, partnerships, and negotiations.

Business Oversight & Integration

• Provide day-to-day leadership and direction for the verticals and individual businesses, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and performance.
• Align shared services to support business needs efficiently and effectively.
• Identify and pursue synergies across the portfolio, encouraging the sharing of innovative ideas and best practices.
• Develop the strategy to integrate new businesses into the portfolio and Krause Group operational model, partnering with the CAO and shared services functions to execute the post-merger integration.

Leadership & Team Development

• Build, lead, coach, and mentor senior leaders; cultivate an inclusive, high-performance leadership culture.
• Champion talent development and succession planning across the organization.
• Foster an environment of collaboration, empowerment, and purpose-driven leadership.

Corporate Social Responsibility (Sustainability and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion)

• Establish clear metrics and KPIs to measure Sustainability and DEI progress across verticals, businesses, and functions.
• Drive innovation toward sustainability across all verticals, businesses, and Shared Services functions.
• Create accountability systems for leadership to drive DEI initiatives.
• Address systemic barriers to inclusion within operational processes.
• Ensure DEI and sustainability considerations are incorporated into operational practices and stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Allocate resources to support CSR initiatives and programs.
• Ensure leadership policies, culture practices, and talent development efforts incorporate DEI principles.

Other duties as assigned.

Adheres to all company policies and procedures.

Qualifications, Skills & Competencies

• Possess15+ years of progressive operational leadership experience across multiple verticals, functions, or industries. Experience in Luxury industries is a plus.
• Demonstrate experience, interest, or passion in one or more of Krause Group’s core industries (Soccer, Wine, Real Estate).
• Have a history of driving transformational initiatives with minimal support.
• Exhibit the ability to translate organizational vision into actionable business strategies.
• Demonstrate exceptional business acumen with proven ability to drive growth and profitability.
• Possess experience scaling businesses in a VUCA environment, adapting quickly, making decisions with incomplete information, and guiding businesses and functions through constant change and disruption.
• Have expertise in performance optimization and business process improvement.
• Bring a forward-thinking approach to business challenges and market evolution.
• Be bi-lingual, with English required; Italian or another Romance language is preferred.
• Be willing and able to travel internationally up to 40% of the time.
• Be based in or relocate to Des Moines, Iowa. Relocation assistance is provided.

Krause Group Purpose

Our purpose is to enhance the way people experience the world.

Krause Group Mission

Our mission is to nurture our family of brands, creating opportunities to do good in the world.

Krause Group Values

• Agility- We challenge the status quo with open minds, flexibility, and speed. We are comfortable being uncomfortable. We view change as an opportunity.
• Courage -We take risks. We innovate. We win or learn. We push limits, disrupt norms, and define our own path.
• Growth Mindset – We are building an organization and legacy that will outlive us. We are continuously learning. There is no final-destination, only the journey to be better than we were yesterday.
• Inclusion -We actively seek and welcome alternative points of view. Diverse perspectives improve decision-making and make us all more successful.
• Integrity – We do the right thing, even when it’s difficult. We do not take shortcuts and always take accountability.
• Community Focused -We are committed to positively impacting our communities, stakeholders, and associates. We do good and encourage others to join us.

Duties and responsibilities, as required by business necessity may be added, deleted, or changed at any time at the discretion of management, formally or informally, either verbally or in writing. Scheduling, assignments, and work location may be changed at any time, as required by business necessity.

Krause Group believes in People First. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer building a culture of equity and inclusion.