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🤝 How did you end up as a COO? What was your route to this position?
I’ve been working at the intersection of tech and operations for a while.
I started working in the Research and Development role, trying to understand key information and functionalities that my team needed to develop our e-commerce government marketplace, Glass Commerce.
As I gathered, filtered, and presented the information to others, I was able to guide and establish a plan of action that eventually became a roadmap for me and my team.
As time went on, we effectively implemented and launched these functionalities, and operating our marketplace became my most important responsibility.
I took on the challenge to grow our team, manage our daily operations, and ensure we were moving forward according to our roadmap and that we implemented business operations successfully.
🤝 What is the most powerful piece of advice you have been given? What was it, who gave it to you, and what impact has it had on you?
One of the most powerful pieces of advice I’ve been given has been from my dad, an accounting and economics professor. When I was in high school, he told me: “Don’t be afraid to take on challenges that might seem bigger than what you think you can handle.
Big challenges help us grow at an even bigger scale”. This advice has pushed me to try new things, take on unknown adventures, learn new languages, and, as he said, grow at an even bigger scale.
🤝 What lessons learned can you offer other COOs?
Be disciplined and organized. Being disciplined has helped me get things done end to end, showing others my commitment to the mission and therefore empowering others to do the same.
Being organized has helped me maximize my time, which is the most important resource for any business.
🤝 How have you seen technology transform the role of a COO?
Technology has been shown to go hand in hand with effective business operations.
Today, almost every organization relies on a set of digital tools and operations software to organize goals, keep track of them, and help small and large teams operate effectively.
🤝 What are you most excited about going forward?
One of the things I’m most excited about is establishing systems and procedures that did not exist before in my organization and growing our team.
This year will be one of exponential growth for our startup, and I’m looking forward to meeting and working with kind and talented people who would like to advance our vision together with us by bringing their unique experiences, ideas, and perspectives to the table.
🤝 What are the most important values you demonstrate as a leader?
My commitment. When I say I will do something, I do it. Being committed to a big mission is something that takes time and practice. The more I’ve practiced following my word, the better I become at it.
🤝 How can a leader fail?
By not caring for their team. Good leaders care about each individual that is part of their team. They ask them how they are and support them closely to help them grow personally and professionally every day.
🤝 If our readers want to get in touch with you or learn more about your business, how should they go about doing that?
They can follow me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerardomateo/ and follow Glass on LinkedIn and via our website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/glass-ecosystems/; https://discover.glass
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