Nicolas V. - Chief Operating Officer / GM | Scale-up Operations | Ex-CEO | Growth & Execution Leader

Go to Website

Brussels, Belgium

Experience

Apr 2024 - Feb 2025

11 months

Operating Partner

Bright Cyde

Designed and implemented operational frameworks for venture launch and excubation, set up OKR and the KPIs linked.
Structured the go-to-market roadmap and secured early traction with pilot clients.
Led recruitment strategy, including hiring the CEO and assembling the venture team.
Acted as player-coach and strategic advisor to the CEO, ensuring operational continuity.

Mar 2023 - Apr 2025

2 years 2 months

Venture Builder

The Field

Improved and led a structured venture pipeline, reducing time-to-incubation by 30%.
Identified 15 venture opportunities (AI, Sustainability, Cybersecurity, HR, Circularity).
Piloted the launch of 3 MVPs: experimentation, user testing, and business model validation.
Implemented stage-gate decision-making and automation tools to monitor venture pipeline health.
Recruited, coached, and managed operational founding teams for post-launch autonomy.

Jul 2019 - Dec 2022

3 years 6 months

Chief Executive Officer

Morning Blue

Scaled operations from idea to 500 000 € ARR in 18 months.
Standardized client onboarding workflows and automated internal processes.
Built and managed a cross-functional team across tech, customer service, and compliance.
Achieved 95% customer satisfaction, improving NPS to 9+.
Secured €1 000 000+ in private funding and led successful acquisition (exit to Legacio).

Apr 2018 - Jul 2019

1 year 4 months

Head of Business Development

Immoweb

Managed a team of business line managers across multiple verticals.
Contributed to strategic roadmap and sales process optimization.
Improved market penetration by 5% with new B2B outreach model.

Oct 2017 - Mar 2018

6 months

Interim Chief Operating Officer

Ubios

Reorganized workflows and resource allocation to support product deployment.
Managed 3 projects with a combined budget of 2 500 000 CAD.
Participated in the first cohort of Hartford (CT) InsurTech Accelerator by StartupBootCamp.

Jun 2015 - Sep 2017

2 years 4 months

VP Business Development

SmartReno

Built partnerships reducing CAC by 40% and expanded client base by 30%.
Scaled user acquisition by 45% in 6 months through new marketing structures.
Produced dashboards and reporting tools to improve decision-making.
Coordinated acquisition and integration of a key competitor.

Sep 2013 - Sep 2015

2 years 1 month

Business Unit Director

Groupe Pratique

Increased lead generation by 60% via digital optimization.
Built partnerships with major brands in home improvement.
Improved contractor conversion by 30% with data-driven CRM redesign.

Mar 2012 - Aug 2013

1 year 6 months

Chief Executive Officer

Best Of Artisans

Reduced operational costs by 60% through process optimization.
Created new revenue streams, growing business by 40%.
Increased valuation by 30% and led successful acquisition.

Oct 2010 - Mar 2012

1 year 6 months

Business Unit Manager

Keltravo

Launched new product line generating 1 000 000 € annual revenue.
Managed 20-person team and P&L reporting.

Oct 2007 - Oct 2010

3 years 1 month

Founder & Project Manager

Liv’Com

Delivered projects for 60+ clients, including top-tier agencies.
Managed 15-person team across multiple projects.

Summary

Entrepreneurial operations leader with 15+ years of experience scaling SaaS and marketplace businesses across Europe and North America.

I’ve built and led cross-functional teams through rapid growth phases, aligning strategy, operations, and financial performance to deliver measurable impact.

After supporting ventures as a builder and advisor, I now want to bring my hands-on leadership back to a scaling SaaS company, driving operational excellence, optimizing budgets, and ensuring teams execute with clarity and accountability.

My strength lies in translating ambition into execution: structuring organizations, improving decision-making through data, and building the operational backbone that enables sustainable, profitable growth.