Kingston, ON · Canada

Rich EvansTurnaround & Scale Executive

Enterprise-scale operator with 25+ years building and leading high-performance organizations across 6 countries. I turn around underperforming operations, drive sustainable growth, and build cultures that compound value — now supporting AI-native operating models that deliver measurable transformation.

Rich Evans
COO · CEO
$100M+
P&L Ownership
500+
Team Scale
6
Countries Led
75+
NPS Delivered

Lead with respect, ownership, and integrity.

I've spent my career in the trenches — from running 60-location portfolios in the UK and Middle East, to scaling field operations across North America, to leading organizations through Series B fundraising and successful acquisition exits. The common thread has always been people first, results always.

Today, I help organizations cut through the noise of AI and understand where it actually creates value. Not every process needs a large language model — but the right ones, implemented well, are transformative. I work with leadership teams to identify real-world AI applications, build practical operating models around them, and most importantly, bring their people along on the journey so adoption sticks and teams thrive in an ever-changing landscape.

"Build cultures that unlock potential, execute with rigor, and compound value."

Ownership

There are no bad teams, only bad leaders. Full accountability, always.

Culture First

Authentic culture is the foundation stone for all organizational success.

Empowerment

Set the mission, then give people the freedom to find ingenious solutions.

Simplicity

Plans are only as good as your ability to execute them. Keep it clear.

Diversity

When everyone is the same, nothing changes for the better.

The 99-1% Rule

Celebrate the 99% success hard — then find the 1% gap that makes us unstoppable.

25+ years of building and scaling across industries and borders

Jun 2024 — Present
Chief Operating Officer
Cloud Metric Inc. (Telecom Metric / Server Cloud Canada)
Kingston, ON · North America
Grew the organization 40% in under 12 months through disciplined talent bar-raising and scalable management systems
Cut first-response time 80% by implementing LLM- and RAG-powered support workflows
Reduced customer complaints 75% through closed-loop Voice of Customer program and proactive account management
Adopted AI-native operating model integrating LLMs, automation, and data-driven decisioning into daily workflows
Nov 2021 — Jun 2024
Chief Operating Officer
MaxSold
Kingston, ON · North America
Contributed to Series B and B2 fundraising rounds, leading to a successful acquisition exit
Scaled operations into the United States while maintaining service quality and margin discipline
Rationalized the SaaS stack, reducing software spend while increasing operational visibility
Embedded a culture of ownership across 400+ person national operations, reducing voluntary attrition
Jan 2017 — Sep 2021
Vice President, Field Operations (Canada)
Neptune Retail Solutions
Canada · National
Directed 500+ field personnel including 17 area managers, 3 market managers across national operations
Full P&L ownership exceeding $100M in retail client relationships, consistently exceeding all targets
Partnered cross-functionally with sales, analytics, HR, and training to deliver measurable improvements
2008 — 2015
Program Manager
Military AutoSource (AAFES)
Iraq · Afghanistan
Led multi-site operations in active conflict zones, managing logistics, compliance, and team safety across forward operating bases
1998 — 2008
General Manager & Regional Operations
Promo Seven (Bahrain) · Rank Entertainment (UK)
Kingdom of Bahrain · United Kingdom
Led multi-site portfolios of up to 60+ locations with full P&L, labor, and compliance oversight
Built and scaled frontline teams of 200+ with manager-of-managers structures and operational playbooks
Delivered double-digit revenue growth through pricing optimization and margin expansion strategies

Where I create measurable impact

Strategy & Execution

Enterprise strategy, OKR architecture, operating cadence design, and change leadership. I build multi-year roadmaps that align GTM, customer success, and delivery to shared KPIs — then execute with rigor.

Growth & P&L

Revenue scaling, pricing & margin discipline, M&A diligence & integration, and capital raises. Led organizations through Series B fundraising and successful acquisition exits with P&Ls exceeding $100M.

AI-Native Operations

LLM & RAG adoption, workflow automation, SaaS optimization, and data-driven decisioning. Architect of operating models that cut response times 80% and transform how teams work daily.

People & Culture

Talent strategy, org design, leadership coaching, and performance systems. Known for building cultures of ownership and empowerment that reduce attrition and develop future leaders.

Customer Experience

CX design, Voice of Customer programs, service ops, and KPI systems. Reduced complaints 75% through root-cause elimination and proactive account management frameworks.

International Scale

Operations across 6 countries spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Proven ability to scale into new markets while maintaining quality, compliance, and margin discipline.

What people say about working with Rich

Rich is a transformative leader, and a true master in team building and communication. When the Series B VC financing called for swift changes to operations for scale-up, he led org chart changes with his vision for fulfilment capabilities, driving his 400+ member organization with "extreme ownership" at every level. Any company is lucky to have him.
Sushee Perumal Former CEO & Founder — MaxSold
On rare occasions when interviewing candidates, you have a gut feeling in the first 30 seconds that you have found the elusive perfect person for the position. Rich is one of the few. He did not disappoint. His lifetime of experience is transferable to any operational challenge you have. If you are working with Rich, you will not be disappointed.
Paul Vickers Former CFO — MaxSold
Rich Evans is a leader in the purest sense of the word. His combination of extreme ownership and unique ability to empower his team made for a very inspiring experience. He's the type of leader that will push you to be better, but give you the tools you need to do it. Rich has set a high bar for what it means to be a leader.
Wade McVicar Operations Manager — MaxSold
Rich's ideas to grow the company and make it successful completely paid off. He took a management team that was divided and united us, took an average-performing company and completely exceeded expectations. Rich is a true leader and someone who can inspire others and create a successful business wherever he goes.
Holly Tomlinson Area Manager — Neptune Retail Solutions
Rich always functioned as a catalyst for growth. He is a forward thinker who ensures that all new systems are developed with the future needs of the business in mind, not just the current deliverables. I would highly recommend Rich as a leader to any organization.
Arslan Zahid VP IT Services — Neptune Retail Solutions

Building AI-native organizations

I believe the businesses that will thrive in the age of AI aren't the ones who automate the most — they're the ones who invest in their people the most, and give those people AI-powered tools that multiply their impact.

My approach integrates AI where it creates measurable operational value — not as a buzzword, but as embedded infrastructure that changes how teams work every day.

LLM & RAG Implementation

Production deployment of large language models and retrieval-augmented generation for service desk automation, knowledge management, and CX optimization.

Executive Dashboards & KPI Systems

Real-time reporting infrastructure, automated analytics pipelines, and data-driven decisioning frameworks that give leaders clarity at every level.

SaaS Rationalization

Portfolio audit, integration architecture, and tool consolidation that reduces spend while increasing operational visibility and process capability.

Workflow Automation

End-to-end process automation connecting CRM, ticketing, project management, and billing systems into seamless operational workflows.

The human behind the operator

Born and raised in Wales near the Gower Peninsula and Brecon Beacons, Rich developed an early love of the outdoors that has followed him across six countries and three continents. Now based in Kingston, Ontario with his family, he brings the same relentless energy to life outside of work — whether that's hitting the trails, watching West Ham lose on the weekend, or adding to a slightly obsessive collection of classic Adidas trainers.

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6 Countries, 3 Continents

UK, Bahrain, Iraq, Afghanistan, Canada, USA — from the Hindu Kush to Lake Superior

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Lifelong Reader

Leadership shelves anchored by Extreme Ownership, with a growing fiction collection. Favourite non-leadership book: Eastern Approaches by Fitzroy Maclean.

🏃

Morning Runner

Feelings about running range from dislike to detest — but it's the first task every day to set a winning start.

West Ham United

Lifelong supporter. Spends most of the football season watching them lose every weekend.

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Adidas Collector

A passion (obsession) for classic Adidas trainers, lining the shelves in his home office.

Ready to talk?

Whether you're looking for an executive operator to lead your next chapter, need a fractional COO to drive transformation, or want to discuss how AI-native operations can work for your business — I'd love to hear from you.

Phone
613-217-3713
Location
Kingston, Ontario