Laura Howell
Fractional COO & Operating Partner
30 years building and running operating models inside eBay, Vrbo/Expedia Group, Dell, SodaStream, and Natura Water. Portfolios exceeding $1B. Teams of 200+ across four continents.
I've run the operating model from the inside. Now I help growth-stage and enterprise companies fix what's breaking before it becomes a ceiling.
Based in Austin, Texas. Available throughout the US and internationally.
Laura has led global commercial and customer organizations managing portfolios exceeding $1B, built teams of 200+ across North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC, and navigated the inflection points where growth starts to create more friction than momentum.
That pattern recognition - knowing what breaks, when it breaks, and what it takes to fix it at different stages of scale - is the foundation of every engagement.
Her work is different from traditional consulting. She brings operator credibility, not just framework expertise. She has run P&Ls, built teams, managed board relationships, and operated in the ambiguity that most consultants never see. She knows the difference between a strategy that looks right on paper and one that will actually work inside your organization.
The AI layer is real. She has spent the last several years embedding AI into how operating teams actually work - not as a technology project, but as a capability shift. She knows how to get teams to genuine adoption, not performative usage.
Her approach starts with a Discovery Sprint - a hands-on diagnostic engagement where she gets inside the business, interviews stakeholders, observes operations, and builds a findings report and roadmap before any long-term commitment is made. If you need a full-time hire rather than a fractional partner, she can help scope the role and support the search.