Enabling you to do what you do best

Fractional COO & Facilitator

C-Suite Solutions was established to help your company focus on what you are most passionate about and what you do best.

We help to facilitate your businesses growth through enabling your support functions to perform at their best.


  • Our goal is to take the weight off the C-Suite by offering expertise and focused time where it is needed most.
  • Maria Vavoulas is the founder of C-Suite Solutions (more in “About Maria”). Throughout her career in recruitment / search Maria
    has taken on tactical and strategic Board sponsored projects, whilst leading collaborative, global teams with people development at
    the core.
  • Taking inspiration from ‘The Hedgehog Concept’ developed in the book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins, we provide the space for
    your leadership to focus on what you are     passionate about, what you are best at and what drives growth within your business.

About Us

  • With a flexible engagement model we can tailor the solution to meet your business needs from facilitated workshops, to distinct
    projects or through to ongoing support to get your teams working at their best.

Which areas do you need help with?

Click on the icons to learn more

Do you see opportunities or challenges?

Click on the icons to learn more

The C-Suite Way

Execution

A great way to start is by workshopping. This
eliminates presumptions, gives everyone a voice and
all ideas are put on the table. We then guide your
team to find the solution that is fit for purpose.

Once your team have committed to the solution, we
can work with the right people to ensure they are set
up for success.

If required, we can execute, taking the weight from
the C-Suite so you can focus on what you do best.

Workshops

Consulting

The three approaches complement each other, you
can engage all in 3 or focus on one area:


Strategy, Leadership Alignment, Culture &
Values, Retrospectives, Brainstorming,
Problem Solving, Decision Making, Project
Planning / Kick-off, Service or Product
Design

Workshop examples

How can we work together?

C-Suite Solutions offers a hybrid solution
to meet your needs, whether this be on
an hourly basis, specific workshops or a
longer term interim / project
engagement.


Based centrally in Bedfordshire Maria is
able to travel throughout the UK, while
travel internationally is possible as
required.

How does it work?

If you would like to have an initial
discussion about the opportunities or
challenges that your business is facing feel
free to contact us through the following
options:




Contact us

Day Rate (8 hours)

Half-day Rate (4 hours)

Hourly Rate


Where workshops cover more than 2
days, a fixed price will apply.


Rates available upon request.


What is your pricing structure?

FAQ’s

Maria lives by the mantra of ‘Make It Happen’ and with over a decade of experience in COO/Operational
Leadership roles, has a proven track record of bringing ideas into reality. Maria is hugely passionate about
taking practical steps to enable your business to become the best in the market at what you do best. Her
expertise as a Workshopper Master coupled with PMP certification underscores her dedication to introducing
workshops within the recruitment sector.


Example achievements:


  • During a period of unprecedented growth Maria took a siloed business services (back office) function and
    turned them in to a fully engaged team offering a robust, scalable, high-quality service to the business on a
    global scale


  • During a time of unparalleled challenges in the wider market, Maria saved a medium sized organisation
    circa £400,000 in annual costs


  • Implemented a new fully configured CRM with customised functionality for a global retained search
    business


  • Set up a Key Account Support function to offer tiered and bespoke solutions to meet specific end client
    needs - this solution supported 3 divisions across consulting services, contract/interim and contingent
    permanent recruitment


Born and raised in Wales and of Greek heritage, she spent time studying in the US and working in Spain,
before spending many years living and working in London. She comes from a family of recruiters and
entrepreneurial business owners so understands what it takes to ‘Make It Happen’



The value we bring

Testimonials

Justin Pearson

Founder &

MD

Ross Hoare

COO

  • “Maria spent the time to really understand our business, how
    we operate and the areas we’d like to improve. We covered a
    huge number of topics during this project and Maria bought
    her considerable experience and her creativity to the table.”

Denise Doyle

Operations
Manager

  • “Overall Maria was instrumental in identifying areas of
    improvement with the business, streamlined processes, and
    implemented best practices.”

Click below to read more

  • "Her practical approach, honesty and leadership were
    instrumental in navigating the complex challenges HC Group
    faced and drove the ambitious three-year strategy to
    fruition.”
  • Vision and strategy definition along with a clear communication plan for clear direction and objectives for Leadership and the wider business


  • Practical steps from strategy to operational implementation; leveraging the right people, the right tools, at the right time


  • Helping define which strategy blueprint is the best fit for your business and guiding you through the implementation


  • Accountability and responsibility frameworks to drive performance


  • Facilitation workshops and off-sites, for strategy sessions, leadership alignment, problem solving and team building


  • Development sessions for Business Services/Sales Support/Back-office teams for enhanced collaboration, process improvements and cross-learning


  • Project planning and execution for strategic initiatives and product development

Back to
Opportunities

sTRATEGY & vISION, gROWTH &
REVENUE, fACILITATION

Defining your organisations vision, strategy, goals and objectives
is critical to ensuring that everyone in your firm knows the
journey you are on and can drive towards these goals. Not only
does a clear vision and strategy improve decision making at
middle-management level, it ensures that the message is clear
both internally and externally to your firm.


A ‘Facilitator’ provides non-directive leadership, and assists
groups in reaching decisions and understandings effectively. A
‘Facilitator’ offers guidance and support, ensuring that the group
functions more efficiently.


We free you up to focus on sustainable growth for your business.
Business performance books and podcasts provide inspiration
but for many, the vision is not fully realised.


  • Engage us to turn your ideas into actionable items and ensure
    they are embedded.

TECHNOLOGY, Platforms & AI,
Data & Analytics

In today's rapidly evolving tech landscape, staying ahead means
leveraging the best tools and solutions to maintain a competitive
edge.


Are you getting the most out of your current tech? Could you be
overspending or are there better options out there?


Your business development, sales support, operational, and
finance functions all depend on robust platforms for day-to-day
and project needs.


Moreover, your data holds untapped commercial potential. With
AI reshaping industries, understanding and adopting AI
technologies can distinguish your business from the rest.


We're here to unlock the value of your data, setting your business
on a path to further success.


Our service is designed to guide you through these opportunities
and challenges, offering advice, evaluations and the
implementation of optimal solutions.


Back to
Opportunities

  • Deploying cloud solutions and CRM systems, enriched with MI/BI,
    and HRIS functionalities for comprehensive reward, learning, and
    development tracking


  • Enhancing and optimising the MS365 suite to maximise
    productivity and collaboration, including AI tools


  • Facilitating user adoption through targeted training on platforms


  • Conducting detailed platform assessments with third party
    suppliers to select technologies that     best fit your organisation's
    needs


  • Driving data quality, you get out what you put in


  • Refining CRM systems to improve functionality, enhance
    reporting capabilities, and provide deeper analytics insights;
    unlocking the potential of data monetisation


  • Utilising visualisation tools and dashboards to present data clearly,
    enabling quick insights and     informed business decisions


  • Streamlining spreadsheet usage with rationalisation and
    optimisation techniques to minimise reliance and promote more
    efficient data management practices

BUSINESS SERVICES, Efficiencies,
ROI & Suppliers, Operational Costs

It is natural for business owners to predominantly focus on the
sales teams and fee earners. However, there can be issues you are
unaware of coming from within your support teams.


We can help your support teams to focus on constant continuous
improvement, to operate in line with the company mission and
be trained to run critical projects.


Perhaps you have a lean/small back office team - how do you get
the most out of your existing sales support team?


While it is essential to invest in tools, technology and services to
support the growth, as organisations grow, layers of complexity
can be build in decreasing ROI.


We can assess your current set up and offer insight to where
savings can be made ensuring your business achieves maximum
ROI.




Back to
Opportunities

  • Implementing MS365, automation, and AI to boost productivity
    and drive innovation across your organisation


  • Leveraging the full potential of your Business Services teams with
    targeted coaching and mentoring to foster     unity and efficiency


  • Providing support for COOs and Heads of Operations with
    specialised project-based assistance to tackle strategic initiatives


  • Establishing a Central Knowledge Hub, integrating document
    management (like SharePoint) and project management tools (such
    as Monday.com) to streamline collaboration and     information
    sharing


  • Conducting a thorough assessment and selection process for
    outsourcing and managed services to ensure you're getting the
    best     return on investment


  • Redesigning organisational structures and refining business
    processes for peak efficiency and smoother operations


  • Developing cost reduction or right-sizing strategies that target
    platform fees, subscription costs, lease agreements insurance
    policies, compensation plans


ATTRACTION & RETENTION,
CULTURE & VALUES, SCALABILITY



People are the lifeblood of all organisations - we can help you
with practical steps to ensure that you are retaining your best
employees and attracting the best people from the wider market.


If you are looking to scale the growth of your business, are your
sales support and business services functions set up to meet
growth expectations?


Culture cements employees’ confidence in their work and keeps
them motivated and inspired to do their best. The key
cornerstone for culture is focused on two areas - a business’s
values and leadership.


We can also ensure that you are maximising the output of all your
employees from sales through to sales support functions while
ensuring the culture and skills are build in to those teams to meet
your planned scalability.



Back to
Opportunities

  • Crafting your company's core values together, so they truly reflect
    where you're headed and what you stand for


  • Mapping out career paths including clarity on job roles so there's
    no guesswork about who gets to move up and why,     accountability
    is key


  • Facilitating feedback workshops to get clarity on what employees
    really think / need, ensuring they feel they have a voice that is
    heard by leadership


  • Ensuring employees understands what makes your company the
    best it can be and can sell that to potential hires


  • Assisting in bringing focus to efforts to attract and keep the kind of
    talent that aligns with your mission, vision, culture and values


  • Encouraging employees to voice thoughts, ideas and increase
    innovation


  • Project Management of office moves or opening new offices
    abroad, making sure everyone is     set up for success wherever they
    are

  • Assisting with rewards structure to ensure everyone wants to do
    their best


bOARD & lEADERSHIP, edi, m&a
dUE dILIGENCE

Are you suffering from “group think”?


Do you want to attract investment?


Are you thinking about growth through acquisition?


Are you considering an MBO?


Bringing an external viewpoint to assess your market and
operations can diversify thinking in board meetings. This
approach challenges the status quo and offers critical insights,
driving your business towards optimal outcomes.


Moreover, having visible representation of diverse individuals on
your Board or Operational Leadership team will empower your
employees; we all look for someone we can relate to.


  • No matter what your plans for the future of your organisation, we
    can help assess your current set up and offer practical solutions
    to ensure that you are prepared for the next steps.

Back to
Opportunities

  • Offering a practical voice and an external perspective to steer your
    business in the right direction


  • Board and leadership assessment and realignment to support
    transparency, establish governance and drive growth


  • Sitting on your Board or Leadership team to drive ED&I goals and
    provide a voice for your Business Services team where     they may
    not be represented


  • Championing diversity to enrich your team’s creativity and
    problem-solving skills


  • Ensuring your business is primed for investment, merger or MBO
    with a focus on reporting, technology, and leadership


  • Undertaking technology and operational due diligence to
    safeguard your interests


  • Evaluating your current offering, providing opportunity for
    accessing untapped revenue streams


  • Streamlining acquisition integration, ensuring technology,
    operations, and teams integrate seamlessly