Clear Strategy. Scalable Systems. Sustainable Growth.

I've been the overloaded CEO. Now I help ambitious Founders & CEOs build the operational foundation their companies need—without the overhead of a full-time executive.

As a Fractional COO, I partner with early-stage and Small Medium Business (SMB) founders to solve operational challenges that are blocking growth. The result: measurable impact tied to your business objectives, a healthier bottom line and long term sustainability.

Plug & Play
C Level Leadership

I'm a true plug-and-play C level operator with 20+ years of experience across strategic planning, financial modeling, systems development, commercial rollout and project execution. I augment leadership bandwidth in the areas that matter most and help you lead with clarity and confidence.

A Fellow
Operator

As a fellow “in the trenches” operator, what I bring is straightforward: flexible, proven leadership paired with hard-won pattern recognition from leading companies through fundraising, commercialization, pivots, and turnarounds. I work with you to build a plan. Then I roll up my sleeves and implement it.

What Is a Fractional COO?

A Fractional Chief Operating Officer (FCOO)is a seasoned executive who joins your leadership team part-time to provide strategic oversight, operational systems, and
on-demand executive horsepower.

They're brought in during rapid growth, transition, or complexity—when you need experienced leadership to execute, scale, and stabilize operations.

With no benefits, equity or other overhead cost, an FCOO can cost 50-75% less than a full time executive and provide a higher calibre of talent than could otherwise be afforded. Plus, you can mitigate hiring risk by starting off with smaller, discrete projects and testing fit than investing in a major onboarding project.

Why Hire a Fractional COO?

  •  A fractional COO handles operational execution so you can focus on what only you can do: fundraising, strategy, product vision, and growth.

  • I bring order to chaos, spot bottlenecks quickly, and implement systems that improve execution across finance, people, product, and delivery.

  • Engagements scale with your needs—whether you need support for a quarter, a growth initiative, or interim leadership during transition. Or even just an occasional sounding board.

  • With no internal politics or baggage, I bring hard-won perspective and outside-in strategic insights.

  • I align operational efficiency with your financial goals and help ensure you're scaling sustainably.

  • "Kiernan McGuire is the rare leader who brings equal parts strategy, empathy, and steadiness to every challenge. He's been my closest advisor and operational backbone for over five years—calm under pressure, deeply experienced, and endlessly patient. I simply wouldn't be the CEO I am today without his guidance and support."

    — Gaya Roshan, CEO, Dashboard.Earth

  • "Kiernan was the CEO of one of the 25-30 Life Science companies I have invested in. He led a turnaround that saved the company. Kiernan exhibited a gargantuan work ethic, total focus and dedication to the job. He combined this with flexibility and the ability to pivot when needed. He was a joy to work with, he made my responsibilities easier and I would work with him again in a second."

    — Mike Halperin, Investor & Board Director

  • "Kiernan McGuire is an exceptionally talented executive. I started working with him in 2018, when he was hired as a fractional and later full-time CEO at a company I co-founded. He quickly earned the trust of investors, recapitalized the business, strengthened the leadership team, and played a pivotal role in securing a $1.5M DoD contract. Kiernan also led a strategic pivot from a device-first model to a scalable SaaS approach, fundamentally reshaping the company's trajectory. Having worked closely with Kiernan, I've found him to be insightful, pragmatic, and adaptable. He is steady under pressure, intensely execution-focused, and consistently delivers results with humor, style, and aplomb."

    — Steve Moulton | Founder/Chief Medical Officer/Board Director

  • "I have had the privilege of working with Kiernan for over ten years. A true plug-and-play operator, he consistently expanded our executive team resources by handling a diverse set of needs, including leading strategic offsites, conducting financial analysis, managing complex personnel matters, and shaping growth strategy. Working closely with our leadership team, he identified effective responses to industry headwinds and launched a program that contributed to a 30-50% increase in net income. Kiernan is strategic, versatile, and results-driven, making a lasting impact on the organization."

    — Steve Mongiello | Founder/CEO, Renew Physical Fitness

  • "Kiernan has been my business guru for almost 20 years. Whether it's helping me optimize the sales, marketing and operations of my private medical practice to negotiating issues I had with a start-up I was involved in, Kiernan's sage advice is always spot on and most importantly, gets results. And like any great coach, he will challenge you to think differently and push you to be your best while providing you the guidance, support and accountability you need to achieve your goals. If you're looking to take your business to the next level, Kiernan is your guy!"

    — Rich Stagliano | Founder/CEO, LiveFit Medicine

  • "I've had the pleasure of working with Kiernan twice in my career, both in challenging environments. In every instance, Kiernan proved to be exceptionally smart, insightful, collaborative, proactive, and unfailingly reliable, demonstrating resilience and outstanding vision at every turn. He first joined our company, where I was serving as CFO, as a fractional COO and was soon promoted to President. He led a successful corporate turnaround, driving early commercial wins for our new product in both the retail and military markets. He played a pivotal role in securing multiple funding rounds and was ultimately appointed CEO, leading the company through its eventual sale, and the subsequent leadership transition, with steadiness and clarity. Years later, I had the opportunity to work with him again as a consulting CFO on several projects, where his financial modeling expertise made our work markedly more efficient and effective. I consider myself fortunate to have worked with him and would recommend him, without hesitation."

    — Paul Croft | CFO, DripDrop Hydration

  • "Kiernan combines business acumen, an entrepreneurial spirit, a keen intellect and a talent for team building. He has the kind of people skills that can't be taught in business school. Plus, he's a lot of fun to work with."

    — Linda Strean | Editor, GreatSchools.net