Hire Crissa Petrovic for Head of Operations

Hire Crissa Petrovic for Head of Operations

Why Hire Crissa Petrovic as Head of Operations

Strategic Operations Leader. Builder of Scalable Business Systems. Driver of Cross-Functional Excellence with a Track Record of Accelerating Growth from $2M to $23M ARR.

Professional Skills

Strategic Leadership

Cross-functional Alignment Strategic Planning Team Leadership Change Management OKR & KPI Development Resource Optimization Stakeholder Management

Operational Excellence

Process Optimization Workflow Automation Operational Efficiency Project Management SOPs & SOWs Staffing Forecasting Scaling Operations

Customer Success

Customer Experience Design Support Operations Self-Service Implementation Customer Retention CSAT Optimization Customer Onboarding Help Content Strategy

Technical Expertise

Software Administration Data-Informed Decision Making Technical Troubleshooting System Integration SQL API Implementation Software Development Background

Operational Leadership Excellence

Proven Track Record in Scaling Operations

Throughout my career, I’ve demonstrated exceptional capabilities in building and scaling operational systems that drive business growth while maintaining service excellence. My approach combines strategic vision with practical execution, allowing me to transform operational challenges into competitive advantages.

Led operational strategy and execution during accelerated ARR growth from ~$2M to ~$23M at Uscreen, implementing scalable systems and processes that supported this rapid expansion.
Developed and managed OKRs & KPIs across multiple departments, ensuring alignment with company objectives and creating accountability for operational excellence.
Implemented workforce management systems and forecasting models that accurately predicted staffing needs during periods of high growth, preventing service disruptions.
Drove cross-functional alignment between product, engineering, marketing, and customer-facing teams to streamline operations and enhance overall business performance.
Reduced operational costs while simultaneously improving service quality metrics, demonstrating ability to optimize resource allocation without sacrificing performance.

Building Scalable Business Systems

Creating Operational Infrastructure for Growth

With extensive experience in high-growth environments, I’ve developed expertise in building operational systems that scale efficiently. My approach focuses on creating sustainable infrastructure that supports business objectives while maintaining flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions.

Implemented and administered key business systems including Intercom, creating automation workflows that reduced manual effort by 42% while improving customer experience.
Collaborated with technical teams to develop custom tools and integrations that streamlined operations, resulting in significant time savings and improved data accuracy.
Established project management frameworks that improved delivery times by 23% while maintaining quality standards across hundreds of projects.
Created comprehensive documentation and knowledge management systems that facilitated scaling teams while preserving institutional knowledge.
Designed and implemented customer success operations that achieved 98.9% CSAT while reducing response times by 96%, demonstrating ability to balance efficiency with service quality.

Relevant Experience

Fractional Operations Partner

Petrovic Productions
June 2023 – Present

Providing strategic operational leadership to small and medium-sized businesses, focusing on process optimization, workflow automation, and customer experience enhancement.

Reduced operational inefficiencies through implementation of streamlined workflows and automation solutions for multiple clients.
Improved technical infrastructure performance, including 26% faster website load times through strategic optimization initiatives.
Consulted with SaaS companies on customer experience strategies and support operations, maximizing self-service capabilities and automation potential.
Provided strategic guidance on operational scaling to early-stage companies, establishing foundations for sustainable growth.

Head of Customer Support

Demostack (B2B SaaS)
February 2022 – June 2023

Led customer support operations for a growing B2B SaaS company, implementing systems and processes to ensure exceptional customer experiences.

Developed and executed operational strategy for support function, achieving 98% CSAT and continuously improving response times.
Implemented and administered Intercom, optimizing operational efficiency through automation and self-serve workflows.
Drove cross-functional alignment to improve customer experience, expedite resolution of technical issues, and enhance customer onboarding processes.
Collaborated with technical teams to create troubleshooting tools that reduced resolution times by 23% and improved escalation handling by 37%.

Head of Customer Support

Uscreen (B2B SaaS with B2B2C model)
May 2019 – February 2022

Led support and professional services operations during a period of explosive growth, scaling teams and systems to support business expansion from $2M to $23M ARR.

Developed and executed operational strategy for multiple teams, establishing OKRs & KPIs that aligned with company growth objectives.
Built and managed workforce planning models that accurately forecasted staffing needs during rapid growth, ensuring service continuity.
Led a team of 20+ staff members across multiple locations, developing managers and creating scalable team structures.
Implemented operational improvements that raised CSAT to 98.9% while reducing response times by 96%, demonstrating ability to scale without sacrificing quality.
Established project management frameworks that improved delivery times by 23% across 400+ projects, creating predictable and efficient operational processes.

Commonly Asked Questions

How do you approach operational scaling in high-growth environments?
My approach to operational scaling in high-growth environments is both strategic and pragmatic. I begin by establishing a clear operational foundation with defined metrics, processes, and systems that can flex with growth. Rather than building for hypothetical future scale, I focus on creating modular operational components that can be expanded or reconfigured as needs evolve. Data-driven forecasting is essential—I develop predictive models for resource needs that allow proactive rather than reactive scaling. Process documentation and knowledge management systems ensure consistency as teams expand. I prioritize automation for repetitive tasks early, as this creates immediate efficiency and prevents the need to hire proportionally to growth. Throughout scaling phases, I maintain a balance between standardization (for efficiency) and customization (for effectiveness), regularly reassessing this balance as the organization evolves. My experience scaling operations during Uscreen’s growth from $2M to $23M ARR demonstrates my ability to implement this approach successfully.
What is your philosophy on cross-functional alignment and how do you implement it?
My philosophy on cross-functional alignment centers on the belief that organizational silos are a hinderence to operational excellence. Effective operations require seamless collaboration across departments, with shared objectives and clear communication channels. I implement this philosophy through several practical approaches: First, I establish shared OKRs that require cross-functional cooperation to achieve, creating natural incentives for collaboration. Second, I implement regular structured touchpoints between teams—not just leadership meetings, but working sessions where real problems are solved collaboratively. Third, I create visibility into each department’s work through dashboards and documentation that make interdependencies clear. Fourth, I develop standardized interfaces between teams (like service level agreements or handoff protocols) that clarify expectations. Finally, I foster a culture of mutual respect by ensuring each team understands the constraints and priorities of others. This approach has proven effective in my previous roles, where I’ve successfully aligned product, engineering, support, and sales teams around common goals despite competing priorities.
How do you balance operational efficiency with customer satisfaction?
Balancing operational efficiency with customer satisfaction is about finding the sweet spot where streamlined processes actually enhance the customer experience rather than detract from it. I approach this by first deeply understanding customer needs and pain points through both quantitative data and qualitative feedback. This understanding allows me to design operational workflows that address customer priorities efficiently. I segment customer interactions, applying high automation to routine transactions while preserving human touch for complex or emotionally charged situations. Continuous measurement is critical and I track both efficiency metrics (cost per interaction, resolution time) and experience metrics (CSAT) to ensure balance. My track record demonstrates this balance is achievable: at Uscreen, we reduced response times by 96% while simultaneously increasing CSAT by 9%, showing that efficiency and satisfaction can be complementary rather than competing goals when operations are thoughtfully designed.
What is your approach to implementing new operational systems and technologies?
My approach to implementing new operational systems and technologies is methodical and user-focused. I begin with a clear assessment of business needs and objectives to ensure the technology serves a specific purpose rather than being adopted for its own sake. Before selection, I conduct thorough requirements gathering across stakeholder groups, prioritizing needs versus wants. I evaluate options against weighted criteria including functionality, integration capabilities, scalability, and total cost of ownership. Implementation planning is comprehensive, with clear milestones, resource allocation, and risk mitigation strategies. Change management is crucial, so I develop communication plans, training programs, and adoption incentives tailored to different user groups. I implement in phases when possible, gathering feedback and making adjustments throughout the process. Post-implementation, I measure success against predefined KPIs and continuously optimize the solution. This approach has proven successful in my implementations of systems like Intercom, where we achieved significant operational improvements through thoughtful implementation and continuous refinement based on user feedback and performance data.
How do you develop and mentor operational teams for high performance?
Developing high-performing operational teams requires a multifaceted approach that balances structure with autonomy and accountability with support. I start by hiring for both technical skills and cultural alignment, recognizing that operations requires both process discipline and adaptability. Clear role definitions and performance expectations set the foundation, with measurable objectives that connect individual work to company goals. I implement structured onboarding and continuous learning programs that combine standardized training with personalized development plans. Regular coaching is essential—I conduct both scheduled reviews and real-time feedback sessions focused on specific skills development. I create growth paths within the organization, identifying high-potential team members for stretch assignments and leadership opportunities. Knowledge sharing is systematized through documentation requirements, peer training sessions, and collaborative problem-solving. I foster a culture of continuous improvement by celebrating both successes and productive failures that generate learning. This approach enabled me to build a high-performing remote team of 20+ at Uscreen, developing individual contributors into managers and creating a scalable team structure that maintained performance excellence during rapid growth.