What does it take to build a global team from scratch when a pandemic hits weeks into your new job? In this episode, our co-host, Lindsay Smith, sits down with Awa Kone, Head of Finance at Caliza. Awa previously served as COO of Corridor and as global head of operations at Flutterwave. Awa shares why she never expects the fires to stop, how she works with a CEO without being a yes-woman, and what it takes to keep a culture intact across continents. Listen now. Sponsored by:Cadre AI - If you are ready to turn AI into real growth for your business rather than just more tools, visit Cadre AI, our Gold Partner, to discover how their team helps companies increase revenue, improve profitability, and implement AI that truly delivers results: https://www.cadreai.com/coo Timestamped Highlights02:44 Early Life in Ivory Coast & Actuarial Career 06:42 Joining Flutterwave During COVID 08:09 Building Remote Teams in a Pandemic 12:29 Scaling Infrastructure Without Breaking 14:30 Working With the CEO as Second in Command 17:56 Fire Prevention vs Firefighting in Operations 19:54 Different Titles, Same Core Role 25:30 Maintaining Culture Across Global Markets 29:29 Team Retreats and Face-to-Face Connection 32:48 Training and Onboarding in Startups About the GuestAwa Kone is Head of Finance at Caliza, a global operator who helps high-growth companies build the operational and financial infrastructure to scale without breaking. She previously served as COO of Corridor and spent five and a half years at Flutterwave as global head of operations, where she built and scaled teams, treasury operations, and critical infrastructure through a period of extraordinary growth. She holds an MBA from MIT Sloan, is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, and has built her career across the US, Europe, and Africa. Mentioned ResourcesFlutterwave MIT Sloan School of Management Swiss Re Milliman PwC Society of Actuaries Slack Zoom WhatsApp Invest In Your Leaders About the Co-HostLindsay Smith is an experience-driven growth strategist and former Chief Strategy Officer. She previously scaled a new region without a traditional sales team or bloated marketing budget by turning relationships, culture, and execution into revenue. She is the author of No One Needs Another Company Mug, Stop Branding, Start Experiencing, and helps leadership teams use experience as a competitive growth lever. Important LinksConnect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn Explore the COO Alliance – The World’s Leading Community for Seconds in Command Get Cameron’s book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO Book Take his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off) Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi
