At GAIM Ops Cayman 2026, David Bradley, Chief Operating Officer at Hawk Ridge Capital Management, unpacked exactly how top COOs develop talent, anticipate allocator expectations and build the operational depth needed to future‑proof a firm.
Technology, allocator expectations and operational complexity are all accelerating at once, raising the bar for what effective operational leadership looks like inside alternative investment firms. As standards tighten and teams become more cross‑functional, the COOs who elevate their organisations are those building deeper judgment, broader fluency and stronger internal alignment across every layer of the business.
Explore the full interview with David Bradley to hear how leading COOs are shaping the future of operational excellence, and what firms should be preparing for next:
"The things that were nice to see at funds are now table stakes."
— David Bradley, GAIM Ops Cayman 2026
Inside the conversation
Developing junior talent through real ODD exposure
Succession planning built on coaching and internal visibility
Cross‑functional learning that strengthens operational judgment
Rising allocator expectations and tighter ODD standards
Counterparty‑risk awareness and institutional feedback loops
The broad technical fluency modern COOs must possess
A closer look at the discussion
The interview explores how bringing junior team members into operational due diligence meetings accelerates their understanding of allocator priorities and helps them build the mental models needed to operate with greater judgment. Bradley explains how coaching and internal visibility strengthen succession planning, ensuring teams can collectively run the organisation if needed and maintain continuity in the face of unexpected events.
As allocator expectations evolve, he highlights how ODD standards have tightened, driven by institutional feedback loops and lessons learned from past failures. His example of counterparty‑risk monitoring, and how quickly it became an industry‑wide question, illustrates how fast operational priorities can shift.
Looking ahead, Bradley outlines the capabilities required of a modern COO: deep fluency across compliance, accounting, marketing and investment processes, combined with the ability to stay ahead of emerging themes such as factor analysis and firmwide AI practices. These skills, he argues, are now essential for COOs who want to elevate their firms rather than simply keep them running.
