Darren Wilkins

About Darren Wilkins

I am a senior operating executive transitioning into fractional and interim COO work, supporting founder-led and investor-backed companies during periods of scale, transition, or operational complexity, without the immediate need for a full-time COO.My background is in building operating discipline inside complex, asset-intensive environments where execution reliability, capital efficiency, and leadership alignment materially affect outcomes. I am most effective when organizations have outgrown informal execution and growth begins to strain decision-making, prioritization, and accountability.As COO and President of Operations at Bridger Aerospace, I helped scale the business through rapid growth, increasing revenue more than 20x. I built the operating systems, financial discipline, and leadership structure required to support public-market readiness.That experience defines the operating lens I bring when stepping into founder-led organizations. My focus is execution discipline, capital-aligned decision-making, and scalable operating cadence.Engagement Model • Fractional or interim COO roles • Time-bound operating support for scale and transition • Direct partnership with founders, CEOs, and boardsThis model provides experienced operating leadership when growth or complexity outpaces existing structure, without adding permanent overhead.

Experience

1. Operations Executive Fractional & Interim COO

   Independent

   Feb 2026 — Present

   Establishing an independent fractional and interim COO practice supporting founder-led companies during scale, transition, or operational reset. Engagements begin with a defined initial phase to align priorities and determine ongoing involvement.

Education

• U.S. Naval War College

  Master of Arts (M.A.), National Security and Strategic Studies

• United States Naval Academy

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Skills

• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Program Management
• Project Management
• Team Building
• Team Leadership
• Cross-Functional Coordination
• Military Operations
• Operational Planning
• Military Experience
• Navy
• National Security
• Dod
• Security Clearance
• Military
• Electronic Warfare
• Command
• Top Secret
• Weapons
• Defense
• Joint Military Operations
• Readiness
• Force Protection
• Military Aviation
• Tactics
• Intelligence Analysis
• C4isr
• Military Training
• Naval Aviation
• Information Assurance
• Intelligence
• Interagency Coordination
• Special Operations
• Organizational Leadership
• Military Liaison
• Command & Control
• Foreign Military Sales
• Military Logistics
• Sigint
• Active Top Secret Security Clearance
• Uav