Ben K.

Ben Kozy

AI for Operators ๐ŸŸข Startup COO ๐ŸŸข AI Strategy, Pitfalls, and Change Mgmt

Columbia Business School Logo

Studied at Columbia Business School

McKinsey & Company Logo

Hiring Manager at McKinsey & Company

Available Monday at 4:00 PM UTC

Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.

Ben's Offerings

Custom hourly ยท $250/hr

Get help with AI Automation, AI Roadmap Development, and .

Ben also coaches for Management Consulting, MBA, Career Coaching, Startup Careers, Transitioning from the Military, and Service Academies & ROTC . View all.

Benโ€™s AI Services Qualifications

Coaches professionally

Experience level: Executive

๐ŸŸข While Chief Operating Officer at Airspace, an AI-native logistics provider, I oversaw our operation while it 10x'd in revenue ๐ŸŸข From the beginning of 2020 through the end of 2025, I worked closely with our Chief Technology Officer, Head of Product, Head of Engineering, and Head of AI to define and implement our AI roadmap for both our internal teams ("customer zero") and of course our customers ๐ŸŸข This experience bridged the time from "traditional" AI (e.g., machine learning models) to the wave of AI opportunities that LLMs have brought ๐ŸŸข Whether it's how to get started, how to prioritize, what to watch out for, or how to implement, I'm happy to have a discussion having been an operator in the seat for the last six years ๐Ÿ™‹๐Ÿปโ€โ™‚๏ธ Here to help!

Ben can help with:

AI Automation

AI Roadmap Development

AI Strategy

AI Tools & Integration

Fractional AI Strategist

Team AI Upskilling

Ben also coaches for Management Consulting, MBA, Career Coaching, Startup Careers, Transitioning from the Military, and Service Academies & ROTC . View all.

About Ben

๐Ÿ‘‹๐Ÿผ Hi there! I'm Ben, a Californian (Los Angeles) born and raised in Texas (Houston) ๐Ÿ“ My path to-date has been military (Navy) โžก๏ธ Capital One โžก๏ธ Booz Allen Hamilton โžก๏ธ MBA (Columbia) โžก๏ธ Consulting (McKinsey) โžก๏ธ Startup exec (COO) ๐Ÿ’ก I feel fortunate to be at the point where I have an array of personal learnings (good and bad) that I can share with you in a way that arms you to be more prepared for a specific task or an important decision you'll soon be making ๐Ÿค If there's one thing that sets me apart, in both working and coaching styles, I'd say it's candor: I believe being candid (and kind) is the best way to support someone who is looking to improve and/or make the most informed decision for themselves ๐Ÿ“ˆ I look forward to connecting with many of you and to helping support your journeys!

Why do I coach?

๐ŸŸข While I didn't have a formal coach until a few years ago, I've been fortunate to have informal coaches/mentors over the years ๐ŸŸข As my career progressed, I was able to be an informal and sometimes formal coach to others ๐ŸŸข These interactions, where you're learning about others while improving their preparedness, outlook, or trajectory, are among the most energizing of any professional interactions I've had.

Work Experience

OpsRay Logo

Founder & Fractional COO

OpsRay

March 2026 - Present

OpsRay is an operations practice for PE- and VC-backed companies. Embedded operating leadership for businesses that need senior ops horsepower without a full-time COO. ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐˜€: โ€ข Fractional COO: embedded part-time, ongoing โ€ข Interim COO: between leaders or as you plan for your first full-time COO โ€ข Project-based: defined scope, specific outcomes (e.g., procurement diagnostic) Operator, not consultant.

Airspace Logo

Advisor

Airspace

January 2026 - Present

Airspace Logo

Chief Operating Officer

Airspace

September 2020 - December 2025

Hiring Manager

๐Ÿค– AI-native logistics startup, where I regularly discussed, prioritized, and implemented AI initiatives for our internal teams and our customers ๐ŸŸข Led global operations across three continents, driving improvements in efficiency, service quality, and cost-to-serve ๐ŸŸข Built scalable processes and operating models that enabled substantial growth across multiple geographies, customer segments, and service offerings ๐ŸŸข Led a high-performing operations organization anchored in analytics-driven decision-making, workflow automation, operational scorecards, continuous improvement, and talent development ๐ŸŸข Partnered cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, and Revenue to translate customer insights into automated workflows and more consistent operational execution

Airspace Logo

Senior Vice President of Operations

Airspace

February 2020 - September 2020

McKinsey & Company Logo

Engagement Manager

McKinsey & Company

June 2017 - February 2020

Hiring Manager

๐ŸŽ“ Part of the "Recruiting" and "Cultivation" groups for 3 years โžก๏ธ I administered over 100 interviews across dozens of MBA and undergrad campuses during interview season ๐ŸŸข Led large-scale operational transformations for industrial, logistics, and services clients, combining operational and financial analysis to unlock margin, throughput, and service-level improvements ๐ŸŸข Redesigned complex networks and production systems to eliminate bottlenecks, strengthen asset utilization, and improve overall reliability across multi-site operations ๐ŸŸข Directed cross-functional teams of consultants and client leaders, partnering closely with C-suite stakeholders to translate strategy into executable operating models and capability-building programs ๐ŸŸข Built capacity, production-planning, and workforce models that improved operational stability and optimized resource allocation in manufacturing and logistics environments ๐ŸŸข Delivered end-to-end performance-improvement programs, driving process standardization, waste reduction, and enhanced operational effectiveness for global clients ๐ŸŸข Developed strategic sourcing and should-cost models for an industrial client, strengthening negotiation leverage and improving procurement and vendor-management discipline

McKinsey & Company Logo

Associate

McKinsey & Company

July 2015 - June 2017

McKinsey & Company Logo

Summer Associate

McKinsey & Company

June 2014 - August 2014

Booz Allen Hamilton Logo

Senior Consultant

Booz Allen Hamilton

August 2011 - July 2013

Capital One Logo

Business Analyst

Capital One

July 2010 - August 2011

US Navy Logo

Naval Officer

US Navy

May 2008 - July 2010

Commissioned and service selected submarines. Was medically discharged after graduating from Nuclear Power School.

Ben was also given offers to work at

  • Boston Consulting Group Logo

    Boston Consulting Group

Education

Columbia Business School Logo

Columbia Business School

MBA, Decision, Risk, and Operations

2013 - 2015

Nuclear Power School Logo

Nuclear Power School

Graduation Certificate, Nuclear Engineering

2008 - 2009

United States Naval Academy Logo

United States Naval Academy

BS, Systems Engineering

2004 - 2008

Ben K.

Ben K.

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