
Ben Kozy
Ex-McKinsey & Startup Exec ๐ข F500, MBA, Consulting, Startups, Work-life โ๏ธ
Studied at Columbia Business School
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 Career Planning, General Exploration, and .
Ben also coaches for AI Services, Management Consulting, MBA, Startup Careers, Transitioning from the Military, and Service Academies & ROTC . View all.
Benโs Career Coaching Qualifications
Coaches professionally
Experience level: Executive
๐ข I'm at the point where I feel like I've seen and experienced enough to offer differentiated advise ๐ข Whether its how you break into an industry or MBA program, whether you should actually go that route, or how what you do now impacts your opportunity set 2/5/10 years from now, I'm happy to be not just a sounding board but someone who can offer candid and constructive advice so you feel wholly prepared to make the best decision for you ๐ข I can share learnings (what I'd do, what I'd change) from my: 1๏ธโฃ Full-time MBA program at Columbia 2๏ธโฃ Five years at McKinsey, including a lot learned on the Fortune 500 front during this time 3๏ธโฃ Six years as a startup COO ๐ก Combined experience across all these and the five years of experience leading up to the MBA program ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ Here to help!
Ben can help with:
Career Planning
General Exploration
Interview Prep
Job Search Strategies
Leadership
Networking Strategy
Professional Networking
Resume Review
Salary Negotiation
Ben also coaches for AI Services, Management Consulting, MBA, Startup Careers, Transitioning from the Military, and Service Academies & ROTC . View all.
About Ben
๐๐ผ Hi there! I'm Ben, a Californian (Los Angeles) born and raised in Texas (Houston) ๐ My path to-date has been military (Navy) โก๏ธ Capital One โก๏ธ Booz Allen Hamilton โก๏ธ MBA (Columbia) โก๏ธ Consulting (McKinsey) โก๏ธ Startup exec (COO) ๐ก 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 ๐ค 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 ๐ I look forward to connecting with many of you and to helping support your journeys!
Why do I coach?
๐ข 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 ๐ข As my career progressed, I was able to be an informal and sometimes formal coach to others ๐ข 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
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. ๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐: โข Fractional COO: embedded part-time, ongoing โข Interim COO: between leaders or as you plan for your first full-time COO โข Project-based: defined scope, specific outcomes (e.g., procurement diagnostic) Operator, not consultant.

Advisor
Airspace
January 2026 - Present

Chief Operating Officer
Airspace
September 2020 - December 2025
Hiring Manager
๐ค AI-native logistics startup, where I regularly discussed, prioritized, and implemented AI initiatives for our internal teams and our customers ๐ข Led global operations across three continents, driving improvements in efficiency, service quality, and cost-to-serve ๐ข Built scalable processes and operating models that enabled substantial growth across multiple geographies, customer segments, and service offerings ๐ข Led a high-performing operations organization anchored in analytics-driven decision-making, workflow automation, operational scorecards, continuous improvement, and talent development ๐ข Partnered cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, and Revenue to translate customer insights into automated workflows and more consistent operational execution

Senior Vice President of Operations
Airspace
February 2020 - September 2020

Engagement Manager
McKinsey & Company
June 2017 - February 2020
Hiring Manager
๐ Part of the "Recruiting" and "Cultivation" groups for 3 years โก๏ธ I administered over 100 interviews across dozens of MBA and undergrad campuses during interview season ๐ข Led large-scale operational transformations for industrial, logistics, and services clients, combining operational and financial analysis to unlock margin, throughput, and service-level improvements ๐ข Redesigned complex networks and production systems to eliminate bottlenecks, strengthen asset utilization, and improve overall reliability across multi-site operations ๐ข 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 ๐ข Built capacity, production-planning, and workforce models that improved operational stability and optimized resource allocation in manufacturing and logistics environments ๐ข Delivered end-to-end performance-improvement programs, driving process standardization, waste reduction, and enhanced operational effectiveness for global clients ๐ข Developed strategic sourcing and should-cost models for an industrial client, strengthening negotiation leverage and improving procurement and vendor-management discipline

Associate
McKinsey & Company
July 2015 - June 2017

Summer Associate
McKinsey & Company
June 2014 - August 2014

Senior Consultant
Booz Allen Hamilton
August 2011 - July 2013

Business Analyst
Capital One
July 2010 - August 2011

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
Education

Columbia Business School
MBA, Decision, Risk, and Operations
2013 - 2015

Nuclear Power School
Graduation Certificate, Nuclear Engineering
2008 - 2009

United States Naval Academy
BS, Systems Engineering
2004 - 2008