Fractional Leaders feat. Poss Apostolou

In this ‘Fractional Leaders’ article, we chat with Poss Apostolou, founder of ROOTED + RISING, an experienced Fractional COO and leadership coach. With a background spanning technology, data, and digital services across sectors, Poss now helps purpose-driven businesses build strong foundations for sustainable growth. Here he shares his journey and pieces of wisdom.

Can you please introduce yourself and your journey to becoming a Fractional Leader?

Hello, I’m Poss, founder of ROOTED + RISING, and I’m here to help your business not just grow, but truly flourish by building strong, sustainable foundations.

With over two decades immersed in the dynamic worlds of technology and data across public, private, and non-profit sectors, I’ve gathered a wealth of experience. But it’s not just about the experience itself; it’s about the wisdom of knowing when and how to leverage it for maximum impact.

That wisdom is what I bring to the founders of today and tomorrow.

From COO to coach: Nurturing growth

Before establishing ROOTED + RISING, I served as a COO for both an AI-powered startup and a digital services agency. I’ve also had the privilege of sitting on the boards of two technology businesses. My leadership journey has spanned large multi-disciplinary teams, single-disciplinary communities of practice (including for the Government Digital Service), and extensive coaching of both current and future leaders.

Whilst I love technology, my true passion lies with people. And unfortunately, these two aren’t always natural partners… My mission with ROOTED + RISING is to bridge that gap, helping leaders harness the best of both worlds for truly sustainable growth.

Nature’s wisdom: The foundation for flourishing businesses

The name ROOTED + RISING encapsulates two core beliefs: the power of collaborative teamwork to build something truly “better,” and the profound wisdom the natural world offers as a blueprint for business success.

My values are deeply “rooted” in nature:

• Establishing deep, healthy roots: Just like a mighty tree, a business needs strong foundations to reach great heights.
• Nurturing talent: Knowing when to allow something to flourish and when to protect it is key to cultivating your team’s potential and a sustainable business.
• Adapting and thriving: Learning from nature’s resilience, we can navigate changing environments and make the absolute most of scarce resources.

Let’s talk impact, what achievements are you proud of the most?

There’s immense professional and personal satisfaction in helping others succeed. Whether it was empowering a team of 100 to establish an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), setting up the first community of practice for business managers within the Cabinet Office, guiding a founder through the sale of their business, or even coaching my daughter’s football team – these moments fuel my passion.

Having been a company director myself, I intimately understand the significant weight of responsibility and fiduciary duties that often go unrecognised when running a business. ROOTED + RISING exists to lighten that load, freeing you up to focus on the inspiring vision that first led you to create your business.

Based on your work with start-ups and scale-ups, do you have any pieces of wisdom you could share with businesses in scale-up mode?

Keep it simple! Focus on your niche, and refine that around the needs of the people who you’ll work with or for. Then iterate… and iterate.

And a personal favourite, be consistent, not uniform, but I appreciate that’s not for everyone!

Ready to explore how we can help your business establish deep roots and truly flourish, let’s talk. Poss@rootedandrisingwork.com

If you’re a business interested in hearing more about our Fractional Leadership offering you can:

Find out more here

If you are a fractional leader and would like to be featured as part of the “Fractional Leaders” series please get in touch.