Summary of Second in Command Podcast Episode 470: Environmental Incentives COO, Andrew Alexandrovich

Podcast Information:

• Title: Second in Command: The Chief Behind the Chief with Cameron Herold
• Host/Author: Cameron Herold
• Episode: Ep. 470 - Environmental Incentives COO, Andrew Alexandrovich
• Release Date: April 29, 2025

Introduction

In Episode 470 of the "Second in Command" podcast, host Cameron Herold engages in a deep conversation with Andrew Alexandrovich, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Environmental Incentives. Produced by the COO Alliance, this episode delves into Andrew's extensive experience in scaling operations, maintaining company culture during growth, and navigating the challenges of leading a mission-driven organization.

Guest Background: Andrew Alexandrovich

Andrew Alexandrovich has been with Environmental Incentives for 15 years, evolving from an entry-level role to the company's COO in 2020. His academic background in environmental studies, coupled with a master's in Environmental Management from Duke University, has equipped him with both technical expertise and operational leadership skills.

Notable Quote:

“I wanted to get exposure to the more technical work that the company was doing so I could have a well-rounded leadership skill set of understanding the work and then also how to function and run the business.”
— Andrew Alexandrovich [05:14]

Company Overview: Environmental Incentives

Environmental Incentives is a management consulting firm specializing in designing and implementing environmental programs for various organizations. Starting in South Lake Tahoe, California, the company assists state agencies, local municipalities, nonprofits, and international development organizations like USAID in achieving environmental goals through strategic program development, tracking, and reporting.

Notable Quote:

“Our role was to understand what the goal that they were going for and then help the agencies develop a program to track and monitor and report progress for that environmental program.”
— Andrew Alexandrovich [05:41]

Growth and Scaling Operations

Under Andrew's leadership, Environmental Incentives has grown from 40 to over 135 employees. As COO, Andrew was tasked with building robust systems to support this expansion, transitioning the company from a startup mentality to a mid-sized, scalable organization operating both domestically and internationally.

Notable Quote:

“My role was to build up our systems to get us ready for that growth.”
— Andrew Alexandrovich [03:21]

Maintaining Company Culture During Growth

One of Andrew's key focuses has been preserving the company's strong, people-centric culture amidst rapid growth and shifts to remote and hybrid work models. Strategies employed include:

• Annual Culture Surveys: Regular polling of staff during annual planning cycles to gauge and improve various aspects of the workplace, from compensation to software tools.
• Annual Retreats: Organized team-building events that adapt to changing circumstances, including fully remote retreats during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Sunshine Fund: An initiative allowing employees to send personalized gifts to colleagues, fostering recognition and connection.

Notable Quote:

“We have something called the Sunshine Fund that just makes it easy for staff to send a little gift like flowers to a team member to recognize good work.”
— Andrew Alexandrovich [14:42]

Challenges and Change Management

Andrew discusses the complexities of balancing compliance with fostering a user-friendly environment. Implementing new systems and processes required meticulous change management practices to ensure employee buy-in and seamless integration without compromising efficiency.

Notable Quote:

“When you roll out a new system or process, it’s really just co-creating and people understand it by the time it’s rolled out because they’ve been engaged and are more bought in.”
— Andrew Alexandrovich [08:07]

Leadership and Team Alignment

Effective leadership at Environmental Incentives is achieved through:

• Regular Executive Check-ins: Structured meetings with clear agendas to address ongoing issues and opportunities.
• Collaborative Strategy Development: Utilizing a five-year strategic framework complemented by annual and quarterly planning sessions to align long-term vision with short-term objectives.
• Open Communication: Encouraging honesty and feedback within the executive team to maintain cohesion and address conflicts proactively.

Notable Quote:

“Having a really connected and solid executive team that works well together has been crucial.”
— Andrew Alexandrovich [20:41]

Navigating Lows and Lessons Learned

Andrew candidly shares a challenging period in early 2024 when delayed client funding forced the company to make difficult staffing decisions. The transparent communication strategy, although generally praised, sometimes led to uncertainty among employees about their future roles.

Notable Quote:

“We were really transparent with our staff and said, this is the challenge ahead. We really looked at key contributors and where people’s skills were most aligned to the work that is already secured.”
— Andrew Alexandrovich [27:38]

Lessons Learned:

• Transparent Communication: Being open about challenges fosters trust but requires careful management to prevent uncertainty.
• Adaptive Management: Flexibility in strategic planning allows the company to pivot effectively in response to unforeseen changes.

Advice for Aspiring COOs

Andrew emphasizes the importance of user engagement when implementing new processes. He advises new COOs to invest time in understanding the perspectives of their teams to ensure that systems are not only efficient but also user-friendly and widely accepted.

Notable Quote:

“As you're rolling out processes, make sure you're engaging users and understanding their perspectives and taking the time it feels like more time as you're going through it.”
— Andrew Alexandrovich [36:07]

Looking Forward: Excitement for the Future

Looking ahead, Andrew is enthusiastic about upcoming changes within Environmental Incentives. He is eager to refine and adapt processes to align with the evolving client landscape, ensuring the company continues to deliver high-quality services while navigating future growth.

Notable Quote:

“I’m really excited about just seeing changes in the company that we have coming up and just how we can adjust and manage our processes to meet what we're seeing as the upcoming client landscape ahead of us.”
— Andrew Alexandrovich [36:51]

Conclusion

Episode 470 of the "Second in Command" podcast offers invaluable insights into the operational strategies and leadership philosophies of Andrew Alexandrovich, COO of Environmental Incentives. His experiences in scaling a company, maintaining a strong culture, and effectively managing both growth and challenges provide a wealth of knowledge for current and aspiring COOs aiming to excel in their roles.

For more insights and best practices from industry-leading COOs, visit COOAlliance.com.