Delivery has stalled
I step into the process, identify real blockers, and restore momentum.
- Work inside the system, not around it
- Remove hidden constraints
- Restore operational control
Strategic Operator
From Chaos to Clarity
You're building something that matters
BUT YOUR TECH SYSTEM IS LOSING RHYTHM
That's when I step in - to bring your system back in sync
10+
Industries Navigated
18+
Years Experience
Week 1
Impact From
Why Tech Companies Bring Me In
I'm an embedded operator, stepping in as interim CTO, CIO, or in a mission-focused role
Everything turns into firefighting
I step into active workflows, stabilise what’s burning now, and rebuild structure so it stops burning.
- Restore operational control
- Focus on short-term recovery
- Introduce systemic corrections
No one owns the system end-to-end
I take or assign ownership and drive it until the system holds.
- Strengthen current leadership
- Make strategic org changes
- Align engineering, product, and business
Execution depends on a few overloaded people
I rebalance ownership and introduce the capacity needed for stable execution.
- Redistribute responsibility
- Add missing roles where needed
- Stabilise execution flow
Tech investment isn’t translating into results
I connect execution to real outcomes and prioritise what actually moves the system forward.
- Link work to measurable outcomes
- Cut non-impact work
- Focus on what drives results fastest
My Operating Framework
A field-tested framework that delivers results in weeks, not quarters
Month 1
Recon — Assessment
- Initial Mapping: the official version of how things work
- Deep conversations: interview 20-30 key stakeholders
- Patterns recognition: matching functions with problems
- Identify critical issues & Quick-wins
Results
- Action Plan — a comprehensive report with prioritized recommendations for 90 days
- Organizational Landscape Diagram (Functions & Issues)
- Quick-wins Implemented
Month 2-3
Crisis mode
- Action Plan implementation focus:
- Combat: Crisis intervention
- HQ: Establish strategic rhythm
- Expedition: Build new structures
Results
- Crisis contained
- 80% of time crisis interventions applied
Month 3-9
Strategic Mode
- Less Combat
- Choosing new focus: more HQ or Expedition
Results
- Crisis resolved
- Sustained strategic alignment
- New Product: first steps
Month 9-12
Transfer ownership
- Build strategic 12 month road-map
- Reduce strategic participation
- Increase teams autonomy
Results
- Autonomous teams aligned with strategic direction
Roles I Step Into
I apply the role that fits the situation - depending on what the system actually needs
Interim CTO
Full ownership of the technology function - engineering leadership, architecture, roadmap, and delivery.
Embedded in days, with structured handover once the system is stable
Explore role →Interim CIO
Own IT systems, governance, vendors, and operational infrastructure.
Bring structure, control, and alignment between technology and business operations - with a clear transition once the system is in place
Explore role →Chief Problem Solver
When the problem doesn’t fit any standard role.
Step in, isolate real constraints, fix what’s broken, and move the system forward - then hand over once stability is restored
Explore role →When Companies Usually Bring Me In
It rarely starts as a crisis. It starts like this:
Delivery
Releases keep slipping
Launches slip again and again — no clear fix
- More time firefighting than building
- Commitments miss — reasons keep changing
System
The system stops holding together
Tech debt blocks growth. Decisions get deferred.
- Deploys require courage, not confidence
- No one owns the full picture
- Every fix opens new surface area
Pressure
The board starts pushing
Hard questions on delivery. Key people leaving.
- Investor confidence starts to waver
- Leadership absorbs the dysfunction
Systems I've Stepped Into
Real systems. Real constraints. Real change.
Crypto Wallet
System state
High-growth fintech with no IT structure. Operations, security, and governance built ad-hoc. System unstable under scale.
What I changed
Rebuilt core functions: IT, Security, Platform. Introduced Zero Trust, CMDB, MDM. Established governance from scratch.
What it became
5 functions built and transferred to permanent leadership. Unified IT platform. 99.99% uptime restored within 3 months.
Wargaming
System state
Infrastructure collapsing under rapid user growth. No scalability path. Peak load events causing repeated failures.
What I changed
Rebuilt core infrastructure to support 1M+ concurrent users. Introduced architecture capable of record-scale operations.
What it became
Guinness World Record — largest online tank battle in history. System stable under global load.
Gcore
System state
Hosting division didn't exist. Business needed a global infrastructure product built from nothing under commercial pressure.
What I changed
Built a global hosting platform from zero — 30+ PoPs across 5 continents. Full commercial and technical ownership.
What it became
A standalone global CDN and hosting business. Revenue-generating product transferred to permanent leadership.
Pavel Poddubnyi SpecialOps Founder
I enter systems from the inside, feel their real temperature, and bring them back to rhythm
I've built, fixed, and scaled tech organizations globally for 18+ years across 10+ industries — Gaming, Infrastructure, Fintech, Crypto, and beyond. From the inside, not the sidelines: restoring control, clarity, and forward motion.
For me, "SpecialOps" isn't a metaphor. It's how I work: fast, structured, mission-driven, and with full responsibility for the outcome
Enterprise Scale
Built infrastructure serving 100M+ users at Wargaming, GCore, and other top-tier tech companies
Crisis Response
Led technical recoveries that saved companies from collapse
Cross-Industry
10+ industries: Gaming, Infrastructure, Fintech, Crypto
When the system stops holding — it can still be rebuilt
One conversation to see where you are and what would actually help.
Schedule a sync
30 min · no pressure · just clarity
Or write directly