Brian Kraner.

Fractional COO · Workforce & Operations Executive

Most operational problems are really people problems in disguise.

I'm an operations executive. A COO who learned over twenty years that the fastest path to better margin and growth usually runs straight through the workforce. These days I do that work as a fractional COO through CASK Recruiting and Consulting. Before that I built and ran multi-site staffing operations and carried a $130M P&L while leading hiring across dozens of locations. I also designed and shipped a consumer app called ParkingLot, because I'd rather build than wait.

Brian Kraner, fractional COO and workforce operations executive
Currently
  • Principal and fractional COO at CASK Recruiting and Consulting
  • Open to fractional work and the right full-time COO seat
  • Building ParkingLot, a consumer app I designed and shipped myself
14×market growth
in five years
$130MP&L
owned
7,600+annual hires
led
52locations across
12 states

What I do

One belief runs through all of it. Fix the operation and the people running it, and the numbers follow.

01 / Operations

Operations and P&L Leadership

I own the operation end to end. That means real P&L responsibility across many sites and the kind of transformation that shows up in the numbers leaders get measured on. I once grew a business to roughly fourteen times its size and lifted gross margin by 29 points.

02 / Workforce

Where Operations Meets Talent

Most operations break down somewhere in the workforce. I find that spot and fix it. I've led recruiting that delivered more than 7,600 hires a year and managed teams of 83 recruiters, so I know exactly where the bottlenecks tend to hide.

03 / Building

I Build, Not Just Advise

I designed and shipped ParkingLot, a consumer app, on my own as a non-technical founder. It's the same instinct I bring to any operation. Find what's broken and go build the thing that fixes it.

Selected record

Where I've delivered.

Principal / Fractional COO · 2025–Present

CASK Recruiting and Consulting

I work with mid-market owners and leadership teams as a fractional COO. My job is to turn operational and workforce frustration into a plan they can actually run, and then to help them run it.

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Senior Vice President · 2009–2016

Randstad USA / Spherion, Midwest

I ran operations across 52 locations in a 12-state region and carried a $130M P&L. The business grew 6 to 9 percent a year while I supported global programs reaching as far as India and Poland.

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Founder · 2025–Present

ParkingLot

A save-for-later app for Android that grabs anything from any app through the share sheet, then helps you find it again later. I designed it and shipped it on my own. It's in internal testing on Google Play now.

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Background

The path here.

2025–
Now

Principal / Fractional COO

CASK Recruiting and Consulting

Fractional COO and workforce advisory for mid-market companies.

2025–
Now

Founder

ParkingLot

Designed and shipped a consumer Android app on my own.

2021–
2025

President / Chief Operating Officer

KMI, Inc. (Spherion Staffing)

Executive leadership for growth and operational performance across the market.

2009–
2016

Senior Vice President

Randstad USA / Spherion, Midwest

A 12-state region with 52 locations and a $130M P&L.

2006–
2009

National Strategic Account Executive

Spherion Corporation

Enterprise workforce solutions for national and global customers.

2000–
2006

Director of Human Resource Services

Corna / Kokosing Construction

Led talent strategy as the company doubled in size within 18 months.

Earlier

Regional Vice President

Platinum Cleaning and Facilities Group

Cut attrition by 48% and time-to-productivity by 60%, with best-in-class retention for three years running.

What I bring

  • Multi-site operations and P&L leadership
  • Fractional COO and executive advisory
  • Workforce strategy that drives operations
  • Staffing spend and vendor audits
  • Global operations experience
  • A builder who ships real products
SPHR · HR Certification Institute
M.S. Human Resources Mgmt & Development, Chapman University
B.A. Liberal Arts & Education, Eastern Illinois University

Get in touch

Let's start a conversation.

Maybe you're hiring a COO. Maybe you have an operation that isn't scaling the way it should. Either way, the good stuff tends to start with one solid first call. I read every message.

brianjkraner@gmail.com 740-404-6005 Greater Philadelphia, PA