Kacey Pope
Kacey Pope is an engineer by training and a seasoned program, operations, and strategic execution leader with a career spanning defense, construction, enterprise technology, and high-growth startups. She began her professional journey working with the U.S. Navy on submarines, where she developed a strong foundation in disciplined execution, systems engineering, and mission-critical operations. This experience shaped her analytical mindset and deep appreciation for precision, accountability, and structured problem-solving. She then transitioned into project engineering and project management within the construction industry, where she led complex, high-stakes initiatives involving cross-functional coordination, technical execution, and large-scale delivery.
Her transition into technology marked a significant expansion of her leadership scope and strategic impact. Kacey’s first role in tech was with a data analytics company in France, where she quickly advanced into the Head of Operations for North America. In this capacity, she oversaw enterprise-level clients exceeding $15M in contract value across the United States, managing operational delivery, client success, and organizational alignment at scale. This role accelerated her exposure to executive leadership environments and high-growth operational challenges, positioning her as a key driver of performance and cross-regional execution. Recognized for her ability to operate beyond traditional scope, she was entrusted with responsibilities that required navigating ambiguity, influencing senior stakeholders, and building scalable operational frameworks.
Following her corporate experience, Kacey pursued entrepreneurship, founding and successfully exiting a company she built from the ground up. She then partnered with her husband in a startup venture, gaining additional experience in early-stage business development, product iteration, and organizational design. After relocating to the United States, she re-entered the corporate environment as Chief of Staff to the CTO at RightWorks, where she led strategic initiatives, supported executive decision-making, and played a pivotal role in establishing the organization’s program management function. She later transitioned into the innovation team, focusing on emerging technologies and transformation initiatives before the division was impacted by restructuring.
Currently, Kacey serves as Senior Director of Implementations and Program Management at a Silicon Valley–based Series B company moving toward Series C. In this role, she oversees enterprise implementations, eligibility operations, and strategic cross-functional initiatives that are critical to organizational scale. She acts as a central integrator across teams, ensuring alignment between product, engineering, operations, and executive leadership. Known for her ability to bring structure to ambiguity, Kacey functions as the connective force within the organization—translating strategy into execution, optimizing operational workflows, and ensuring seamless coordination across departments to drive sustainable growth and business impact.
• Voluntary Protection Program
• University of Maine - BS in ME
• Employee Recognition Program
• On-The-Spot Award
• Merit Scholarship
• Dean's List
• Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Outreach
• Dog rescue and fostering
• Local animal shelters
• Fundraising for heartworm treatment costs
• University of Maine
• Marshwood High School
• Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Outreach Program
What do you attribute your success to?
I think everything kind of shifted for me after I got out of college and realized that I wasn't taking the traditional route that I had imagined for myself. My family was incredibly traditional high school sweethearts, and that had always been drilled into me - that a man was supposed to take care of me, and I was supposed to go to college, get an education, find my person, get married, settle down, have a family. That didn't happen. I graduated from college, went into a male-dominated field, and quickly realized that nobody was going to save me. In my first job working for the government, I was the only female in my organization, and I outperformed all of the males exponentially. I realized that working for the government, everything moves like molasses, and if you just gave it a little bit of effort, you could outshine everybody. I moved into management and was the youngest manager they had ever had, but I realized that was not where I was going to find fulfillment. I wanted to be somewhere where other people around me were pushing as hard as I was. That's when I started moving into different industries and into startups. Once you get closer to the source, closer to the people that are pulling the strings and have equity in the company and are making the big dollars, you start to see how everything actually works. I realized that's always where I wanted to be - at the top, close to the decision makers or being the decision maker. The biggest reason is I wanted my effort to be tied to my income. I realized there's people around you doing the bare minimum and getting the same as you, and I just couldn't function in those atmospheres. So I've been grinding as hard as I can to move into positions where my outcome is going to be tied to my inputs.