Chris Wood
About Chris Wood
Chris Wood serves as the Director of Business Operations at ACV Auctions, where he focuses on strategic crisis management and resource allocation. With a background in business operations and finance, he has played a significant role in driving growth and operational integration during key acquisitions.
Work at ACV Auctions
Chris Wood currently serves as the Director of Business Operations at ACV Auctions, a position he has held since 2023. In this role, he focuses on managing one of the company's key contribution margin drivers, emphasizing strategic crisis management and resource allocation. Prior to this position, he was the Senior Manager of Business Operations from 2019 to 2022, where he played a significant role in operational strategy. He also served as the Interim Head of Payments, successfully driving EBITA performance quarter on quarter. Wood has contributed to five major acquisitions, leading diligence and operational integration efforts, and has been instrumental in building the strategic operations runway for the company's growth into new product and service verticals.
Education and Expertise
Chris Wood holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Rochester - Simon Business School. He also earned a Bachelor of Science in Atmospheric Science with a Business Minor from Cornell University. His educational background supports his expertise in business operations and strategic management. Wood's experience includes roles that required analytical skills and strategic thinking, which he has applied in various capacities throughout his career.
Background
Before joining ACV Auctions, Chris Wood worked at Citi, where he held the position of Vice President from 2017 to 2019 and Assistant Vice President from 2014 to 2017. His roles at Citi were based in the Buffalo/Niagara, New York Area. Earlier in his career, he worked at Simon Business School, University of Rochester, where he served as an Admissions Counselor, Information Analyst, and Marketing & Recruitment Analyst from 2010 to 2014. These experiences provided him with a diverse skill set in operations, marketing, and recruitment.
Achievements
During his tenure at ACV Auctions, Chris Wood has achieved significant milestones. He guided the company to rapid, sustainable growth leading up to its IPO in March 2021 and exceeded the 2020 Annual Operating Plan expense targets by 35%. He also assembled intelligence that secured $150 million in Series E funding for the company. Additionally, he dramatically reduced and stabilized the bad debt portfolio while transitioning the department to Finance, showcasing his ability to drive financial performance and operational efficiency.