The Chief of Staff
Family Office Services
What is a Chief of Staff?
A Chief of Staff works in close partnership with a principal to ensure that priorities move forward with vision, clarity and follow through. The role exists to turn direction into action; protecting time, organizing focus, and making sure important initiatives are carried through properly. In many environments, the Chief of Staff serves as a trusted right hand, helping leadership operate at a higher level because the underlying execution is steady.
Depending on structure, the position may sit fully within the Family Office or extend across estates and business enterprises. The scope reflects the pace and complexity of the principal’s world, but the purpose remains consistent: to keep priorities aligned and momentum intact.
A Chief of Staff may oversee:
High priority initiatives from concept through completion
Coordination between Family Office leadership, estate directors, and executive teams
Department timelines and cross team follow through
Leadership meetings and accountability tracking
Budgets, contracts, and key vendor relationships
Internal systems and reporting structures
Sensitive matters requiring sound judgment
Operational issues that threaten progress
Competing priorities that require careful balance
At its best, the role brings steadiness to fast moving environments, while ensuring the principal’s vision remains clear and intact.
Those interested in the support of a Chief of Staff may also wish to explore the role of the Executive Personal Assistant.
To learn more about working with a Chief of Staff, or to begin the placement process, we invite you to connect for a consultation.
Questions and Answers
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While both roles operate in close proximity to a principal, their scope differs. There is natural crossover, and many strong Executive Personal Assistants evolve into Chief of Staff roles as their responsibilities expand from coordination to leadership integration.
An Executive Personal Assistant typically manages schedule, correspondence, and daily logistics. A Chief of Staff operates at a structural level; overseeing priorities, aligning leadership teams, and ensuring that initiatives move forward with accountability across departments and domains.
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Judgment, discretion, and the ability to enforce alignment without creating friction. The strongest Chiefs of Staff operate with authority while maintaining trust across leadership teams.
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No. In smaller or highly centralized structures, responsibilities may sit directly with the principal or a senior leader. As operations expand, across properties, ventures, or leadership teams; a Chief of Staff provides the structure required to maintain clarity, accountability, and sustained execution.
How to Hire a Chief of Staff.
At The Grocery Store, The Anti-Agency, the process begins with a private conversation about the scope of your priorities and the level of leadership support you require. From there, the role is carefully structured and a discreet, selective search is conducted.
The Grocery Store places Chiefs of Staff across major residential, metropolitan, and resort destinations:
Southern California, Los Angeles, Malibu, Santa Barbara, Newport Beach, and surrounding communities
Northern California, San Francisco, Atherton, Palo Alto, Woodside, and the greater Bay Area
Florida, Miami, Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and neighboring coastal areas
New York City and New York State, the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, SoHo, TriBeCa, Chelsea, Brooklyn, the Hamptons, and the greater Tri-State area
Connecticut and nearby regions, Greenwich, Stamford, Westchester, and surrounding communities
New England, Boston and surrounding areas of Massachusetts, as well as Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard
The Midwest, Chicago and surrounding areas
Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Maryland and Virginia
Texas, Houston, Austin, Dallas, and other major cities
The Pacific Northwest, Seattle and Portland
Resort destinations, Aspen, Colorado, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming
The Hawaiian Islands, Honolulu, Maui, and the North Shore
Nationwide, with select international placements
