How to Hire a Chief of Staff for a Family Office

To hire the right Chief of Staff for a family office, first establish what the person must deliver, the decisions they will be trusted to make and how they will work with the Principal and existing team.

It is a broad title. A Chief of Staff might oversee private properties and household teams, coordinate business interests, lead projects or bring greater organisation to an increasingly complex private office. The balance varies considerably.

A strong search needs to reflect that.

What do you need this person to achieve?

Begin with the reason for the appointment.

Perhaps too many decisions are reaching the Principal. Projects may lack a clear owner, or several properties and teams may be operating separately without enough coordination.
Ask what should be working better six months after the person joins. The answers are more helpful than a long list of duties.

They also help establish whether you need a Chief of Staff, a senior Private PA, a Head of Operations or another specialist appointment.

Which experience matters most?

Look closely at the candidate’s previous responsibilities.

Someone may have worked in an impressive family office while having limited involvement in the areas central to your brief. Another candidate may have a less familiar title but substantial experience managing the people, budgets and projects you need them to oversee.

If property is a major part of the position, explore their direct involvement. If the role includes managing teams, ask about recruitment, difficult conversations and how they have dealt with underperformance.

Be equally clear about where specialist advisers will remain responsible. A broad remit still needs sensible limits.

How can you assess judgement?

Give candidates a realistic situation to discuss.

A significant project is over budget, the Principal is travelling, and two advisers disagree about what should happen next. What would they establish first? What could they resolve themselves? When would they involve the Principal?

The discussion can reveal how someone prioritises, communicates and recognises the limits of their own expertise.

Pay attention to how they describe previous employers, too. An experienced candidate should be able to explain their work meaningfully while protecting confidential information.

What needs to be agreed before they join?

A Chief of Staff needs clear reporting lines, access to relevant information and an understood level of authority.

Existing PAs, property teams and advisers should know how the appointment affects their responsibilities. Taking time over those conversations gives the new person a better chance of building productive relationships from the outset.

At Leaman Consulting, we shape each search around the particular family office and the Principal’s expectations. Experience matters, as does the ability to work confidently and sensitively within that environment.

Contact Anne Corrett at Leaman Consulting to discuss a confidential family office Chief of Staff search.