Executive Assistant, Private PA, Chief of Staff, Head of Family Office. The hierarchy is not always obvious, and the career pathways are rarely mapped as clearly as they are in corporate environments.
Yet for those with the right temperament, ambition and discretion, the journey from EA or PA through to Chief of Staff and even Head of Family Office can be one of the most accelerated and rewarding leadership tracks in private enterprise.
Understanding how that path typically unfolds begins with understanding how family offices differ from traditional corporate roles.
What Makes Family Offices Different
Family offices operate at the intersection of business, personal life and long-term capital. Unlike corporate roles, proximity to decision-making is often immediate. An EA or PA may find themselves exposed to complex investment discussions, intergenerational governance matters, global property portfolios and sensitive family dynamics all within the same week.
This environment creates three defining characteristics:
- Extreme discretion. Information is often highly confidential and time-sensitive.
- High exposure. Even junior roles can carry visibility across multiple asset classes and personal priorities.
- Lifestyle complexity. Travel, residences, security, philanthropy and business operations frequently overlap.
This is why private PA jobs in family offices often demand a broader behavioural skillset than similar corporate roles.
The EA and PA Starting Point
For most professionals entering this world, the journey begins in an EA or PA role. These positions form the operational front door to the family office.
Typical responsibilities include:
- Diary and global travel management
- Coordination of multiple residences
- Vendor management across estates and properties
- Event planning and guest logistics
- Household staff oversight
- Day-to-day liaison with external advisers
At this stage, the role is often described as “execution heavy”. But in reality, the best EAs and PAs begin developing strategic awareness almost immediately. They see how decisions flow, how priorities shift under pressure, and how multiple advisers interact around a single Principal.
Behaviours That Signal Chief of Staff Potential
Not every EA or PA wants to progress into leadership. But those who do and those who succeed tend to exhibit a distinct set of behaviours early on.
These often include:
- Taking ownership of cross-functional projects rather than waiting for instructions
- Coordinating advisers across legal, tax, property and investment matters
- Anticipating issues before they escalate
- Managing informal team leadership across staff and vendors
- Handling sensitive stakeholder communication with judgement and calm
Over time, what begins as assistance evolves into orchestration. This is often the invisible transition point between senior PA and emerging family office Chief of Staff.
Photo by Vlada Karpovich
Stepping Into the Chief of Staff Role
The Chief of Staff is best understood as the operational and strategic “glue” of the family office. This role sits between the Principal, the Head of Family Office and the internal leadership team, ensuring that priorities translate into action.
Common project responsibilities often include:
- Coordinating global property portfolios and relocations
- Overseeing philanthropy initiatives and foundation administration
- Managing aviation, security and complex travel operations
- Preparing governance meetings and family councils
- Acting as the central node during crisis situations
Unlike functional leadership roles, the Chief of Staff rarely owns a single vertical. Instead, they own flow, alignment and execution across the entire estate of activities.
This is why the best Chiefs of Staff combine operational rigour with emotional intelligence and political awareness.
Long-Term Career Paths Beyond Chief of Staff
For many, the Chief of Staff role becomes a destination in its own right. For others, it is a springboard into broader leadership.
Common next steps include:
- Head of Family Office or Managing Director, taking full responsibility for the operating platform
- Operations Director, leading systems, people and control frameworks
- Lifestyle and Estate Director, managing property, security and private services
- Governance or Philanthropy Lead, shaping long-term family strategy
What separates those who progress is not just experience, but the deliberate accumulation of transferable leadership skills.
Skills to Build Along the Way
Professionals seeking long-term growth in this environment typically invest in four core areas:
- Governance literacy, including boards, family councils and reporting structures
- Basic investment knowledge, enough to understand portfolio language and risk
- Project and programme management discipline
- Cross-cultural communication, as many families operate internationally
These skills help bridge the gap between private support and executive leadership.
Understanding What Employers Are Really Looking For
When employers state that prior family office experience is preferred, they are often signalling a need for individuals who understand:
- The emotional dimension of private wealth
- The pace and unpredictability of family-led priorities
- The responsibility of proximity to sensitive decisions
- The practical realities of blending personal and professional worlds
Candidates without direct family office experience can still transition successfully by positioning their background in high-trust environments such as UHNW households, professional services, private banking or complex executive support roles.
This is also where specialist advisers quietly shape hiring outcomes. Firms such as Cora Partners often operate behind the scenes, supporting families with role design, succession planning and confidential talent searches across exactly these blended leadership pathways.
Why This Career Track Is Growing
As family wealth becomes more global and more complex, demand for professionals who can operate across commercial, personal and governance domains continues to rise. The EA to Chief of Staff pathway reflects this reality. It rewards those who combine precision with adaptability, and structure with intuition.
For many professionals, it also offers something increasingly rare in corporate life: long-term alignment with a single mission, family and legacy.
Closing Thought
A career that begins in private support and evolves into strategic leadership is not always visible from the outside. But for those who understand the rhythm of family offices and invest deliberately in their own development, the path from EA to Chief of Staff and beyond is no longer an exception. It is becoming one of the defining leadership tracks inside private enterprise.
