<aside> <img src="/icons/arrow-right_orange.svg" alt="/icons/arrow-right_orange.svg" width="40px" /> From the Guide to the Chief of Staff role

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Role Differentiation

An Executive Assistant (EA) is typically responsible for administrative tasks.

• Examples include: meeting prep, note-taking, follow-up, and managing the executive’s calendar, expenses, and travel.
• Senior Executive Assistants often solve complex systems problems related to administrative or ops challenges. They may manage contractors or vendors. However, they usually do not have employees reporting to them.

A Chief of Staff (CoS) is responsible for maximizing their executive’s time and resources and is responsible for strategic execution.

• Examples include: identifying priority projects, delegating, cultivating, and maintaining relationships with stakeholders and other executives, as well as planning, project management, and communication across departments.
• Unlike an Executive Assistant, they may stand in as a proxy for the executive in key meetings

A Chief Operating Officer (COO) serves the entire organization, working to maximizing the organization’s time and resources.

• The COO typically has an operations team reporting to them.
• The COO role is more senior than the CoS role and is typically on the C-Suite, whereas the CoS is a VP/Director level role.

When to Hire