359 was born out of a specialty:
the role of Chief of Staff.
Before recruiting ExCom leaders, we recruited the ones standing right beside the Number One. The job we did. The job we love.
Hiring a Chief of Staff means understanding everything — strategy, culture, the CEO’s mindset, the organization’s hidden dynamics, and the momentum that drives it all.
It’s one of the hardest roles to fill: hybrid, strategic, unique to every organization, and deeply human.
That’s where we started. It shaped our culture, our precision, and our way of reading companies.
"To understand the Chief of Staff is to understand the CEO they serve."
Access to the first CoS community in France.
Since 2022, we’ve built France’s first active Chief of Staff network, gathering professionals from top scale-ups, mid-sized companies, and large corporates. This living ecosystem feeds our insight into how the role evolves, and gives us privileged access to top-tier profiles that will shape the business of tomorrow.
Want to join our WhatsApp group or participate in our events?
Ready to step in?
Join our talent pool.
As pioneers of the Chief of Staff role in France, we have privileged access to the best positions on the market. If you’d like to be considered for future opportunities, such as Chief of Staff to the CEO of Mistral AI, Nexans, or Chronodrive, let’s talk.
The 3 core roles of a Chief of Staff:
a versatility that makes the difference
With a helicopter view of the organization, the Chief of Staff mobilizes a unique blend of skills, from analytical thinking and management to stakeholder alignment and situational creativity. They drive the company forward on every front, relentlessly pursuing excellence. Because the CEO’s challenges are their own.
The Execution engine
The Chief of Staff turns vision into execution, through planning, coordination, implementation, and follow-up. They take ownership of strategic projects (M&A, transformation, reorganization, business expansion, international rollout...) alongside the CEO or ExCom members.
The facilitator
They ensure alignment across C-Levels and guarantee fluid communication throughout the organization (governance, agenda, tools, and rhythm). Their mission: make top management as effective as possible. As an extension of the CEO, they play a key role in both internal and external affairs.
The Sparring-partner
Strategic mirror and decision partner, the Chief of Staff is also a trusted confidant. They share the same strategic acumen and sense of urgency as the executive they serve, challenging perspectives, maintaining clarity, and driving progress across multiple fronts. Calm under pressure, they embody what every leader needs most: focus and trust.
Chief of Staff, COO, Head of Office, Deputy CEO: the fine line between difference and overlap.
The Chief of Staff role often overlaps with others, COO, Deputy CEO, Director of Transformation, Chief of Cabinet, but its essence is distinct.
Like a COO or Deputy CEO, the Chief of Staff drives coordination and prioritization for top management. But unlike those roles, their power doesn’t rely on hierarchy, it relies on trust, influence, and adaptability.
Where a COO manages, a Chief of Staff amplifies. Where a DGA executes strategy, a Chief of Staff connects dots and aligns momentum.
In public and political environments, the equivalent role is the Head of Office; in large private groups, the Corporate Secretary.
All share a panoramic vision, but the Chief of Staff applies it across business models, governance structures, and transformation challenges.
In short, a free electron whose mantra could be:
“Act out of the box — but always within the mission.”
The CEO’s goals are the Chief of Staff’s challenges.
A Chief of Staff isn’t just a support function, it’s the CEO’s operational and strategic extension. The one who connects intent to impact, and keeps the company in motion.
The CEO’s Swiss Army knife.
Chiefs of Staff will tell you themselves: their roles and responsibilities may change depending on the playground, startup, mid-sized company, or corporate. But one thing is consistent: their versatility is their true added value. Every skill in their arsenal becomes a strategic lever for the CEO and the organization.
Five technical and interpersonal skills 359 recognizes at first glance:
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The Chief of Staff drives critical projects, coordinating dozens, sometimes hundreds, of stakeholders with balance and efficiency.
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Listening, understanding, analyzing, and acting quickly and wisely: Chiefs of Staff navigate high-stakes environments that demand agility and sharp thinking.
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It’s more than communication, it’s diplomacy and influence: building professional relationships while shaping decisions.
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With access to sensitive strategic information, absolute trust is non-negotiable.
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Knowing one’s place, leveraging internal expertise, and genuinely caring for people: essential to earning respect and recognition.
