Chief of Staff in a large corporation

As organizations evolve toward structures that are both more complex and more agile, Chiefs of Staff are becoming highly valued by large corporations. SmahaneEl Arouni, former Chief of Staff to Accor's CTO and now Vice President of Transformation and Performance within the Accor Tech department, accompanied by Karen Vaniche, Senior Vice President of HR, share their insights.

Smahane, can you tell us about the path that led you to your current position as Chief of Staff for the
s at Accor?

Smahane El Arouni: After working in a consulting firm after graduating from HEC, I wanted to get closer to the hotel industry, which has always appealed to me. That's when I had the opportunity to join the Accor group and take on the role of Chief of Staff to the CTO. I didn't necessarily have a technical background, but rather a very generalist profile, which was well suited to the challenges of the position. My consulting experience had introduced me to the context of CAC 40 companies and allowed me to work at all levels of organizations, but also to rub shoulders with C-Levels and Top Management. This is precisely the type of experience that prepares you well for a Chief of Staff position in a large group. You have to be able to navigate between different topics, switch very quickly from one subject to another, and interact with a variety of people.

How and why does the evolution of organizations favor the emergence of Chiefs of Staff in large corporations? Is this role similar to the one that exists in startups?

Smahane El Arouni: I also had the opportunity to hold this position in a startup, and I can attest that the two experiences are not comparable, at least in my case. The challenges and ecosystems are very different, which inevitably impacts the reality of the position. In a large group like Accor, the Chief of Staff supports the CEO with strategic issues. In contrast, inthe world of startups, the role probably covers much more disparate realities, and the Chief of Staff can play both a strategic role and act as a Swiss Army knife.

Karen Vaniche: I would also like to clarify something important: at Accor, we tend to use the title of Project Director to refer to the role of Chief of Staff, which is a term that is much more commonly used in the world of startups. However, we did take inspiration from the role model that exists in startups in order to respond to the evolution of our structures, which are becoming increasingly complex and matrix-based.

In light of this development, it has become necessary to provide COMEX members, as well as C-level executives who are taking up new positions or gaining in importance, with a right-hand person who filters issues and acts as a gateway and decompression chamber. The role of this project manager—or Chief of Staff—is to manage priorities, coordinate projects, and communicate effectively with all stakeholders, taking into account the agenda and constraints of the executive to whom they report. They therefore play an essential watchdog role and ensure that no department, function, or area of expertise with which the C-Level interacts is left waiting for a response.

Is there a typical profile for this type of position?

Karen Vaniche: It's difficult to talk about a typical profile. I think it's more accurate to talk about the common skills and qualities needed to succeed in this position.

An understanding of situations and people is undoubtedly essential, as isa strong sense of organization to manage 10, 20, 30, sometimes up to 50 different projects at the same time. You also need to be able to manage hundreds of contacts, while making each one feel that they are equally important to the manager. A sense of diplomacy is therefore essential. You also need to be pleasant and friendly, but also know how to be firm when necessary, while always remaining tactful. You therefore need to have a real ability to build excellent interpersonal relationships. Finally, I would add a strong sense of confidentiality, as Chiefs of Staff have access to a lot of sensitive information.

Smahane El Arouni: Humility also seems essential to me. We work with people who have a wealth of experience, sometimes with 20 or 30 years of career behind them, who have a very high level of expertise and who manage teams of hundreds of people. So you also have to know how to stay in your place. Coming back to the typical profile, I would say that this type of position is mostly filled by young people with between 5 and 10 years of professional experience, either from the consulting world or through internal promotion. In terms of gender parity, I think it's fairly balanced at Accor.

How can you assert yourself without overstepping your authority?

Smahane El Arouni: One of the first pieces of advice I received when I arrived was to take the time to meet the people in our ecosystem. Taking an interest in people is never a waste of time. So I really took the time to get to know everyone on the executive committee in my department, as well as their teams and other departments. I wanted to understand their realities and current issues. I believe that taking time for people is essential for resolving situations when necessary and gaining credibility. The goal is to help the C-level executives or COMEX members we work with to move their projects forward. If we do this intelligently and effectively, we will quickly be recognized in our role and gain real legitimacy.

What are the prospects for Chiefs of Staff within Accor?

Karen Vaniche: It's a real gateway into a group like ours, because it allows you to meet a lot of people internally and gain a broad overview of the group's various business lines. We therefore place people identified as high potential in this role. One of our first Chiefs of Staff is now a member of the Executive Committee. In general, people hold this position for two to four years before moving on to highly operational roles, such as regional management, large hotel management, or department management. For example, one person became Audit Director for the Pacific region, another became CFO of one of our luxury brands, and so on.

Smahane El Arouni: For my part, I held the position for two years, between April 2021 and March 2023, before becoming Director of Transformation, then VP of Transformation and Performance.

Do all C-level executives at Accor have a Chief of Staff?

Karen Vaniche: No, it's not systematic. It depends above all on a personal approach. Ultimately, it all comes down to each individual's working habits. Some members of the Executive Committee have never expressed the need for a project manager, even though they all have a personal assistant. Others end up requesting one and quickly realize that this project manager becomes indispensable to them. The possibility of having a Chief of Staff is not a selling point for attracting C-level executives to our company. A group like Accor has many other assets. However , there is a real trend toward this type of position, and Chiefs of Staff are currently in high demand.

How can you find your place as Chief of Staff without encroaching on the role of Personal Assistant?

Karen Vaniche: That's a very good question. The Chief of Staff or Project Manager, depending on the terminology assigned to the position, must work closely with the Personal Assistant. For example, they need to have an overview of the C-Level's schedule, as they are a kind of right-hand person, even though managing this schedule is generally the responsibility of the Personal Assistant.

Smahane El Arouni: It is essential to respect each person's role and history. For example, some assistants have been working with the same COMEX member for years. They therefore know them very well and have well-established working habits. This must be respected, which brings us back to the necessary humility I mentioned earlier. For my part, I set myself a very clear rule: do not touch my boss's agenda, except with the express consent of his assistant when she was on vacation. The important thing is to work in harmony, taking it for granted that the role of personal assistant is much more permanent than that of Chief of Staff. One is there to stay, while the other generally remains in the position for a few years before moving on to other roles. It is therefore much more constructive to make the Personal Assistant your ally. From this point of view, the role of Chief of Staff is above all a very human one, where the quality of the relationship of trust that is built with the C-Level and all of his or her contacts determines the success of the mission.