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Membership

Overview

Certification that is recognised globally. Built for chiefs of staff who want to lead with authority.

Certification

Certified Chief of Staff®

In-person programmes in Oxford, Harvard Business School and SDA Bocconi. Designed for senior chiefs of staff who lead with influence and impact.

Executive Education 

The Competency Programmes form the core of CSA’s online learning, built to develop the soft and technical skills today’s chiefs of staff rely on. Delivered in two sequential programmes – Core and Advanced – each follows a proven format that supports steady, progressive skill development.

Competency Programmes

Build lasting relationships with chiefs of staff in your region and around the world, united by shared challenges, insights, and experiences.

Networking & Events

Events

Recruiting

Fractional

Consulting & Advisory

Talent

Join the world's largest in-person conference for chiefs of staff and CEOs. From 22-23 October, a packed programme of keynotes, workshops and networking with 200 chiefs of staff and CEOs from Fortune 500s, government, tech and beyond.

COS26 Dialogue

COS26

A PE-backed education company needed to fill a complex dual-reporting chief of staff role after a six-month search with two declined offers failed. Vannin delivered a successful placement within the challenging one-month deadline.

Case Study: Education

Case Studies

The Chief of Staff Association leads the global conversation on the evolution of the chief of staff profession. Access articles, reports and podcasts with practical frameworks to strengthen your strategy and collaboration.

Thought Leadership

Reports & Journals

Updates from the Chief of Staff Association newsroom.

Newsroom

These templates are part of a growing library built to save you time and define your role with clarity. Use them as a starting point: adapt the language, scope and reporting lines to the context of your role and sector.

Chief of Staff Job Descriptions

Resources

The Chief of Staff Association is led by a diverse group of global leaders from business, academia, and public life, united by their commitment to advancing the chief of staff profession.

Meet the CSA Team

Contact us

About the CSA

About Us

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Trent served as the Honorary Consul for Malawi for nine years and as Secretary of the Consular Corps Melbourne from 2014 to 2021. A former Director of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, he currently holds key board positions, including Advisory Board roles with UL Research Institutes and Melbourne Victory Football Club, Board member of Opus Organisation (UK), and International Advisory Board member of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

In 2021, he was awarded the Order of Australia (AM) for his outstanding contributions to international relations, motorsport, and business.

Helen is a Director at Schmidt Futures, focused on venture funding the future of geopolitics in our fast-changing world, and the co-founder of Intrigue Media. Intrigue Media produces expert but irreverent briefings on global affairs issues at the intersection of geopolitics, tech, and business.  Helen previously worked at Google on content policy issues for Google Search, served as an Australian diplomat in Tel Aviv and as Consul in Hong Kong, and negotiated Australian free trade agreements. She’s also a Mandarin interpreter, lawyer, and an experienced public speaker (particularly on AI and geopolitics).


Helen is a 2019 Fulbright Scholar and Master in Public Administration graduate from the Harvard Kennedy School, where she specialised in geo-tech policies. Helen was recognised as one of AALA’s ‘40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians’ in 2020. 

**Chair & Founder | OPUS**

Sam Tidswell-Norrish is part of the founding team at Motive Partners and joined in 2015, where he is a Managing Director on the Investor Relations Team based out of the London office. Sam brings a broad range of financial services experience, from payments and investment banking to government initiatives and industry trade organisations

**Director, Quiet Work Limited | Operations & Media Lead, Mission: Everest. - Certified Chief of Staff®**

Elizabeth Jennings is a chief of staff and leader with over 15 years global experience working at the intersection of government, corporate, UN, and non-profit global organisations. She specialises in operational and strategic counsel and coordination to leaders and key decision makers.

**CEO, Author, Broadcaster, Speaker, LinkedIn Learning Instructor, Non-Executive Director**

Allyson serves on our Strategy Advisory Board and is CEO of International Marketing Partners. A renowned advisor, author, speaker, educator and Non-Executive Director, she is a Californian based in Europe for over 35 years specialising in international brands and cross-border expansion. She has advised more than 260 businesses across 27 countries and is the author of both editions of the best-selling book Working with Americans alongside creating the LinkedIn Learning course Leading International Growth. An experienced and frequent broadcaster, Allyson has joined several recent seasons of BBC’s The Apprentice: You’re Fired and is the regular business expert for Sky News’ “The Papers Review.”

**Strategic Advisor - Certified Chief of Staff®**

Andrea Perugini is a strategic advisor and Certified Chief of Staff® with extensive experience in business transformation, strategy, and leadership. Currently, he leads key strategic streams at Andersen Tax & Legal in Italy. Andrea has a strong background in crisis management, cultural awareness, and education, and has served as a lecturer and former Colonel in the Italian Army Reserve.

Former Senior Officer of the Italian Army, during his institutional service, he held primary roles in High-Performance Organizations (HPOs) – both in headquarters and in operations. In particular, he served as a project director for significant development and research projects, receiving several international recognitions and honors for these activities.

With a background in international relations and study experience across Australia, France and the UK, Annie brings strong analytical skills, a global outlook, and a systems-focused approach to her work as Engagement Lead for Continental Europe.

**Certified Chief of Staff®**

Chris Holtby is a seasoned diplomat with extensive experience at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. He serves as Chief of Staff and Director of Strategy. He previously served as Chair of the CSA's Global Strategy Board, focusing on skills development, education, mentoring, and professional networking. Chris has served in senior roles globally, including as British Consul-General in Melbourne and Ambassador to Estonia.

Christina is a business development strategist and fractional Chief of Staff with deep experience in financial services, executive operations, and high-growth consulting. She began her career at Morgan Stanley and went on to serve as Vice President, Financial Advisor, and Chief of Staff at Wealth Enhancement Group, where she led business development and strategy for one of the firm’s top-performing teams. Christina later founded North Stone Strategic Advisors, where she partnered with executives to drive business growth through clarity, structure, and strategic momentum. Originally from Santa Cruz, California, she now lives in Denver and enjoys mentoring women in business and spending time in the mountains or by the ocean.

Ella is a Global Human Resource Management master’s graduate from Kingston University with a background in education and people-driven organisations. She has experience working in the U.S. public education system in addition to executing the operations behind a community-based education provider. She has a passion for designing impactful learning experiences for all and providing individuals opportunities for growth and development. At the CSA, Ella is excited to offer her experience in education, her interest in people development, and her love for connecting with others from around the world.

**CMO | Formula E, ex-Man Utd, F1 | NED at The Marketing Society | Marketing Academy Fellow.**

Ellie Norman is a seasoned marketing leader with extensive experience in brand development, strategy, and customer impact across industries like sports, media, automotive, and telecommunications. She is currently the Chief Marketing Officer at Formula E, with previous roles including CCO at Manchester United and Global Director of Marketing at Formula 1. Ellie has led successful brand revitalizations, growth initiatives, and diversity efforts, notably launching F1TV and rebranding Formula 1. Known for her strategic thinking and leadership, she holds multiple certifications, including advanced executive coaching, and is a fellow at The Marketing Academy.

**Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2020 | Surrey 40 Under 40 Winner**

Ella Podmore is an award-winning Materials Engineering Manager at McLaren Automotive, specialising in metallic material science and advanced surface treatments for automotive products. She has worked at McLaren for over six years, progressing from an intern to senior engineer, and now leads research and development in the company’s Body in White division. In addition to her technical work, she is a strong advocate for women in STEM, serving as a STEM ambassador and committee member of McLaren’s women’s society. She was named Young Woman Engineer of the Year in 2020 and has been recognised in Surrey’s 40 Under 40.

As a seasoned Chief of Staff, Emily brings a wealth of expertise in project management, change management, and people operations. Her professional journey has encompassed dynamic roles within the media, tech, and real estate sectors, where she's successfully navigated both the startup landscape and Fortune 500 environments.

She is recognized for translating vision into action and establishing robust systems and processes that fuel rapid growth both domestically and internationally. Her commitment to excellence has been a driving force in delivering tangible results, fostering innovation, and optimizing operational efficiency.

Emily honed her skills in Chicago, where she lived for the first 12 years of her career.  Recently, she's embraced a new chapter by relocating to Erie, PA with her husband and 5-year-old twins, where she continues to bring strategic leadership and a keen understanding of organizational dynamics.

Felicity's background spans research, strategy, and human-centred experience design. She has led community engagement and designed programmes for audiences ranging from higher education leaders and faculty to F1000 executives, translating complex needs into intentional conversations and experiences that deliver real value. She now brings that experience to the Chief of Staff Association, where she leads member engagement across New York, Canada, and the upper Mid-West and Mountain West regions.

Henry is an academic and editor who has worked with Novartis, Phaidon Press, Bloomsbury, Routledge and Oxford University Press. An award-winning author, he has published three books, and was a lecturer in art history at NCAD Dublin and University College Cork. As recipient of a Fulbright, NCAD and Tavolozza Foundation scholarships, he is passionate about research and helping authors find their voices. With CSA he will lead editorial strategy and drive insight, quality and impact across all publications.

In his role, Hugo is involved in day-to-day operations, finance, and marketing, while also serving as a general fixer for the team. With a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, specialising in Corporate Finance and Economics from Monash University in Melbourne.
Before joining the CSA, Hugo worked in the luxury automotive industry, where he gained insights into operations and client relations. Passionate about driving meaningful change, Hugo is dedicated to making a positive impact to the CSA team and the wider CSA community.

Jamie is a people-first operations executive with a strong marketing background who loves helping business owners and leaders reimagine what’s possible. Through the power of implementing thoughtful process, direct and clear communication at all levels of the organization, and using the power of focus to unlock potential and achieve targets, she has helped organizations grow with this approach from budding start-up to successful exit by the founders.

Jamie got her start as a guerrilla marketer for Rubbermaid with a territory eight stores wide. She gained an appreciation for experience-based marketing by watching how customers interacted with the products and brand in real-time. Over the course of her career she has held positions in for-profits, non-profits, and start-ups in roles spanning from marketing to brand to communications to product to HR, Chief of Staff, and operations. Her most recent stint at a Denver based start-up - TaskRay - culminated with the transaction and transition of the company from founder to new ownership. Jamie lives in Arvada, Colorado with her two children and two dogs. She spends her free time with family, friends, studying and performing dance, and outside as much as possible.

**Chief of Staff, Office of the Microsoft Americas President. Certified Chief of Staff®**

Jeff Buckeye has held a variety of field and corporate roles during his 23 years at Microsoft, spanning engineering, consulting, partners, hardware, and strategy. Jeff is passionate about empowering and enabling teams, partners, and customers to achieve their goals and aspirations through technology. With more than eight years of experience in various chief of staff roles at Microsoft, Jeff has successfully led and supported multiple initiatives that have enhanced the performance, productivity, and profitability of his organization and region.

Justin advised several founders and clients on their growth strategy in Europe and the US. As an experienced industry trade association and government professional, he held executive, legislative, regulatory, and political roles at membership organisations for fixed income CRE debt markets, real estate and insurance. His government service included time on the staff of former U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Richard Lugar and former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. Today, he leads CSA member engagement across New England, New York, Pennsylvania and Canada.

Kaitlin is an experienced Chief of Staff and Management Consultant. She has over 10 years of experience working as a management consultant with Fortune 100 companies in strategic and business transformation roles. Her expertise are in channel and workforce optimization, value realization modeling, process design, nonprofit open source mapping, and value business cases. She is known by clients and colleagues as a value creator and trusted delivery expert.

Katie has worked in comms and research for firms focused on expanding the horizons for innovators at the forefront of their fields. For Formula E, Deliberate PR and SRI, she enhanced organisational performance across internal teams and with stakeholders to deliver these global services. She now leverages this valuable experience to drive membership engagement and quality across the UK at the Chief of Staff Association.

Keziah Wonstolen is an award-winning entrepreneur and seasoned management consultant based in Denver, Colorado. After 13 years at Accenture, where she served as a Chief of Staff and advised global organizations on sales talent and operational strategies, she founded Vannin Chief of Staff. Through Vannin, Keziah and her team specialize in supporting private equity firms, their portfolio companies, and family offices, helping leaders scale efficiently, optimize operations, and build strong executive functions.

Keziah has been recognized for her leadership and innovation, earning a spot on the Denver Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list and being selected for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. As a thought leader in the Chief of Staff space, she continues to shape the future of executive operations and strategic leadership.

Lalo holds a BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Tecnológico de Monterrey and brings extensive leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, having held key roles such as Chief of Staff and Director of Strategy. Throughout his career, he has led initiatives that have driven revenue growth, elevated membership engagement, and enhanced organizational impact.

Before joining the CSA, Louise served as General Manager of Social Impact & Corporate Communications at RACV, where she led the establishment of a new department during the Covid pandemic, optimised performance, and reduced costs by more than 50% over five years. She also served as Chief of Staff to the MD & CEO at RACV, as a member of the Executive Leadership Team. At CSA APAC, Louise leads member growth and engagement across the region, bringing deep experience in strategic delivery, operational efficiency, and building high-performing teams. Passionate about purpose and shared value, she is committed to creating enduring impact for both business and community.

Mike has 30 years’ experience as a United States Marine. He has served as interim Chief of Staff for U. S. Forces Japan and as Chief of Staff for Marine Corps Installations East. He currently is the Director of the Mentorship Programme with The Chief of Staff Association.

After reading Classics at the University of Cambridge, Nicholas worked as a political staffer and civil servant. He managed the office of an Australian parliamentarian before serving as Aide to the Governor of Victoria. He then worked as an advisor on trade policy and international relations, focusing on the Middle East, Türkiye and Africa. He now heads up communications at the CSA, overseeing brand management and advocacy. In this role he leads high-impact campaigns, managing media engagement, directing strategic events and partnerships, and ensuring alignment between communications, engagement and growth objectives.

Nicole holds a BA in Communications and Media from the University of Leeds. Before joining the CSA, she worked in operations and marketing across startups and retail in Hong Kong, where she helped scale a business from pop-up concept to multi-venue lifestyle brand. At the CSA, Nicole manages the organisation's LinkedIn presence and content strategy, supporting social media engagement, thought leadership, and global events. Passionate about building community through content, Nicole is dedicated to connecting members with the resources and networks they need.

Paisley holds a double degree in Law and Philosophy and has over seven years of experience in professional education. She previously specialised in designing interactive, continuous learning products and tools for Australian lawyers. At the CSA, Paisley is passionate about creating high-quality, captivating learning experiences, contributing to the impactful and dynamic education the CSA provides.

Polly is a graduate of Manchester University, having studied Chemistry with Industrial Experience. She has worked and volunteered for a variety of organisations, including a US blue chip FMCG company, a UK Management Consultancy firm, a variety of UK, Estonian and Australian charities and an Australian NFP organisation.

Richard has built his career at the nexus of education, community and technology. An Australian native he was worked for global companies in New York, San Francisco, Accra and London. He has served as the chief of staff at Change.org, Operations Associate at Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Startup Consultant at Harambeans and Senior Instructor Manager at General Assembly.

Since graduating the University of Exeter with a degree in Politics with French, Sam has built experience delivering strategic campaigns across both the private and public sectors. Most recently, for the UK Department for Business and Trade, Sam has supported delivery of the UK’s award winning GREAT Britain campaign, promoting the UK’s investment potential to international audiences through partnerships with Conde Nast, Wall Street Journal, and Formula 1.

Sophia holds a BA in Politics and History, with Honours in Politics, from the University of Melbourne. Before joining the CSA, she gained experience across research, stakeholder engagement, and client-facing roles, where she supported and managed projects with diverse stakeholders. At CSA APAC, Sophia supports member growth and engagement across the region, contributing to a connected and high-performing professional community. Passionate about building meaningful connections, Sophia brings a thoughtful, detail-oriented approach to delivering high-quality events and experiences for members.

Susie has over 15 years of corporate and small business accounting experience. Prior to joining Vannin, she held roles across every facet of business stage and maturity, including ramping up individual businesses to scaled responsibility at corporations such as McKesson. Susie holds a BA degree from Bucknell University. She thrives on taking a hands-on approach to assisting clients in achieving their accounting and business outcomes.

Susie is actively involved in family time with her husband and kids and enjoys athletics, as a multi-Ironman finisher, avid skier and accomplished cyclist.

Susan Scutt is a transformational leader with more than 25 years of experience across consulting, corporate and Private Equity businesses. Susan began her PE career as Chief of Staff at a Vista Equity Partners (VEP) portfolio company, where she successfully led the execution of Vista’s Value Creation Plan. She subsequently joined VEP, serving as Chief of Staff to the founder of their Consulting Group, spearheading transformational initiatives within Vista’s flagship portfolio companies and establishing Vista’s External Director program. Following her tenure at VEP, Susan built and led Portfolio Operations at TCV. Most recently, she directed Portfolio Optimization Centers of Excellence at Partners Group, driving strategic improvements across the portfolio.

**Former NZTE Regional Trade Director for UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Certified Chief of Staff®**

Vanessa O’Neill is a seasoned business strategist with experience in both the private sector and government. She previously served as Regional Director for NZTE, overseeing international trade across Europe, UK, and the Middle East. O’Neill founded Estute+, a consultancy focused on business strategy and commercialization, later acquired by KPMG. She has expertise in marketing, operations, and innovation, and holds an MBA with various leadership roles in global markets and advisory boards.

After reading Mathematics at the University of Bristol, Zach spent a year volunteering in South Africa before working as a tech consultant. Zach also worked in operations, bringing efficiency and high-level execution to the non-profit sector. He now applies his strategic thinking to the systems and processes of the CSA. In his spare time he cycles and plays touch rugby.