Executive Assistant
What the role owns
Time, priorities, communication flow and the operating rhythm around a leader.
When to hire this role
A founder is losing hours every week to coordination, inbox and calendar.
Talent Partnerships & Role Architecture · Employer practice
Design the executive office before you hire into it.
We work with high-growth founders, hiring managers and talent teams to design modern executive office structures — then connect them with strategic operators from our community who deliver venture-speed leverage.
Clear boundaries between Executive Assistant, Chief of Staff and Founder’s Office prevent mis-hires.
Many searches fail because a single job description asks for calendar administration, cross-functional governance and zero-to-one venture building at once. We map the role across strategic scope and operational depth first.
Exhibit 1
Where each executive office role creates leverage
Founder's Office
Strategic scope: 2.5/3Operational depth: 1.5/3
What it owns
High-priority initiatives straight from the founder's desk: launches, partnerships, new markets.
When to hire
The founder needs a builder who can take an idea from zero to running.
View all three role specifications side by side
- Executive AssistantScope 1/3 · Depth 3/3
What it owns: Time, priorities, communication flow and the operating rhythm around a leader.
When to hire: A founder is losing hours every week to coordination, inbox and calendar.
- Chief of StaffScope 3/3 · Depth 2/3
What it owns: Cross-functional execution, leadership cadence, special projects and decision support.
When to hire: Strategy is set but follow-through across teams is slipping.
- Founder's OfficeScope 2.5/3 · Depth 1.5/3
What it owns: High-priority initiatives straight from the founder's desk: launches, partnerships, new markets.
When to hire: The founder needs a builder who can take an idea from zero to running.
Source: COvia role architecture frameworkHover, focus or select a node to compare
Exhibit 1B
Side-by-side specification of the three executive office roles
Chief of Staff
What the role owns
Cross-functional execution, leadership cadence, special projects and decision support.
When to hire this role
Strategy is set but follow-through across teams is slipping.
Founder's Office
What the role owns
High-priority initiatives straight from the founder's desk: launches, partnerships, new markets.
When to hire this role
The founder needs a builder who can take an idea from zero to running.
Source: COvia role architecture frameworkUsed in every employer discovery conversation
A five-stage search sequence aligns role design, operator judgement and first-quarter execution.
We stay involved from the initial architecture diagnostic through the candidate’s first 90 days in the seat.
Exhibit 2
How a search runs — five sequential stages from discovery to onboarding
Discovery conversation
We learn how you work, what is slowing you down and what the role must change.
Role architecture
Together we define the role: scope, reporting line, success measures and the right title.
Shortlist
We shortlist from our operator community and wider network, assessed for judgement, not just experience.
Interviews and decision
We run the process with you and help you compare candidates against the role you designed.
First 90 days
We check in with both sides through onboarding so the hire lands well.
Source: COvia search methodology (stage wording subject to final confirmation)Book a conversation
Open sector search across technology and startups, paired with a dedicated academic pipeline in biotech and healthcare.
Executive office principles apply across industries; where scientific or technical fluency is essential, our academic advisors open direct pipelines into premier research institutions.
Exhibit 3
Sector coverage and the IISc / IIT healthcare and biotech talent pipeline
Technology, biotech, healthcare, startups and growth-stage enterprises.
COvia is sector-open: the sectors below are examples where founder bandwidth and executive office complexity are acute, not boundaries on who we advise.
Technology
Product-led and enterprise technology teams scaling executive cadence across engineering and commercial functions.
Biotech
Research-intensive ventures translating lab milestones, regulatory pathways and investor relations into operating rhythm.
Healthcare
Clinical, health-tech and life-sciences organisations coordinating multi-stakeholder delivery.
Startups
Seed to growth-stage founders hiring their first strategic operator to multiply leadership capacity.
Connecting life-sciences founders with students and graduates from IISc, the IITs and peer institutions.
Biotech and healthcare founders often need Chief of Staff and Founder’s Office operators who understand scientific method, grant ecosystems and laboratory realities. Through our academic advisory network, we identify standout students and graduates from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), the IITs and comparable institutions transitioning into executive office and venture operations roles.
Biotech & Healthcare Advisor
Prof. Upendra Nongthomba
Professor and former Chair, Department of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science. 28+ years in biomedical research, 90+ publications, and adviser to biotech and healthcare startups and BIRAC selection boards.
Vinay Gupta (Tech Advisor): Engineering leader with 13+ years across Edge AI, automotive telematics and trading platforms. Leads software engineering at Tribes Digital, Auckland; formerly Site Lead at EdgeTensor and VP at Citi. IIT Kanpur.
Girish Vasudevan (Business Advisor): Business Advisor to COvia. Full bio to follow. Bio pending
Source: COvia sector practice and academic advisory boardIISc · IITs · BIRAC ecosystem familiarity
Thirty-five-plus years inside executive offices replace guesswork in candidate evaluation.
Generalist recruiters screen for surface titles. COvia’s co-founders have sat in the seat at Google, Citi, Credit Suisse, IBM, Philips, Publicis Sapient, Flipkart and Pine Labs.
Exhibit 4
Why founders partner with COvia — practitioner assessment and ongoing capability building
Co-founder
Shweta Malekar
Senior administrative business partner with 15+ years supporting C-suite leaders at Google, Citi, Credit Suisse, Nomura and DuPont. Writes The EA Edge and co-founded Giftwork Solutions.
Assessment lens: Anticipation, agility and execution: clarity to chaos, structure to complexity, trust to every interaction.
Co-founder
Geetika S Nongthomba
20+ years across strategy, executive office operations, PMO and business operations at Aviva, IBM, Quintiles, Philips, Publicis Sapient, Flipkart and Pine Labs. Co-founded a biotech startup and founded an ed-tech venture.
Assessment lens: Frameworks, pragmatism and people: clear structure, sound governance and teams that perform.
Source: COvia co-founder operating historySecondary capability: Training and coaching (Collaborator TBC)
Practical answers on fee structures, search timelines and geographic coverage.
We keep engagement parameters transparent and confirm commercial specifics directly on our introductory call.
Exhibit 5
Common questions from founders, hiring managers and talent leaders
5.1
How do COvia’s search fees and engagement terms work?
To be confirmedEngagements are scoped around the complexity and seniority of the executive office mandate, typically combining a role-architecture diagnostic with placement delivery. Exact fee bands and retainer structures are shared during our initial discovery call.
5.2
What is a typical timeline from discovery conversation to a signed offer?
To be confirmedTimelines depend on whether the role architecture is already settled or requires upfront scoping, as well as candidate notice periods. We agree a target schedule with milestones at the start of every search.
5.3
Which locations and working models do you recruit for?
Our founding offices are in Bengaluru, India and Auckland, New Zealand. We support on-site, hybrid and remote executive office mandates across India, Asia-Pacific and global founder teams.
5.4
What if we know we lack executive bandwidth, but are unsure whether to hire an EA, a Chief of Staff or a Founder’s Office lead?
That is the most common starting point. Our first step is always Role Architecture — diagnosing where founder hours and cross-team follow-through are stalling before writing a job specification.
Source: COvia employer engagement briefingsBengaluru · Auckland · Global mandates
Next step for employers
Start with a diagnostic conversation on your executive office structure.
Speak directly with COvia’s co-founders to map whether your organisation needs an Executive Assistant, Chief of Staff or Founder’s Office leader.