Personal Assistant vs. Estate Manager: Who Handles What?

In UHNW households these two roles collide constantly: both book travel, both manage calendars, both solve problems. But their centers of gravity are different — and blurring them wastes money on both salaries.

The estate manager owns the property

Buildings, staff, vendors, budgets, vehicles, events at the residence. Anything attached to a physical home belongs to the estate manager.

The personal assistant owns the person

Calendars, correspondence, personal travel, appointments, gifts, family logistics, philanthropy admin. Anything attached to the principal's life belongs to the PA — wherever it happens.

The overlap that causes friction

• Travel: PA books the itinerary, estate manager prepares the residence — define the handoff
• Events: estate manager runs the house, PA manages the guest list
• Purchasing: agree spending authorities explicitly, in writing

Need one, the other, or both? Elite Swiss maps your actual workload in a short consultation and recommends the leanest structure that covers it — then places candidates who have thrived in exactly that setup.