We sat down with Nimol, Chief of Staff at Neonomics, to learn a bit more about the role and her journey to get there. The role of Chief of Staff has been out there for a while now, initially within military and government organizations in the United States. However, in the last decades, we have seen many new roles of Chief of Staff also appear in private organizations, especially within the tech sector.

Most commonly in the tech industry, a Chief of Staff acts as a complementary partner to the leaders they work with, especially with the CEO. They are the so called “wizard” communicators and collaborators across all departments and stakeholders, making high-level decisions, devising meaningful plans and strategies, setting policies and procedures/guidelines, and anticipating problems while generating innovative solutions. Thus, they are often seen as key contributors to the success of their organizations.

1. Hi Nimol! Thanks for joining us today. First off, can you tell us a little bit about your background?

Originally from France, I started my career in investment banking abroad (Paris, London and New York), but with the fast evolution of finance over the recent decades, I found myself increasingly interested in the intersection of finance and technology. Looking for new challenges, I transitioned to a role as a Senior Delivery Manager (after almost a decade in the banking industry) in a tech company, focused on fighting fraud in retail banking and e-commerce areas. Now, I am thrilled to be part of Neonomics, a startup which offers payment and financial data solutions across the Nordics and Europe.

2. We’re happy to have you here! So how did you move into this role?

I joined Neonomics in March 2022 as a Customer Onboarding Manager, responsible for managing the delivery and onboarding of new clients within the Customer Success team.

However, after a few months, I saw an exciting opportunity internally to advance my career and grow within the company, which led me to pivot to the Chief of Staff role. I am now a part of the Management team, where I can contribute to shaping and executing strategic plans for Neonomics. The transition represented a significant shift in my career, and I am so thrilled to be working in this dynamic and challenging role, following my mantra “Go grab it!”

3. What does your every day look like?

I would say that my role is divided into 4 layers: support, strategic projects, processes, and people.

The first layer is to support the CEO and the Core Leadership team (C-level executives) as we work towards the Neonomics vision, mission, and goal.

The second layer is working closely with the other C-level executives to develop and execute the company's overall strategies. This involves identifying and prioritizing key objectives, defining key results (OKRs), and ensuring that all departments are aligned and working towards the same goals and directions. Additionally, I am responsible for leading and organizing annual company events, such as the Hackathon, which serves as a collaborative effort for the entire company to work all together (all departments) towards a specific project with new product features (by implementing the new way of working together).

The third layer is Processes. I focus on ensuring that the company's processes are running smoothly and efficiently. This also involves the preparation for board meetings and compiling reports for the monthly company dashboard, as well as organizing strategic annual reviews (Town Halls) to assess our progress and make necessary adjustments. Additionally, I run most executive meetings/biweekly stand ups and planning workshops to ensure that our teams are aligned and working towards the same objectives.

And finally, the last but certainly not least layer is People. I spend a lot of my time with the managers and employees, building trust and working towards efficient collaborations.

Overall, my day-to-day responsibilities involve balancing these different layers and working to support the CEO and the C-level executives towards achieving our mission and goals.  

4. What do you love most about your role? 

‍What I love the most about my role is the dynamic and the fast-paced nature of it. I am constantly context-switching between different areas of the business/tech and tackling new challenges every day. This keeps me engaged and motivated, as I am always learning and growing in my role! Long story short, I do not have any real routine, as every day is a new day – and that’s what makes it so great!