What This Mandate Requires
THE HARDEST BRIEF IN THE MARKET.
PRIORITISATION
Two principals. Two sets of priorities. The EA must navigate both without creating conflict.
POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE
Understanding the dynamic between two principals and managing it invisibly is a rare skill.
BANDWIDTH
The workload is effectively double. The EA must operate at full capacity for both principals simultaneously.
COMPENSATION
Dual principal mandates command a premium. The best EAs for this brief are rarely available.
Context
WHY MOST EAs CANNOT DO THIS.
A dual principal arrangement is not simply twice the work. It is a fundamentally different kind of work. The EA must hold two sets of priorities simultaneously, understand the relationship between the two principals, and navigate the inevitable moments when those priorities conflict.
Most EAs who have not done this before underestimate the political dimension. The two principals have a relationship with each other. The EA is operating inside that relationship. A misstep, a perceived preference for one over the other, a communication that reaches the wrong person first, can damage both the EA relationship and the principal relationship.
The EAs who thrive in dual principal arrangements have typically done it before. They have developed the instincts to manage competing demands without being seen to manage them. They are invisible in the best possible way.
TalentSmiths has placed dual principal EAs for co-founders, married couples running a family office, and C-suite pairs at listed companies. Each arrangement is different. The brief must capture the specific dynamic between the two principals, not just the logistics of the role.
Compensation for dual principal mandates reflects the complexity. The range of £130k–£220k / $160k–$260k is a base. The most complex arrangements, those involving UHNW principals or multi-entity structures, can exceed this significantly. James will advise on the right compensation structure during the brief.
Elevate contains EAs who have navigated dual principal arrangements successfully. They are not common. When a mandate of this type comes in, TalentSmiths goes to this group first. The brief is too specific and the stakes too high to present candidates who have not done it before.
Compensation
WHAT THE MARKET PAYS.
LONDON
£130k – £220k
Base salary. Premium reflects dual mandate complexity. Bonus common for PE-backed arrangements.
NEW YORK
$160k – $260k
Base salary. Co-founder and C-suite dual mandates at the upper end of range.
MIAMI
$150k – $240k
Family office and co-founder arrangements. Compensation reflects dual workload premium.
SAN FRANCISCO
$155k – $250k
Tech co-founder mandates. Equity common where both principals hold founder equity.
AUSTIN
$145k – $235k
Growing dual principal market. Founder-pair arrangements increasingly common.
Ready to begin
START A DUAL PRINCIPAL SEARCH.
Further reading