KRISTEN VAN LIEFDE
Burlingame,CA
Summary
Accomplished professional with extensive experience. A strong partner to the executive, known for focus, dedication, and a can-do attitude. Able to deftly manage multiple priorities, anticipate needs, and establish and maintain effective processes. Self-directed and proactive with the ability to problem solve to avert crises. An excellent communicator and insightful leader, the go-to person among colleagues for clear guidance. A high level of discipline and tenacity, coupled with flexibility and understanding, creates a sense of harmony and ease.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Sr. Personal Assistant, Estate Manager
Private Family
San Francisco, Stinson Beach, Hawaii, Nantucket
02.2023 - 02.2025
- Tend to any tasks or errands requested by the Principal ASAP
- Liaison between the Principal and staff, vendors, or persons
- Household Management for a large 10,000-square-foot home in San Francisco, 5,000-square-foot home in Stinson Beach, 3,000-square-foot condo in Big Sky Montana, 4,000 Square foot condo in Manhattan, 10,000 Square foot home in Nantucket, and 5,000 square foot home in Kona
- Supervise all staff, including one house assistant, one housekeeper, one Nanny, and one chef in San Francisco, as well as four other house managers who manage other out-of-state homes
- Create and update Handbook/ House Manual for family and staff
- Coordinate and submit staff’s payroll, vacation/sick dates
- Collect and sort mail, contracts, and paperwork.
- Manage all house repairs and renovations for all locations
- Review and manage contractor estimates, and pay invoices
- Build relationships with vendors, follow up, and manage projects
- Care for all vehicles. Ensure the cars are fully charged, gas-filled, and clean, with current registration, maintenance, and insurance
- Pay invoices, or send invoices to the appropriate place for payment
- Go paperless! Scanning project to clear out old paper files, and digitize all files, and accounting paperwork from the past
- Apple and PC, Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, Office 365, Excel, Word, Zoom, Google, To-Do-List, Asana, Protonmail, Everlance, ADP, QuickBooks, Tech Savvy
- California Notary
- Manage the personal/work calendar and the family's complex calendars, Including coordinating with the Foundation’s administrative office.
- Handwrite monthly calendar for family
- Schedule and confirm all appointments for the family
- Schedule and confirm all travel, event tickets, dinner reservations, private flights, and private events
- Prepare homes for families' arrival, and communicate with other team members or management companies to ensure families' needs are met
- Be available if anything is requested
- Create an itinerary for each trip, confirming reservations
- Event planning, start to finish, handling all details. Invitations, decorations, party bags, etc. Warriors Game Birthday Party, Slumber Party, Movie Theater Buyout, Pottery Studio Private Event, Nail Salon Buyout
- Renew Global Entry and Passports for family
- Xmas cards, and holiday gifts, purchase, wrap, deliver
- Keep track of gifts, and holiday card address list
- Coordinate bi-yearly art installation/rotation with the art consultant and decorative painting company retouch-ups
- Fill out medical forms, and submit camp/school forms online
- Write business letters and thank you cards, on behalf of the principal.
- Pick up prescriptions, groceries, gifts, and run errands
- Research and purchase hard-to-find items
- Served as a reliable point of contact for internal and external inquiries, providing prompt responses and effective solutions when necessary. Problem Solving and solution-based.
Exec. Assistant, Family Office Manager
Fritz & Beverly Maytag
San Francisco , Napa, Phoenix
09.2015 - 02.2023
- Manage the family office. Opened mail, processed paperwork, paid all bills, filed, emails, and phone calls
- Bookkeeper for the personal and business accounts
- Assist the accountants, send reports, and manage the tax return. Provide all correspondence and information to the accountants
- Quickbooks Certified, manage QuickBooks account
- Coordinate all meetings for all businesses and personal life
- Assist with project management, communication, appointments, and bookkeeping for 3 major home renovations
- Cybersecurity, manage online accounts, security updates, IT company and Black Cloak
- Assist with travel arrangements, private flights, or driving when needed
- Administrator for Fred Maytag Family Foundation, create meetings, communicate between organizations and trustees, send grant checks and letters, audits, and work with accountants for tax return
- Coordinate and oversee all insurance policies, home, car, art watercraft, and commercial. Assist and manage Glass Fire large complex insurance claim in 2020
- Assist with the Fire recovery process, logging, and barn rebuild
- Vineyard Payroll, 401k plan, pension plan, pay all bills, invoice for large grape harvest
- Take all necessary and mandatory classes for Vineyard Operations
- Manage Winery ABC licensing, website redesign, wine sales, sales tax reporting
- Estate Planning. Attend and manage meetings with attorneys and investors. Manage paperwork and help keep track of personal items for family
- Managed vendor relationships, negotiating contracts for cost savings while maintaining high-quality services.
- Managed scheduling and coordination of all office meetings to ensure smooth operations and minimal conflicts.
- Developed and enforced office policies that aligned with company values and regulatory requirements, maintaining compliance. Created Vineyard Handbook alongside the Labor Attorney to ensure Vineyard's safety and compliance.
- Successfully managed budgets and allocated resources to maximize productivity and profitability.
- Conducted regular inventory assessments of office supplies, ordering necessary items proactively to prevent stock shortages.
Personal Assistant
John Hering
San Francisco, Marina Del Ray
03.2013 - 09.2015
- Serve as gatekeeper and personal representative of the principal. Served as the first point of contact for incoming visitors or phone calls, ensuring prompt responses or directing inquiries appropriately.
- Manage social calendar; coordinate schedules with business meetings/events, personal and family
- Collaborate with assistants on travel plans/activities
- Establish dining and transportation reservations; create a full itinerary
- Close working relationship with all other staff members; hire, manage, and payroll for all in-house staff
- Coordinated domestic and international travel arrangements for principal, family, and others
- Reviewed and authorized expenses
- QuickBooks to track expenses
- Coordinated move, and assisted in apartment search
- Oversaw interior designer for LA and SF homes
- Open and excited to learn the newest device or app to upgrade efficiency and productivity
- Packing and wardrobe specialist
- Color coordinate closets, manage stylist, keep track of all items in both homes
- Manage sale, purchase, storage, insurance, and rotation of a large art collection
- Coordinate and oversee all insurance policies; home, car, art, medical, and dental
- Health and Medical, appointments, treatments, research, etc
- Maintained appropriate filing of personal and professional documentation.
- Aided executive in personal tasks such as scheduling appointments or running errands when needed.
Personal Assistant (Part-time)
Dr. Salmon Dasti
San Francisco
01.2013 - 06.2013
- Organize home, color coordinate closet, regular upkeep of the home
- Kept detailed track of household and maintenance inventory and schedules.
- Pay bills, keep track of spending, reports
- Maintained appropriate filing of personal and professional documentation.
- Responded to emails and other correspondence to facilitate communication and enhance business processes.
- Displayed absolute discretion in handling confidential information.
Personal/Family Assistant
Amy Ratner & Andrew Koslow
San Francisco
01.2012 - 01.2013
- Family Assistant for a patient who was healing from health issues
- Learned disability services through insight, while performing upkeep of regular housekeeping
- Assisted with daily household tasks for a smoother family routine, including meal preparation and laundry duties.
- Maintained family privacy and security by handling sensitive information discreetly and respecting confidentiality boundaries.
- Supported busy parents with personal errands such as grocery shopping, dry cleaning pick-ups, or appointment scheduling.
- Enhanced family organization by implementing efficient scheduling systems and maintaining calendars.
- Provided timely transportation assistance for children to and from school, appointments, or special events, ensuring punctuality and safety.
- Developed strong relationships with children through active listening, empathy, and patience, creating a trusting bond within the family unit.
Family Assistant
Sally Ann Flood & Michael Kenny
San Francisco
09.2008 - 05.2010
- Nanny for three wonderful children
- Ages (upon starting) - 10 months, 2 years, & 5 years
- Involved in the development of extra-curricular activities for children’s after-school learning
- Assisted with homework, art projects, reading library books, attending sports/performances
- Maintained general domestic upkeep: cooking, cleaning, changing bedding, ironing, organizing
- Drove children to school, picked them up after school, and took them to various appointments and events
- Provided tutoring support for children with school assignments, resulting in improved academic performance.
- Collaborated effectively with other household staff such as nannies or housekeepers to maintain an organized home.
- Maintained up-to-date knowledge on child development practices to provide appropriate guidance during critical growth periods.
Nanny
Christine and Greville Ward
New York, USA
08.2000 - 07.2003
- Nanny for four energetic children
- Ages 6 months, 2 years, 4 years, and 6 years
- Mother’s helper, play-dates, parties, drop off and pick up from school
- House Management tasks, laundry, cooking, cleaning, organizing, grocery shopping, ironing
- Travel out of the country for vacation with family
- Assist with relocation from Manhattan to Westchester. Move and relocate with the family
- Developed strong communication with parents to provide updates on children's progress, needs, and achievements.
- Supported children in play activities, meals, snacks, hygiene, and socialization.
- Maintained a clean and organized home environment conducive to optimal child development through regular tidying duties.
- Encouraged physical activity with outdoor play, sports, and fitness games for improved health and motor skills development.
- Fostered creativity through art projects, music appreciation, and imaginative play designed to stimulate young minds.
Education
Graduate Certificate - Human Potential
Esalen
Big Sur12.2023
Graduate Certificate - Farming Labor Laws of California
CA Farm Labor Contractors
Napa01.2022
Graduate Certificate - Farming Produce Safety For Vineyard Grapes
Produce Safety
Napa03.2021
Graduate Certificate - Payroll Law, Project Management
Fred
San Francisco06.2019
Graduate Certificate - Accounting And Finance
Quickbooks
Berkeley, CA09.2017
Graduate Certificate - Business Writing, Communication
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA02.2014
Graduate Certificate - Writing, Business Ethics
Stanford University
Palo Alto, CA07.2013
Certificate - Art History
Hunter College
New York06.2001
Skills
- Office Administration
- Calendar management
- Meeting planning
- Tech-savviness
- Strong work ethic
- Attention to detail
- Multitasking and organization
- Team collaboration
- Dedicated team player
- Commitment to quality and service
Timeline
Sr. Personal Assistant, Estate Manager
Private Family
02.2023 - 02.2025
Exec. Assistant, Family Office Manager
Fritz & Beverly Maytag
09.2015 - 02.2023
Personal Assistant
John Hering
03.2013 - 09.2015
Personal Assistant (Part-time)
Dr. Salmon Dasti
01.2013 - 06.2013
Personal/Family Assistant
Amy Ratner & Andrew Koslow
01.2012 - 01.2013
Family Assistant
Sally Ann Flood & Michael Kenny
09.2008 - 05.2010
Nanny
Christine and Greville Ward
08.2000 - 07.2003
Graduate Certificate - Human Potential
Esalen
Graduate Certificate - Farming Labor Laws of California
CA Farm Labor Contractors
Graduate Certificate - Farming Produce Safety For Vineyard Grapes
Produce Safety
Graduate Certificate - Payroll Law, Project Management
Fred
Graduate Certificate - Accounting And Finance
Quickbooks
Graduate Certificate - Business Writing, Communication
University of California, Berkeley
Graduate Certificate - Writing, Business Ethics
Stanford University
Certificate - Art History
Hunter College