About me
I help people and
organizations move forward.
I’m Mason Richman, a Chief of Staff, business operations leader, and startup founder. I bring curiosity, structure, and follow-through to the work of helping an organization run well.
Keeping things running.
Making room to look ahead.
Today, I work in a hybrid Chief of Staff and operations leadership role, guiding our divisional technology senior leader and leadership team. I’m responsible for the organization’s inner workings: finance, workforce, process improvement, and relationships across the business. Often, that means figuring things out and getting them done.
My job is to help my designated leader stay focused upward and outward, on what’s ahead, while I help keep a tight ship. That takes a view of the whole organization and a willingness to get into the details.
I founded and led a 10-person, venture-backed startup in San Francisco for three years. Before that, I was part of the four-person founding team behind Wells Fargo Bank’s ethnography consulting practice, where I gained insights into business process optimization and product development in financial services.
More recently, I became the first Chief of Staff within Silicon Valley Bank’s technology group, overseeing finances, workforce management, special projects, and executive support. Following SVB’s failure and acquisition by First Citizens, I’ve continued to lead my team and manage operations through a period of significant transformation. These experiences shape how I approach uncertainty, responsibility, and the people doing the work.
Empathy, honesty,
and follow-through.
I lead with empathy and build trust by listening, being honest, and following through. I believe people deserve direct feedback, clear expectations, and the opportunity to keep learning and growing. Difficult conversations are part of that responsibility.
Integrity matters deeply to me. I value people who mean what they say, take ownership, and make room for different perspectives. I try to bring those same qualities to every team I’m part of.
I’m methodical about understanding a problem and flexible about finding a way forward. I stay optimistic while taking the realities seriously, and I believe in holding myself and others accountable.
Small changes.
Continuous improvement.
I first came across kaizen in a book, and its idea of continuous improvement stayed with me. I believe in making a series of small changes, learning as I go, and building on what works.
That belief shapes both my work and my life at home. There’s always something to learn, a process to improve, or a better question to ask. It’s also what keeps me drawn to entrepreneurship and building new ventures.
Beyond work.
Family is central to my life. I also love traveling with my partner and friends: shared experiences, unfamiliar places, and the memories we bring home.
I’m interested in connecting with potential employers, collaborators, and people who might become co-founders in a future venture. If you see an opportunity to work or build something together, I’d welcome a conversation.
Let’s connect on LinkedIn