The German Chancellery (Reichskanzleramt) is the executive office of the Chancellor, the head of the German imperial government. The chief of the Chancellery (Chef des Reichskanzleramtes) holds the rank of either a Secretary of State (Staatssekretär) or a Federal Minister (Reichsminister). The chief's primary function is to assist the Chancellor in coordinating the activities of the Federal Government, and may be compared to the White House Chief of Staff. The current chief of the Chancellery is Astrid Strauß, as of 2009.