Professional roles

The Executive Assistant: the CEO’s strategic guardian of time (and peace of mind)

The Executive Assistant is no longer merely an administrative role, but a strategic partner who translates the CEO’s vision into action, managing complex relationships and sensitive data

by Luca Brambilla* and Sara Ferro**

9 July 2026

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4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Among the various roles within a company, one stands out for its responsibility for an intangible yet valuable resource: the time of the company’s leader. This is the Executive Assistant, a role that has seen growing recognition in recent years, both professionally and financially. Michael Page reports that by 2025, an Executive Assistant with more than ten years’ experience could earn over 50,000 euros gross per annum. The change is not only in terms of pay but also cultural, and culture, as we know, is also reflected in language: whilst in the past the term ‘secretary’ was often associated with a reductive perception, today this profession enjoys much greater recognition within the organisation.

An Executive Assistant can be defined as “the person who translates the ideas of the person they support into action”. The verb ‘to support’ also visually conveys the horizontal relationship between the two figures. Although there is a clear hierarchy, in the organisational chart the role of the Executive Assistant is often depicted alongside the manager, with a parallel line highlighting their role in providing strategic and operational support. The use of the feminine form is no accident either: it is certainly not intended to be discriminatory but reflects an objective fact, given that leading studies report that over 90 per cent of Executive Assistant roles are held by women, making it one of the most ‘gendered’ professions in the corporate world.

“Turning thought into action” means supporting the individual at an operational level, so that they can focus their energies on development, innovation and strategy. A metaphor can illustrate this concept well: if the CEO is the head of the company, the Executive Assistant is its neck. Research by the Harvard Business Review has found that professionals spend around a third of their working days sending emails. For the organisation to function effectively, leaders must free their diaries from administrative tasks of this nature and seek the clarity and peace of mind essential for fulfilling decision-making roles. The Executive Assistant is the guardian of this intangible asset and, to make the most of it, must focus on three crucial factors: relationships, trust and vision.

Report

The Executive Assistant acts as a hub: she is often the link between the CEO and other stakeholders. She is the company’s face to the outside world, both in her email correspondence – where she communicates on the company’s behalf – and in day-to-day business life, as in many cases she is the one who welcomes visitors to the office. This gives her considerable responsibility, as her every action reflects and shapes the reputation of the person she represents.

Relationships are forged with stakeholders of all kinds. Within this web of connections, one must adhere to a golden rule: to accord the same importance to every interlocutor. One must therefore maintain the same level of respect when dealing with the CEO of a multinational corporation as when dealing with the owner of the restaurant where one books business lunches.

Trust

The Executive Assistant works within the private sphere of the person they support. It is not uncommon for them to be aware of that person’s movements and activities outside work, as well as having access to sensitive data such as passwords or credit card PINs. Trust, therefore, is a conditio sine qua non. This inevitable ‘intrusion’ into privacy is one of the reasons why business owners and CEOs are reluctant to hire an Executive Assistant: accepting that someone will enter their personal sphere and even have access to their vulnerabilities requires a strength of character that is rarely discussed.

That is why trust must be nurtured, made explicit and never taken for granted. It is an asset that is built up over the years through small but consistent gestures. As the famous maxim attributed to Aristotle states: ‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.’

Double Vision

An Executive Assistant views the world through two lenses: their own and that of the person they support. They do not necessarily have to share that person’s perspective, but it is important that they understand it. This means being aware of that person’s values, ideas and tastes, whilst remaining entirely non-judgemental.

It is this dual perspective that enables the EA to go beyond simply managing their time, to the point of becoming its guardian. An example may clarify the difference in approach: booking an appointment in the diary means managing time; doing so whilst taking into account the person’s habits, preferences and what helps them perform at their best means safeguarding it. In practical terms, an Executive Assistant will know that their manager prefers not to have important meetings in the early afternoon or is only willing to work at weekends under certain circumstances.

Embracing a perspective different from one’s own requires a certain degree of mental flexibility. For this reason, the person in this role must be rigorous – to ensure order and clarity – but never rigid. Like the neck, they must provide support whilst ensuring freedom of movement.

A KPI that is difficult to quantify

Relationship, trust and a shared perspective are three pillars that feed into one another. They are built up over time through listening, the ability to ask questions and a genuine curiosity about other people.

The question remains as to how to assess whether an Executive Assistant is doing their job well. Unlike other professions, the Executive Assistant’s KPI is not expressed as a number, but is reflected in the sense of balance of the person they support. This is certainly no easy task, but it is a crucial one: Forbes reports that 72 per cent of leaders say they feel ‘burnt out’ on a daily basis. Achieving this may be difficult to quantify objectively, but it is evident in the executive’s sense of calm, which, when firmly established, improves the performance and wellbeing of the entire organisation.

(*) Director of the Academy of Strategic Communication

(**)Founder of We Are Assistant and CEO Assistant at ICAT Group

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