A C-level Executive Assistant is someone who partners with a C-suite executive and gives them their time back. That’s the 30,000-foot view!

But what exactly does this role entail, and why is it so crucial for senior leadership?

As businesses grow and executive responsibilities multiply, finding the proper executive support becomes increasingly important. 

The most effective C-Suite leaders recognize that having top-tier assistance isn’t a luxury—it’s a strategic necessity that directly impacts productivity, decision-making, and ultimately, business success.

Pro Tip: Finding the perfect EA match is crucial for this relationship to work. ProAssisting specializes in pairing busy executives with remote executive assistants who have 5 years or more of experience supporting high-level leaders. Schedule a free consultation today.

What Is a C-Level Executive Assistant? 

A C-Level Executive Assistant is the single point of contact for an executive who takes things off your plate, keeps things from getting on your plate, and serves as the primary point of contact for people both inside and outside the organization.

Unlike traditional administrative roles, C-Level assistants go beyond basic administrative duties. They manage your calendar, often handle your email inbox, and interact with people at all levels in both your business and personal life.

The C-Level EA role has changed significantly from the secretarial positions of the 1950s to the 1980s. Today’s executive assistants are business partners who understand the organization deeply and serve as an extension of the executive they support.

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Why a Professional Executive Assistant Is Essential for C-Level Leaders

For C-level leaders, time is the most valuable asset. 

When you spend time on tasks that pay $10-$60 per hour instead of focusing on strategic activities that pay $ 200 or more per hour, you’re not maximizing your value to the organization. This is where a professional executive assistant becomes essential.

By partnering with a professional executive assistant, you gain:

  • Time Freedom: According to a survey by OfficeTeam, administrative professionals save their managers an average of 101 minutes per day – more than eight hours each week, equivalent to a full work day
  • Confidence in Delegation: Knowing that sub-$100 per hour tasks, projects, and responsibilities are being handled professionally
  • Professional Representation: Assurance that someone is representing you, your business, and your interests at a very high level, consistent with the brand and objectives of the company
  • Consider this ROI Calculation: If a senior executive’s total compensation package is $1 million annually and their assistant earns $80,000, the assistant needs to make the executive just 8% more productive (save roughly 5 hours in a 60-hour workweek) for the organization to break even. 

In reality, good assistants save you much more than that through effective meeting preparation, optimized travel schedules, and filtering distractions.

As Robert Pozen noted in Harvard Business Review, a top-notch assistant “is crucial to being productive.” The real payoff comes when the executive can redirect their focus to the highest-value activities that directly impact the company’s bottom line.

A woman with a headset typing on a laptop while working at a desk in a bright, airy room.

Duties and Responsibilities of an Executive Assistant at the C-Level

At the C-level, your executive assistant’s responsibilities fall under what we call the five performance multipliers:

1. Business Partner

Your C-level EA doesn’t just follow orders—they actively participate in your success. 

They serve as your thought partner when you need to talk through complex decisions, offering a valuable second perspective based on their understanding of you and your business.

When you can’t attend a meeting, your EA steps in as your representative. 

They don’t just take notes—they actively participate, knowing exactly how you’d respond to questions and which points matter most to you. 

Having attended countless meetings with you, they’ve developed an intuitive sense of your priorities.

They’ll even help manage your professional presence, ensuring your LinkedIn profile stays up to date and your company profiles reflect your most recent accomplishments and vision.

2. Chief of Staff

Consider this role as your EA, becoming the central hub for all communication flowing to and from you:

  • They’ll skillfully filter the avalanche of information coming your way, ensuring you see only what truly requires your attention.
  • Your EA becomes your voice to the team when appropriate, conveying your decisions and feedback with the right tone and emphasis. 

You’ve probably experienced how easily messages can be misinterpreted. Your EA prevents this by knowing exactly how to channel your communication style.

When different departments need to align with your priorities, your EA coordinates these efforts, ensuring everyone is moving in the direction you’ve set. 

This prevents the all-too-common organizational silos that can derail your strategic initiatives.

Close-up of two individuals working together in an office, with one taking notes while the other uses a MacBook.

3. Project Manager

When you launch special projects, your EA takes ownership of the process from start to finish. They’ll track progress, handle logistics, and keep everyone accountable so you can focus on the big picture.

Need to organize a company retreat or industry conference? Your EA will:

  • Research and secure appropriate venues
  • Negotiate with vendors to get the best value
  • Coordinate schedules for all participants
  • Prepare materials and presentations

They’ll also create detailed timelines with clear deliverables for major initiatives, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. You’ll receive regular progress updates without having to chase down information yourself.

4. Assistant/Scheduler

This is the foundation that most people associate with executive assistants, but at the C-level, it goes far beyond basic calendar management. Your EA becomes the guardian of your most precious resource: time.

They’ll master the complex puzzle of your calendar, protecting blocks for deep work while ensuring you never miss critical meetings. 

When travel is necessary, they’ll arrange everything from flights to ground transportation and hotel accommodations, always taking your preferences and past experiences into account.

Before important meetings, you’ll receive comprehensive briefing materials with all the necessary context. 

Your EA anticipates questions like: 

  • Who will be there? 
  • What’s their background? 
  • What was discussed last time? 
  • What are the expected outcomes?
A top-down view of hands using a laptop and a notebook with sticky notes and a pen on the desk.

5. Personal Assistant

Many executives hesitate to delegate personal tasks, but the most successful leaders understand that the line between professional and personal life often blurs at the C-level. 

Your EA can help manage aspects of your schedule that impact your work performance if you empower them to be your personal assistant.

This might include

  • Coordinating your personal travel plans, 
  • Managing appointments, or 
  • Handling time-consuming errands that would otherwise distract you from higher-value activities. 

The goal is simple: to give you back time and mental bandwidth.

With a skilled EA handling these five performance multipliers, you’ll find yourself accomplishing more with less stress. 

The most successful executive assistants move seamlessly between these roles, intuitively understanding which function you need most at any given moment.

A woman in a black blazer writes in a notebook while using a laptop at a desk.

Essential Training for a C-Suite Executive Assistant 

The most effective C-Suite executive assistants who support you should possess a combination of hard skills and soft skills, with the latter often being more important. 

According to hospitality industry experts like Danny Meyer, the optimal ratio is 51% soft skills to 49% hard skills.

While Meyer developed this concept for the hospitality industry, it applies perfectly to executive assistance. 

Why? Because at its core, being an executive assistant is about providing high-touch hospitality service to executives. 

You can see it as having a “hospitalian” mindset – going beyond merely providing service to delivering an experience that makes everyone feel valued and important.

Hard Skills

The technical abilities your EA needs:

  • Technology Proficiency: Mastery of email, contacts, and calendar management forms the most rudimentary foundation. From there, understanding should extend up to Salesforce and professional CRMs. Your EA’s technology framework should help them adapt quickly to any platform your business uses.
  • Written Communication: Ability to draft your professional correspondence, presentations, and reports with precision and clarity.
  • Project Management: Understanding of methodologies and tools that keep complex initiatives on track and budget.
  • Research Capabilities: Skill in gathering and synthesizing information quickly for your decision-making needs.
Woman working in an office, sitting at a desk with paperwork and two computer monitors.

Soft Skills

When dealing with an executive assistant at the C-suite level, a lot of “soft things” matter tremendously:

  • Presentation: How they physically appear matters—they should dress one or two steps above the person they’re supporting, matching the style of your organization. From a location perspective (especially for remote work), their video setup should be professional—no uncapped rooms, bad lighting, or poor camera angles. Their tone of voice and overall poise create a lasting impression.
  • Emotional Intelligence: This informs all their soft skills and shapes how they interact with everyone from board members to vendors. Strong EQ helps them read the room, anticipate needs, and represent you effectively in different contexts.
  • Work Ethic: They should genuinely care that you’re being taken care of. The best assistants have a belief that “on time is actually late” and research behind the scenes to get answers before taking up your valuable time with questions.
  • Solutions-Oriented: Rather than just bringing problems to your attention, they come prepared with potential solutions and recommendations.
  • Reliability: They consistently deliver what they promise by agreed deadlines, without exception.

Previous assisting experience is a great plus for anyone stepping into this role. This hands-on experience provides context for understanding executive needs and developing intuitive support skills.

There are several training paths available for developing these skills. Many assistants strengthen their capabilities through:

  • Professional training programs specifically designed for executive assistants, such as the ProAssisting Academy, which covers all the topics and issues of how to be a top-level executive assistant
  • Personal development focused on emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills
  • Reading professional development books like “The 29-Hour Workday” that can be reverse-engineered from the assistant’s perspective
  • Continuous learning of industry-specific knowledge that helps them understand your business context

In “The 29-Hour Workday,” the authors, Ethan and Stephanie Bull, emphasize that “soft skills can be faked… but no one can fake making everyone who meets them feel important, negotiating a compromise where both sides come out thinking they are the winner, or settling a frazzled client enough that you easily close the deal.“

Group of professionals in a meeting, with one person presenting and others listening.

How to Hire a Remote C-Level Executive Assistant

Finding the right executive assistant requires careful consideration, especially in today’s remote-friendly work environment. 

The process goes beyond scanning resumes—you’re looking for someone who will become an extension of you and your leadership style.

1. Start with Honest Self-Assessment

Before you post a job description, take time to reflect on what you really need:

  • What tasks consume your day but don’t require your unique expertise? 
  • Which responsibilities do you consistently push to the bottom of your to-do list?

Be honest with yourself about what you need your support to do. Consider whether a C-level executive assistant is truly what your situation demands.  

You might actually need a project manager, business development executive, or marketing specialist instead.

If you’re a solo entrepreneur, a C-level executive assistant can help with many different tasks. Just keep in mind that they’ll need to wear many hats instead of focusing only on saving you time.

Being clear about this distinction will save both you and potential candidates from frustration down the road.

If you’re clear that you need an EA, think about how much time you need to reclaim in your schedule. Are you looking for someone to save you 5 hours a week or 15? 

This will help determine whether you need part-time support or a full-time EA.

Your budget matters, too. A top-tier executive assistant is an investment, not an expense. Consider what level of expertise you can afford and what return you expect from having more time to focus on high-value activities.

Professional woman using a phone and computer in an office.

2. Look Beyond the Resume

When reviewing candidates, dig deeper than just job titles. 

Match LinkedIn profiles against resumes to ensure consistency in their professional story. If you notice gaps in employment, don’t automatically disqualify the candidate—instead, ask about them directly. 

Often, there are reasonable explanations that have nothing to do with job performance.

Experience in supporting executives at your level or above is valuable. But don’t overlook candidates who have shown rapid growth in their careers. 

Someone who progressed from an administrative assistant to an executive assistant within a few years might bring more ambition and a fresh perspective than someone who has remained static.

Consider your specific industry needs:

  • Do you need someone familiar with the terminology in your sector?
  • Would knowledge of your industry’s cycles and rhythm be crucial?
  • Is an understanding of certain regulations or compliance issues necessary?

3. Evaluate Their Professional Presence

How candidates present themselves tells you volumes about how they’ll represent you and your company. 

During video interviews, notice their environment—is it professional and well-lit? 

Their written communication provides another window into their capabilities—are emails clear, concise, and error-free?

Pay attention to small details that signal attention to quality:

  • Did they customize their application to your specific needs?
  • Have they researched your company before the interview?
  • Do they follow up appropriately after conversations?

The candidate’s digital presence matters too. A polished LinkedIn profile with a professional photo and thoughtful content suggests someone who understands the importance of perception in the business world.

Business colleagues reviewing documents while engaging in a video call on a laptop during a team meeting.

4. Find Your Perfect Match

The personal connection between you and your assistant can make or break the relationship. 

After the initial screening, meet promising candidates in a more relaxed setting if possible—perhaps a virtual coffee chat where conversation can flow more naturally.

Ask scenario-based questions that reveal how they think: 

  • “How would you handle a situation where three executives all need immediate assistance?” or 
  • “What would you do if you received conflicting instructions from me and another leader?”

Their approach to confidentiality is non-negotiable. The best assistants understand instinctively what information should be shared and what should be protected. They should be able to articulate their philosophy on discretion clearly.

Trust your gut feeling about the connection. You’ll work closely with this person, often sharing stressful situations. The right assistant will make you feel supported and understood, not drained or misunderstood.

A young woman helping an older colleague with a computer task in a modern office.

5. Clarify Expectations From Day One

Before making an offer, be crystal clear about what working with you entails. 

Share your communication preferences:

  • Do you like frequent check-ins or minimal interruptions? 
  • Are you an early morning person or a night owl? 
  • Do you expect after-hours availability for emergencies?

Discuss boundaries between business and personal tasks. Some executives are uncomfortable asking for personal assistance, while others consider it essential. 

There’s no right answer, but alignment on expectations is crucial.

For remote relationships, establish specific protocols:

  • What hours should they be available?
  • Which communication tools will you use primarily?
  • How will you measure productivity when you can’t see them working?

Set up a system for regular feedback in both directions. The best assistant relationships evolve as you learn each other’s strengths and preferences.

When hiring an executive assistant remotely, technology skills become even more important. 

As Ethan Bull explains: “When the iPhone came out and then you had the emergence of SaaS products and a lot of work happening in the browser as opposed to on an operating system, those things were all screaming at us that we could do what we do at a high level remotely and be platform agnostic.“

Professional managing tasks on a laptop while holding a smartphone.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

Let’s address some common questions about C-Level executive assistants:

What Makes a C-Level Executive Assistant Different From Other Executive Assistants?

C-level executive assistants typically have more experience working with demanding principals who are being pulled in multiple directions. 

They understand the pace and pressure you face as a top-level executive and have developed the judgment needed to make decisions on your behalf.

The difference often comes down to:

  • Experience Level: They’ve typically worked with senior executives before
  • Autonomy: They can operate with less of your supervision and make judgment calls
  • Business Acumen: They understand your organizational dynamics and executive priorities
  • Strategic Thinking: They anticipate your needs rather than just responding to requests

As Ethan puts it: “The difference is that at the C-level, you’re not just following instructions—you’re partnering with the executive to help them achieve their goals.”

What Skills Are Most Important for a High-Level Administrative Support Role?

The most crucial executive assistant skills for high-level administrative support include:

  • Genuine Care About Your Work: This foundation drives everything else
  • Meticulous Attention to Detail: Double and triple-checking everything before it reaches the executive
  • Learning Agility: Quickly adapting to new technologies, processes, and preferences
  • Initiative: Proactively identifying issues and presenting solutions, not just problems
  • Discretion: Handling confidential information with absolute professionalism
  • Communication Excellence: Expressing ideas clearly and concisely in writing and verbally
  • Prioritization: Managing competing demands and knowing what’s truly important

How Does Executive Assistant Management Impact Business Success?

Good EA management directly impacts your bottom line. When you leverage your assistant’s talents effectively, you reclaim valuable hours each week.

Those hours can then be used for high-impact work that truly grows your business. Executives who delegate operational details can concentrate on revenue-generating activities. This makes the entire company more efficient and profitable.

The best partnerships create seamless workflows. Nothing gets missed, decisions move faster, and your leadership impact multiplies throughout the organization.

Conclusion

What could you accomplish if you reclaimed 30% of your working hours currently devoted to tasks someone else could handle? How would your business grow if you focused exclusively on strategy and revenue-generating activities?

This is where ProAssisting comes in.

Our remote executive assistants—or “ProAssistants”—bring elite-level support typically reserved for Fortune 500 executives to businesses of all sizes. ProAssistants are industry-agnostic professionals who quickly adapt to your business, preferences, and work style.

More importantly, we ensure that 80% of your monthly retainer goes directly to your ProAssistant—unheard of in the virtual assistant industry. This approach attracts and retains top talent, meaning your ProAssistant is likely to stay with you for the long haul.

Schedule a free consultation with ProAssisting co-founder Ethan Bull to discuss your specific needs and see if working with a ProAssistant is right for you.