EA PROFILE
You work for multiple managers ; how do you prioritise their competing demands ? I ’ m very fortunate that they are very different and equally amazing , so learning what works best for each of them balances out my time perfectly .
What skills or traits do you think are essential for thriving as an executive assistant ? Communication is absolutely key . Not just face-to-face communication , but also phone calls , texts or emails - keep it high-level , direct and make it clear . If you just need a yes or no answer from someone , and you send them 100 sentences , it will confuse people . I think a lot and want to give all the information to make decision-making easier , but it ’ s not always needed . You need to funnel it down and just keep it really clear and concise . Knowing who you are communicating with is also very important as everyone has different perspectives .
How do you find a work-life balance between your work and your personal life ? I ’ m very grateful that Deloitte has a wonderful , flexible , and respectful policy . Whether you ’ re a parent , student or athlete , they understand that for you to succeed in your role and to support your colleagues , coaches and team successfully , you must also have a healthy and balanced personal life . They respect that we ’ re human beings , not robots , which is great . If you ’ re studying , they encourage you to complete your studies to the best of your ability . You have to organise yourself too – it ’ s not just all ‘ them ’. You also have to take it upon yourself to plan , prepare and follow through with your commitments .
Balance is also about setting your own boundaries . Whether it ’ s urgent or not , you have to figure that out on your own – what ’ s more important to you ? For me , my family comes first , followed by my job , church , the community and then everything else funnels down from there like social events , sport and catch-ups . Travel plays a large role in my life as it helps me switch off , rest and refresh for everything I am committed to throughout the year .
What are your go-to tools or software for managing tasks , schedules or communication at work ? Because I often work remotely , I don ’ t always have access to a scanner . I ’ ve been using ( since Covid lockdown ) this PDF mobile scan app on my phone – it ’ s amazing ! You can either scan everything as a JPG or PDF , and it ’ ll export it as either . It saves everything you ’ ve ever scanned in that app , so I can go back to 2021 and see the date and what I scanned then . It ’ s safe and secure , and you can just scan wherever you are – you don ’ t have to keep all those receipts . It is super underrated !
What is your favourite productivity hack or organisational method that you swear by ? I ’ m so grateful that Outlook has this functionality where you can flag things , for instance today , tomorrow , next week or customise the date and set reminders . If it weren ’ t for that , then there would be so many things that I would lose track of ! I ’ m not sure how EAs did it back in the day !
Any career highlights that you can mention ? I recently helped coordinate the ‘ Meet and Greet ’ moments when American Football star Tom Brady was in Melbourne . Efficiency was important because 300 people , over two sessions , have paid $ 1000 + a ticket to get their photo taken with him , but you only have 45 minutes to get it done . I think you need an efficient mindset to pull something off as successfully as the team did . EAs understand the urgency of getting things done . It makes those around us look great , and fortunately , us as well .
What did you want to do when growing up ? I never thought about this until two weeks ago , when I was talking to a friend . I remember watching a movie and one of the characters was wearing heels and dresses and running around the city getting things done . I always thought ‘ I ’ d love to do that one day ’! I never knew what the role would be , but I always knew that it would be something that I ’ d like to do . Now , here I am !
What surprised you the most about the role of an executive assistant ? What ’ s surprised me is that it ’ s not for everyone . It is a highpressure environment , so I ’ m very glad to be coming from a hospitality background , where pressure is your best friend . Otherwise , sooner or later , you crumble . I have been able to adapt those skills to my corporate role . I have a thick skin but I also have a gentle attitude which is important because of the different personalities you deal with .
How do you navigate situations where confidentiality or discretion is critical ? I don ’ t know if it ’ s because of my faith , which certainly helps . I think when you ’ ve been on the other side of someone telling your secret , and you know how much it hurts - whether it ’ s work-related or personal , you would never wish that upon anyone else . I ’ m a good promise-keeper and a good secretkeeper ! Everyone is different , but I feel sick when I hear gossip , and it ’ s easy to shut it down . I think growing up in a Latino household helped ! You tell your mom something in confidence , and the next moment , the whole family knows ! I think that shaped me to have natural privacy settings , ha !
What trends or changes in the corporate world will impact the role of EAs in future ? I don ’ t think the executive assistant role will be affected because even with AI , you still need someone with feet on the ground to fulfil that role .
If you could have lunch with any executive or historical figure , who would that be and why ? I had a discussion with a friend recently , and we wondered if we could be an EA to anyone in the world , who it would be . For me , it would be Georgina , who is Christiano Ronaldo ’ s wife or Toto Wolff , CEO of Mercedes in Formula One , and not forgetting Mark Bouris of The Apprentice ! Honestly , if I could be God ’ s EA – that too !
What is the one thing most people don ’ t realise about the role of an EA ? We really , really care more than you ’ ll ever think or know . We have hearts that care too much sometimes ! If you ’ re an EA and don ’ t like helping , you ’ re in the wrong industry . S
Autumn Issue 2025 | Executive PA 25