The right executive assistant gives you more time to focus on the work only you can do. Here are practical ways to get more out of the partnership, for CEOs and the assistants who support them.
If you’re a CEO, you take on more than most. Hiring an executive assistant is one of the best moves you can make, and the numbers show why. Executives spend an average of 16 hours a week on manual administrative work, or two full working days, and managers spend only about 15% of their time planning ahead. A good executive assistant hands those hours back.
When you have that support in place, you can focus on the tasks that matter most. This guide covers practical ways to make the partnership work, whether you’re the CEO doing the hiring or the EA looking to grow in the role.
Key takeaways
An executive assistant frees up a busy leader’s time for the decisions only they can make.
The EA connects the CEO to the rest of the organization. The role calls for organization, clear communication, and discretion.
EAs manage schedules, communications, travel, research, and projects, and they can do all of it remotely.
What is an executive assistant to a CEO?
An executive assistant to a CEO is a senior administrative professional who provides comprehensive support to a chief executive.
The role connects the CEO to the rest of the organization and keeps daily operations running. That support ranges from managing your schedule to helping you make decisions.
Key attributes and skill sets of an executive assistant.
Looking for the right person for the job? A strong executive assistant brings a mix of technical and soft skills.
| Skill | What it looks like on the job |
|---|---|
| Organization and time management | Handling many tasks at once and knowing which one comes first. |
| Strong communication | Writing and speaking clearly, which matters most when they answer email on your behalf. |
| Discretion and trust | Handling confidential information with care. |
| Resourcefulness | Finding a solution when a situation gets difficult and nobody is available to ask. |
| Tech savvy | Working comfortably in productivity tools and picking up new software quickly. |
| Adaptability | Adjusting when priorities shift, often on the same day. |
What is the role of the executive assistant to the CEO?
The role of the executive assistant has grown from traditional secretary to strategic partner of the leadership team. Delegating tasks to an EA helps the CEO focus on the most important work without falling behind on everything else.
EAs now offer input on decisions the leadership team makes. They can also work remotely, which costs less than an in-office hire and makes it easier to adjust support as the CEO’s needs change.
What does an executive assistant to the CEO do?
An executive assistant keeps the day running so the CEO can focus. The main responsibilities include the following.
Manage the CEO’s calendar and schedule.
The EA owns the CEO’s daily schedule, from meetings to travel. Good time management makes sure the CEO is in the right place at the right time, with their calendar lined up behind their priorities.
Act as the point of contact for the CEO.
The EA is the main point of contact for executives, employees, clients, and outside partners. They screen and respond to emails and calls on the CEO’s behalf.
To do this well, they sort out what needs immediate attention and what can wait, so the CEO stays focused on high-priority work.
Delegate and follow up on tasks.
A skilled executive assistant knows how to hand work to the right people and then follow up to keep it on track. They make sure projects reach the right team members and stay on schedule, and they keep the CEO updated on progress.
Coordinate travel arrangements and logistics.
The EA handles travel from start to finish, whether it’s a domestic trip or an international one. That means booking flights, arranging accommodations, and setting up appointments along the way.
Research and manage information.
CEOs need good information to make good decisions. An executive assistant gathers and sorts data, market trends, and industry insights. They also prepare agendas and documents for the meetings and events the CEO attends.
Gatekeep and prioritize work.
More requests reach the executive team than any one person can handle, and the EA manages the flow. They filter requests and inquiries to protect the CEO’s focus, and they flag the matters that genuinely need the CEO’s attention.
No commitment
Meet your executive assistant before you pay anything
Magic handles the sourcing, screening, and onboarding. You aren’t charged until you start working together, and there’s no long-term contract.
For CEOs: getting the most from your EA.
The demands on an executive assistant are high. With a proactive EA working alongside you, you can stay focused on the right things. Here are a few productivity tips to help.
Don’t do everything yourself.
As a CEO, it’s tempting to stay involved in everything. You’re the leader, and you want things done right. But that mindset works against you.
Doing it all yourself leads to burnout, micromanagement, and less time for the decisions only you can make. You get more done when you focus on your core duties.
Trust your team to handle their roles, especially your EA, who has the skills to support you. That gives you back the hours you need for strategy and for deciding where the company goes next.
Embrace technology.
The right tools help CEOs run operations with less manual work and make decisions from better data. You don’t have to become an expert in any of them. Being open to trying them is enough.
That might mean project management software for team collaboration, or analytics tools to understand your customers. Leaders are moving fast here: frequent AI use among leaders rose from 17% in 2023 to 44% by late 2025, faster adoption than any other group at work.
| Tool | What CEOs and EAs use it for |
|---|---|
| Writing, research, and analysis | |
| ChatGPT | Drafting documents, summarizing long threads, and working through analysis. |
| Claude | Long-document review, writing, and research with source citations. |
| Gemini | The same kind of drafting and research work, connected to Google Workspace. |
| Jasper | Marketing copy written to a saved brand voice. |
| Media and content production | |
| Descript | Editing recorded video and audio by editing the transcript. |
| DALL·E 3 | Generating images from a written description. |
| Midjourney | Generating images when you want more control over the visual style. |
| Calendar and inbox | |
| Reclaim | Scheduling meetings and protecting blocks of focused work time. |
| SaneBox | Sorting incoming email so the important messages surface first. |
Even with strong AI tools, people still matter. Keep a human in the loop, such as your EA, to check the output for accuracy before it goes anywhere.
Develop effective communication practices.
Clear communication is the basis of good leadership. It’s how you keep your team, stakeholders, and clients aligned with your goals.
Spend time on the basics: active listening and honest feedback. Put communication plans and tools in place, and keep things open so people trust each other.
Your EA only knows what you tell them. Share the company’s direction, progress, and challenges regularly, and tell them directly when they’re doing well, or when they’re not.
Let your EA enter your world.
Treat your executive assistant as a strategic partner. Share context so they can make good decisions on your behalf.
Meet with your EA regularly to talk through priorities, challenges, and goals. The more they see how you work, the better they understand what you need.
With that understanding, they can filter and prioritize tasks, manage your schedule, and represent you well, working alongside you toward the same goals.
For executive assistants: how to become indispensable to your CEO.
If you support a CEO, a few habits separate a good executive assistant from one a leader can’t work without. Here’s where to focus.
Five habits to build
Anticipate instead of react. The best EAs solve problems before they reach the CEO’s desk. Watch for patterns in what gets asked of you, then prepare the next step ahead of time, whether that’s the briefing document or the backup plan for a canceled flight.
Treat the calendar as part of the strategy. Protecting a CEO’s time means protecting their priorities. Group similar meetings together and push back on requests that don’t fit the quarter’s goals.
Get the gatekeeping balance right. Screen hard enough to protect focus, but not so hard that important things stall. When you’re unsure, pass it along with a recommendation rather than a blank question.
Earn trust through discretion. You’ll see sensitive information before anyone else does. Handling it quietly and consistently is what turns you from a scheduler into a trusted partner.
Learn the business as well as the boss. Once you understand what drives the company, you can make calls in the CEO’s voice, and that’s what frees up their time.
Hire the best executive assistant for your company with Magic
An executive assistant to the CEO sits between you and everyone trying to reach you. They keep your day organized, which affects how well the rest of the organization runs.
Delegate the work you shouldn’t be doing, use the tools that save time, and give your EA the context they need. You’ll get hours back every week.
Magic can find you an executive assistant who fits how you work. Our EAs are screened, trained on Magic AI and the other tools you already use, and based in the Philippines and Latin America working US hours. You can see current rates on our pricing page, or read what clients say in our reviews.
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Get two working days back every week.
Magic sources, screens, and onboards your executive assistant. You meet them first, you aren’t charged until you start working together, and there’s no long-term contract.
