Despite layoffs hitting executive assistants at companies including PwC and McKinsey, the role may not be disappearing. It may be evolving into something more powerful.
In the age of AI, the best executive assistants won’t just manage calendars and expenses, says Adnan Khan, cofounder and co-CEO of executive assistant staffing firm Viva Talent. They’ll increasingly act as proxies for the executives they support.
“The goal is to be as much of a proxy for the executive as possible and all the things that cannot be done by AI,” he says. “So, less assistant, more executive.”
Khan says he hasn’t had many clients tell him they are cutting EA roles. Instead, they are looking for more advanced assistants who can leverage AI strategically to support larger teams, manage more complex workflows, and take on responsibilities traditionally reserved for managers or chiefs of staff.
That could mean running company-wide meetings on an executive’s behalf, coordinating cross-functional initiatives, or even conducting initial performance reviews for an executive’s direct reports, Khan predicts.
