The Future-Proof EA is the concept at the heart of my training and public speaking for Executive Assistants. Here’s why.

Let’s be honest: AI isn’t the biggest threat to Executive Assistants (or related roles, such as Management Assistants, C-Suite Assistants, Personal Assistants or Personal Assistants) . The real problem? Thinking that task-based skills will keep you relevant.

For years, Executive Assistants have been told to sharpen their tech skills, master AI tools, and keep up with digital transformation. But here’s the truth: being great at using AI won’t make you indispensable. Because AI is evolving – fast. It’s learning how to do calendars, emails, data analysis, and project management better than any human ever could.

So, if your biggest career strategy is “I’ll just be great at using AI,” that’s not future-proofing. That’s waiting to be replaced.

If you want to stay relevant, thrive, and become irreplaceable, you need to master the skills AI can’t replicate.

Business knowledge is critical

True, it’s been years since I last worked as a top Personal Assistant and office manager myself. Since then, I’ve managed, budgets and stakeholders in very different sectors. And its has given a completely new perspective on my executive support career.

There are lots of things I know now that I wish I had known back then. Luckily, many of those things are still very relevant to other Executive Assistants today and I get to share them through my speaking and training engagements.

Here is one: if you want to be more than a task-doer, you need to understand the world your executive operates in.

That means:

• Knowing business strategy, not just scheduling meetings
• Mastering leadership communication, not just email etiquette
• Understanding financial priorities, not just expense reports
• Anticipating leadership needs, not just waiting for instructions

Most Executive Assistants figure this out the hard way through trial and error, trying to pick up business knowledge along the way.

But here’s the problem:

• Many EAs don’t know where to start.
• They waste time learning the wrong things.
• They end up overwhelmed by LinkedIn Learning videos, leadership books, and training sessions without a clear roadmap.

Do you feel overwhelmed?

One of the biggest challenges I hear from EAs is this: “I know I need to learn beyond admin, but there’s so much out there; where do I even start?” Many EAs are drowning in learning resources on business, finance, leadership, and communication. But without a clear structure, it’s just noise.

I recently saw EAs saying: “I have SO many saved LinkedIn Learning videos – on finance, AI, marketing, project management – but not enough time to consume it all.” “I looked for books and blogs to bridge the gap, but most were too broad.” “Before 2018, I didn’t even know to ask for development opportunities.”

The problem isn’t that EAs don’t want to learn. The problem is that there’s no structured career roadmap to follow.

That’s where The Future-Proof EA comes in.

Soft skills

There’s a common misconception that “soft skills” aren’t as valuable as technical skills. Wrong.

Executives aren’t looking for an assistant who just knows 10 different software programs. They want someone who can:

• Influence high-level conversations
• Handle complex stakeholder relationships
• Communicate with clarity and confidence

Because guess what? AI will always evolve. But your ability to negotiate, manage people, and lead discussions will always set you apart.

Read the room

Here’s a situation you may recognise: I once worked for a CEO who relied on me not for admin work, but because I could walk into a meeting, read the room, and tell him what he’d missed.

AI can take meeting notes, track speaker sentiment, and summarise discussions. But what it can’t do is read the power dynamics in the room, spot the political undercurrents, or tell an executive when someone is subtly undermining their position.

It’s in a weird way similar to one of my first jobs, as a cub reporter covering local council meetings for local newspapers. I had to learn to read the room quickly – not just who said what, but what the dynamics in the meeting were. It certainly came in handy when I was an EA and office manager years later.

Career strategy

Now, that’s where The Future-Proof EA steps in. You don’t need more admin training. You don’t need to take 20 different courses on AI tools. You don’t need to be the best at using software.

What you do need is a career strategy that moves you from task-doer to strategic partner. That’s why I created The Future-Proof EA framework. It teaches you how to:

• Master the skills that actually matter
• Develop executive-level decision-making abilities
• Position yourself as an indispensable business asset

This is what keeps you valuable: not being the fastest at using AI, but being the person executives rely on when AI falls short.

Stay relevant

If you’re still only focusing on admin skills, you’re limiting your potential. If you’re overwhelmed by where to start, you’re not alone.

If you want to stay relevant in an AI-driven world, you need to think beyond today’s tasks and focus on tomorrow’s strategy. The EAs who thrive aren’t just efficient – they’re influential.