Executive Assistant vs. Secretary: Who Adds More Business Value?

Many leaders would feel a void without secretaries and executive assistants (EAs). Both are indispensable, but there are significant differences in their roles. 

A secretary focuses on administrative tasks. While an EA does clerical work, they also contribute strategically to organizations. Understanding the differences between a secretary and an EA helps founders and high-level managers effectively leverage the support these positions provide. 

Read on to learn the differences between an executive assistant versus a secretary, traditional secretary duties, and how both roles help position companies for growth. 

What Does an Executive Assistant Do?

It’s easy to assume an EA is just a copy of what an administrative assistant is, but their role is far more dynamic. An EA typically works side by side with top executives. They contribute to the decision-making process, ensuring follow-through on both everyday tasks and larger strategic imperatives. 

Common EA tasks include: 

• Assisting with strategic planning and follow-ups: EAs track key decisions you make and follow up on action items to ensure high-level initiatives stay on track. 
• Tracking and coordinating key projects: EAs have their eye on next steps. They coordinate stakeholders and keep everyone aligned on a timeline. 
• Managing relationships and communications: If a question comes up, the EA acts as the main point of contact. They protect their leader’s time by filtering requests and only bringing forward issues that require executive attention. 
• Conducting research and providing insight: EAs often collect data, analyze trends, and assess competition to inform projects. They then offer their assessments to help guide executive direction. 
• Supporting executive decision-making with summaries: Well-written executive summaries are staples in many organizations. EAs prepare data and write briefs so final decision makers have the information they need to proceed with confidence. 
• Planning and organizing executive events: EAs prepare key elements of strategic planning sessions like meetings, offsites, and high-stakes presentations. 

The best EAs anticipate what executives need and deliver results without being asked. They streamline operations so leaders can focus on high-value work, informed by their EAs’ contributions. 

Athena Assistants combine precision and strategic awareness to elevate executive performance. With world-class training, they’re ready to provide the seamless delegation and proactive support that makes them indispensable to executives. Partner with an Athena Assistant and see your productivity and business success accelerate.

What Does a Secretary Do?

A remote or office secretary tends to focus on day-to-day clerical and administrative tasks.

Typical secretary duties include: 

• Scheduling appointments and meetings
• Fielding incoming calls, screening emails, and checking in visitors
• Clerical work, such as organizing mail and other correspondence and documents
• Providing assistance with bookkeeping and accounting
• Ordering office supplies and contributing to day-to-day office maintenance
• Helping organize meetings, presentations, and offsites 

Key Differences Between Secretaries and Executive Assistants

Secretaries and EAs both provide support to leadership, but there are a few essential differences:

• Scope of work: Secretaries take on traditional support roles focused on office functioning. They schedule appointments and meetings and may attend them in a note-taking role. EAs do all of the above, but they go further to directly support leaders, including contributing to strategic discussions and decision-making. 
• Level of autonomy: A secretary’s role is generally limited to assigned clerical tasks with limited decision-making powers. EAs, on the other hand, often have the power to use their discretion as gatekeepers for leaders. For instance, they screen calls, decide which meetings to take (or not), and manage communications so the executive doesn’t have to. 
• Organizational impact: Secretaries support team efficiency by ensuring the office runs smoothly. EAs shape outcomes by contributing directly to executive decision-making. 

The bottom line is that while both roles handle administrative tasks, EAs drive a higher level of productivity. 

Essential Skills: Secretary vs. Executive Assistant

Both roles require strong skills, but specialization depends on the duties and responsibilities of the position. 

Skills a Secretary Should Have

Secretaries excel at managing logistics and handling day-to-day operations. Key skills include: 

• Communication handling: Workplaces can be fast-paced. Secretaries must be able to juggle calls, emails, chats, and in-person visitors. 
• Administrative support: Secretaries need clerical skills like updating calendars and organizing files to keep schedules and reports maintained and easy for execs to review. 
• Office maintenance: A secretary needs to stay up to date with ordering office supplies, coordinating repairs, and keeping the office clean and functional.

Skills an Executive Assistant Should Have

An EA’s skillset includes many of the same abilities of a secretary but goes further. Key responsibilities include:

• Strategic planning: EAs should be able to think like executives. They need an understanding of the company’s priorities and how to align with execs to make them happen. 
• Decision-making: EAs need to be able to think on their feet so they don’t waste an executive’s time. For example, they decide which calls to put through or meetings to take. 
• Research and analysis: Data skills are essential to an EA’s role. From collection to synthesis and analysis, EAs package data to help streamline and inform the decision-making process. 
• Leadership skills: As the traffic cops for project timelines and executive touchpoints, EAs need confidence, clear communication, and strategic awareness to influence people and keep them on track. 

How To Choose Between a Secretary and an Executive Assistant

Deciding between a secretary and an EA depends on the goals and growth path of your business. 

Athena’s EAs handle everything outlined below — from administrative tasks to cross-functional coordination. Here’s how to ensure you’re making the best decision:

• Assess your business needs: Consider hiring a secretary if you only need help with clerical tasks. But if you need someone who can provide day-to-day administrative support and meaningfully contribute to strategy and execution, an EA is the right fit. 
• Understand the difference in scope: If you only need help with tasks like scheduling appointments and staying organized, a secretary can make sense. If you're an executive requiring a proactive person who anticipates priorities and contributes to planning and execution, hire an EA. 
• Consider team structure and leadership: Smaller startups might benefit more from the presence of an EA. Larger organizations with multiple departments can effectively use both EAs and secretaries across teams and business units. 
• Evaluate the impact on productivity: If your decision-making process is slow, it might be due to leadership’s lack of time to focus on organization. An EA can take over lower-priority tasks, condensing information, sticking to timelines, and keeping all stakeholders on the same page. 
• Factor in career development potential: EAs often grow into executive leadership roles. If this trajectory is important in your company, an EA may be more valuable long-term than a secretary, who tends to remain in support mode. 

Executive Assistant vs. Personal Assistant

People often confuse EAs with personal assistants (PAs), but their roles differ, much like the distinction between secretaries and EAs.

A PA generally takes care of personal matters for high-level individuals. They run errands and maintain schedules, focusing on the person, not the business they work for. While EAs can provide coverage in these areas, they’re also integral to operations inside a company. They work for the company, not the executive, even though their position focuses on supporting an executive. 

Get Started With an Athena Assistant

An Athena Assistant takes everyday and strategic tasks off your plate, allowing you to focus on high-value work. They streamline operations, scheduling, and workflows and help you prioritize process improvements with long-term impact. Our dedicated EAs ensure your business stays agile.

Athena Assistants are the hidden superpower behind top investors and world-class leaders, so you're in good company. We're excited for the opportunity to work with you.

‍Get started with Athena today and unlock your company’s full potential.