Executive Coordinator vs. Executive Assistant: Which Should Be Your Next Hire?

High-performing business leaders can’t do everything themselves. They rely on administrative assistants to bring teams into alignment and free up time for the highest-priority tasks.

At the heart of this support are executive coordinators and executive assistants (EAs). Both require strong administrative capabilities and share many of the same skills, but their focus and scope are different. While EAs provide direct, hands-on support to individual executives, the role of executive coordinators is broader, involving cross-team work that keeps operations running smoothly.

This guide compares executive coordinators versus executive assistants, outlining their core responsibilities so you can make the best choice for your next administrative hire.

What Is an Executive Assistant, and What Do They Do?

An EA is a specific type of administrative assistant (AA), so to understand their role, it helps to first focus on what an administrative assistant is.

Rather than executing core business objectives, EAs provide the day-to-day operational support executives need. They take over the basic tasks that would distract leaders from focusing on high-level objectives. 

What an executive assistant does extends beyond administrative duties. EAs take over busywork like scheduling and inbox management, but the highest-level EAs also serve as support strategists. They have the training and resources to anticipate executive needs and manage workflows, making them proactive, strategic partners.

Standard clerical and administrative tasks EAs can do include:

• Manage calendars: EAs coordinate schedules and keep them up-to-date for optimal time management and to avoid double-booking.
• Facilitate meetings: They prepare agendas to keep meetings productive and distill notes for easy reference at a glance later.
• Conduct research: EAs gather and synthesize key information so leaders can focus on making decisions rather than poring through documents.
• Optimize office space: If they work on-site, EAs can organize office space and supplies for efficiency and easy access.
• Arrange travel: EAs book flights, hotels, and transportation, keeping the arrangements convenient and cost-effective. 
• Prepare written documents: They write and edit emails, reports, and other materials to ensure they communicate effectively and are up to company professional standards.
• Organize inboxes: EAs streamline crowded inboxes, filtering out nonessential messages and prioritizing messages that require attention.
• Foster relationships: EAs strengthen professional relationships by keeping the lines of communication open and making timely follow-ups.
• Maintain confidentiality: EAs understand organizational privacy and confidentiality guidelines and handle sensitive information with discretion.

Athena Assistants do all this and more. Only the top 1% of candidates make it to Athena Bootcamp, where trainers equip them with advanced capabilities like:

• Project management: Athena EAs oversee projects from start to finish, making sure teams meet their deadlines and use resources efficiently.
• Process improvement: They implement process improvement methodologies to streamline workflows and decision-making.
• Event planning: Athena EAs organize conferences of all sizes, managing logistics and participants to create engaging live or virtual experiences.
• Expense tracking: Athena EAs can design budgets and create accurate expense reports to keep financial plans on target.

Partner with an Athena Assistant to see how much more you can get done with a world-class EA in your corner.

What Is an Executive Coordinator, and What Do They Do?

While their work spans teams and departments, executive coordinators share many of the same skills and responsibilities as EAs:

• Manage calendars: Executive coordinators set up meetings with many participants within and across teams, not just one-on-one appointments.
• Facilitate meetings: They organize cross-functional meetings and prepare materials for group discussion, then summarize results and distribute them to department heads.
• Arrange travel: They plan logistics for off-sites, conferences, and other events involving multiple departments.
• Foster relationships: Executive coordinators build connections between departments to strengthen collaboration and information sharing.

In many cases, executive coordinators extend the very same tasks EAs perform to wider groups, such as:

• Track departmental budgets: Executive coordinators monitor departmental spending to keep it within financial limits. They can also help with payroll and procurement.
• Internal communications: Executive coordinators act as liaisons between different departments to collect updates and fill in cross-team information gaps.
• Manage employees: In some organizations, executive coordinators may oversee administrative staff, taking on duties similar to an office manager.

Scope and Function: Executive Coordinators and EAs Compared

The responsibilities of executive coordinators and EAs overlap in many areas, but these two roles are not precisely the same. EAs provide support to a single executive, while coordinators operate across teams, helping to keep organizations aligned.

This distinction can show up in how each role manages meetings. EAs ensure their executives’ meetings are purposeful and on point. They prepare briefing material and agendas and take notes of action items for follow up. Coordinators handle broader logistics. They organize multistakeholder sessions such as cross-departmental reviews and ensure all participants leave in alignment.

Apart from their responsibilities, executive coordinators and EAs have many skills in common, including:

• Organization and time management: Both roles involve knowing how to work with and around what is many organizations’ most limited resource: time.
• Effective communication: Knowing how to convey information accurately and in an easily understandable way is critical for both EAs and executive coordinators.
• Technology proficiency: Executive coordinators and EAs multiply their own productivity when they know how to take advantage of the latest tools and technology, like AI.
• Interpersonal skills: Both types of AAs must be able to interact professionally with executives and other team members.
• Discretion: Both work with sensitive information that needs to be handled with care.

When To Choose an Executive Coordinator, an EA, or Both

The right support for your organization depends on your specific needs. Start by identifying your biggest pain points. Are your executives overloaded by scheduling and communications tasks? EAs can take over to give them more time to focus on strategy. Are information gaps between departments the main problem? Then both an EA and an executive coordinator might be valuable additions.

Once you have a clear picture of what needs fixing, match the role to the scope. EAs work at the individual level, amplifying the effectiveness of one leader, while executive coordinators’ focus is organization-wide. Carefully weighing these considerations will help you determine when to hire an EA or to also onboard an executive coordinator. 

Many organizations struggle to balance the need for high-level executive support with the broader demands of cross-functional coordination. Athena bridges this gap. Our EAs are trained to combine individualized support with cross-team collaboration so nothing slips through the cracks.

Get Started With an Athena Assistant

Athena Assistants offer busy executives the best of both worlds on one salary. They free you from the routine daily tasks that take time away from the high-impact work only you can do and coordinate across teams to keep the entire operation running smoothly. From keeping your inbox organized to optimizing processes throughout the organization, Athena Assistants help you and your team get more done in less time without sacrificing quality.

Get started with an Athena Assistant today and maximize your productivity and success.