8 min read
The executive assistant often has the most context on the principal, and in many cases is already doing security-related work: coordinating events, travel, hotels, drivers and what the media team posts. A short checklist for travel and events, tighter habits around what gets shared when something is booked, and a partner who can serve as a fractional head of safety help the team set parameters and raise concerns before they get lost in the day. When something looks off, the EA should be able to ask that partner, and the principal should give them clear guardrails and the authority to act.
By Isaac Ferland, CEO of The Executive Protection Source
Why does the executive assistant sit so close to security?
The scope of an executive assistant or executive admin changes from one business to the next. What stays useful in every version of the role is the same thing that helps in other parts of the company: understanding the language of the team, and knowing what actually matters.
That matters because the EA is often the person coordinating with the events team, with the media team on what gets posted, and with the venues, hotels and drivers the principal will use. In a lot of cases, they are already handling security-related tasks without thinking of them that way.
They typically have the most context and information about the principal, unless the company already has a safety advisor or a team member whose job is to focus on that. That context is the starting point for setting safety parameters as the EA works with each part of the team. A short playbook or checklist for travel and events gives them something they can go through quickly. The details of that list stay with the firm. What belongs in a public article is why a few of the questions on it matter.
What booking and sharing habits create extra exposure?
This comes down to operational security. When an EA shares an entire schedule, plus extra context the vendor does not need, that creates more exposure than giving that person only their piece of the puzzle. The same is true of family details, or future plans that have nothing to do with the task in front of them.
This usually happens because of how much an EA is already coordinating, and because some of it gets passed over for lack of time. The aim is to help them do the job more efficiently.
What should be on an EA's radar?
It is hard to reduce this to a single checklist item. A few questions come up often enough that they are worth naming, without turning this into a template.
Booking hotels and rentals under a different name, or under another team member, reduces how easily those reservations can be tied to the principal.
A light look at the travel plan, short of a full on-the-ground advance, can change the day. If another event is already in that city, it can make movement and coordination harder, especially if the people attending it are not aligned with the principal. Understanding that early, including what it means for routes and for the drivers, can help the team avoid the conflict altogether. In a perfect world, that extra step is passed to a head of safety, or to a fractional head of safety.
There is also a project management piece. If a vendor installed cameras at the office or the house, or put software in place, someone has to check back later and confirm the work was actually finished. That follow-up can live with a head of safety. The EA still needs a reminder that it has to get done.
The same list should make it clear how concerns get flagged to the people who work with the EA, including the chief of staff. That might be once a week, once a month, or immediately when something comes up: this is a concern, and we need to figure it out.
It also helps to look at the principal's exposure in a city they have been to before. We have tools and processes to help with this when you work with us.
What should an EA do when something looks off?
Ideally, they have a partner they can reach out to and ask, a fractional head of safety. That is the first move, and it is enough to say in public.
They also need a strategy for what the principal would like. If the situation starts to drift past that, the EA should be able to avoid it altogether, maybe by not going to a specific event, or by bringing in the right resources to handle going.
When should a task go to a head of safety?
If the EA is unsure, that is the point of having a head of safety or a fractional head of safety: let them look at it. That person should already be ingrained in the operation, going over things to make the EA's life easier. If you have the thought, you go to them. Keeping people safe keeps the business going.
A lot of the follow-up, and the deeper look at travel, can be handed to that person, so the EA is not trying to carry a full safety function on top of everything else they already run. This is the role The Executive Protection Source fills for teams that do not have a dedicated safety advisor. We communicate with the EA and the other key people around the principal, and we help establish parameters, controls and concentric rings of protection.
Which relationships usually need an NDA?
It is worth making sure a non-disclosure agreement is actually in place where it is needed. A few relationships come up often.
If unknown people are coming into the family's home, an NDA belongs in that picture. The property or estate manager often handles it. The same is true of a company event at the house. People coming in should not be taking and sharing pictures of the interior, because that creates a security risk. An NDA helps set that expectation.
If the team is using a regular black car service, there is already a professional understanding that contracted drivers do not share confidential information. An NDA is an added layer.
It also helps when people are brought in to consult on product development or strategic planning, so that information is not shared or used outside the work.
How does a principal give the EA time and authority?
This comes down to the relationship with the executive assistant, executive admin or chief of staff who is owning the security work. If that person can already sign emails, checks and documents for the principal, this work should carry similar authority, with some financial guardrails.
The conversation can be straightforward. As long as it falls within this budget, use your discretion, and we will keep building the safety posture. If the principal does not want things to exceed a certain cost or a certain amount of time, they should say so. That should be an honest conversation, and it ties into finance, the family office or the rest of the business: what do we want to allocate to this?
Understanding the scope, talking it through with the EA and giving those guardrails is extremely helpful. It also means setting aside time to sit down with the head of safety and the EA or chief of staff when something looks unsafe, or when there are questions.
For a make-or-break decision, the EA or chief of staff should, where the relationship allows, be able to get a thumbs up or thumbs down from the head of safety and change the plan: skip the event, change the schedule or the timing, or bring in more resources. The exact shape of that authority depends on the trust between the principal and this role.
When this sits as a business resource, there can be tax implications for a necessary head of safety for the business, and the principal is covered as part of that. That is a conversation to have with the company's own advisors. It is not a substitute for setting the scope and the guardrails first.
Who else does this apply to?
A lot of the same thinking belongs in a chief of staff playbook. The two roles can work from the same set of questions. Estate managers see crossover too, including when people are coming into the home. Knowing the language helps all of them communicate with a safety or security team when one is involved.
Where can an executive assistant learn this language?
Above all, the EA benefits from understanding what happens on the security and safety side, and how they can plug into it in a way that helps the principal and the rest of the team.
The Gatehouse is a place to build that knowledge. Follow The Executive Protection Source for more insights. Join The Gatehouse for resources. And if you have a question about your own situation, reach out here.
FAQ
How does an executive assistant play into a principal's security posture?
The executive assistant often has the most context on the principal, and is frequently already coordinating events, travel, hotels, drivers and what gets posted. That work is part of the security picture, even when nobody is calling it that. A short checklist, tighter booking and sharing habits, and a partner who can serve as a fractional head of safety help the rest of the team set parameters and raise concerns.
What booking habits create extra exposure?
Sharing an entire schedule, plus context a vendor does not need, creates more exposure than giving that person only their piece of the puzzle. Family details and future plans that are not part of the task belong in the same category. Booking hotels and rentals under a different name, or under another team member, reduces how easily those reservations can be tied to the principal.
What should an EA do when something looks off?
They should be able to ask a partner, a fractional head of safety. They also need a strategy for what the principal would like. If the situation starts to drift past that, the EA should be able to skip a specific event, or bring in the right resources to go.
When should a task go to a head of safety?
If the EA is unsure, that is the point of having a head of safety or a fractional head of safety: let them look at it. They should already be ingrained in the operation, going over things to make the EA's life easier. If you have the thought, you go to them.
Which relationships usually need an NDA?
NDAs come up when unknown people are coming into the family's home, including a company event at the house, so pictures of the interior are not taken and shared. They also help with contracted drivers, and with people brought in to consult on product development or strategic planning.
How can a principal give their EA the time and authority for this?
If the EA can already sign emails, checks and documents, this work should carry similar authority, with budget and time guardrails. The principal should also set aside time to sit down when something looks unsafe, and, where the relationship allows, let the EA or chief of staff get a thumbs up or thumbs down from the head of safety on make-or-break decisions. The exact shape of that authority depends on trust.
What is a fractional head of safety?
A fractional head of safety is the person who communicates with the EA and the other key people around the principal, and helps establish parameters, controls and concentric rings of protection, without the company having to staff a full-time safety advisor. That is the role The Executive Protection Source fills for the teams we support.
Does this only apply to executive assistants?
No. A lot of the same thinking belongs in a chief of staff playbook, and estate managers see crossover too. Knowing the language of security and safety helps all of them work with the rest of the team.
Where can an executive assistant learn more?
The Gatehouse is The Executive Protection Source's free community, where owners, executives and their teams can build that baseline and ask questions.
What is The Gatehouse?
The Gatehouse is The Executive Protection Source's free community, where owners, executives and their teams get questions answered and build a baseline of security knowledge.
About the author
Isaac Ferland is an executive protection practitioner with more than a decade in the protection industry and the CEO of The Executive Protection Source. He helps founders, owner-CEOs, public personalities and their families build protection that fits their real risk, so they stay prepared, not paranoid.
