171: Melba J. Duncan is the Founder and President of The Duncan Group Inc., a retained search and consulting firm. Since 1985, the firm has been advising CEOs and other corporate leaders regarding specialized senior management support resources. Ms. Duncan was Assistant to The Hon. Peter G. Peterson, Founder of The Peter G. Peterson Foundation, Chairman Emeritus and Co-Founder of The Blackstone Group, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lehman Brothers Kuhn Loeb Incorporated, and former Secretary of Commerce.

In her prior position, she was Assistant to Sanford C. Bernstein, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., a New York Stock Exchange member firm, where she was elected Corporate Secretary and became a stockholder.

Ms. Duncan is an experienced public speaker. She has served as keynote speaker at the American Management Association’s Annual Conference for Executive Secretaries & Administrative Assistants. Ms. Duncan has served as chairperson for the Marcus Evans Executaries Forums, held in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Toronto, and Montreal. Ms. Duncan has delivered the keynote address to the EA&PA Congress Series in Sydney, Australia, and Adelaide, Australia, respectively and served as Keynote for the EA/PA Congress in Melbourne, Australia.

Ms. Duncan has served as Keynote and Conference Host for the Bermuda Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals and has served as a presenter at the World Bank, Washington DC, responding to the topic “Shaping your future: Maintaining Your Competitiveness.”

Articles and Video:​

Indispensability and Legacy: Interview – Melba Duncan and Lucy Brazier OBE: https://lnkd.in/eQigh3iU

Harvard Business Review: The Secret Weapon of Great Leaders (HBR Video): https://hbr.org/2011/05/the-secret-weapon-of-great-lea

The Essential Assistant: Secretariado Master Class (São Paulo, Brazil) (Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCgs2yFxyyg

Harvard Business Review: What Executive Assistants Know About Managing Up: https://hbr.org/2014/12/what-executive-assistants-know-about-managing-up

Harvard Business Review: May 2011: The Case for Executive Assistants: http://hbr.org/2011/05/the-case-for-executive-assistants/ar/1

Books by Melba J. Duncan:

- Indispensability: Administrative Intelligence - The Importance of the Other AI (Centenary University Press, June 2025)

- EQ/IQ Developing Emotional Intelligence for Effective Executive Support (Open Hand Press, 2021)

- The New Executive Assistant: Advice for Succeeding as an Executive or Administrative Assistant (McGraw Hill, 1997)

- How To Succeed in Business As An Executive Assistant (Collier Books, 1990)

More about the podcast:

Diana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-brandl/

Executive Office Insights Newsletter: https://the-socialista-projects.com/#newsletter

Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the-socialista-projects

Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qBSDjTfYOG2x6qos7dKkS

Podcast auf Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-future-assistant/id1493106661

170: Chantal Thyes ist eine erfahrene Vorstandsassistentin mit fundiertem Hintergrund in strategischem Executive Support, Unternehmenskommunikation und Office Management. Aktuell unterstützt sie seit 2022 den Vorstand der MAST-Jägermeister SE in organisatorischen und kommunikativen Belangen.

Zuvor war sie u. a. als Referentin für Öffentlichkeitsarbeit beim vedec e.V. sowie mehrere Jahre als Assistenz der Geschäftsführung tätig. Parallel engagiert sie sich seit 2020 als freie Rednerin für persönliche Zeremonien. Akademisch verfügt sie über einen Masterabschluss in Human Resource Management sowie einen Bachelor in Wirtschaftspsychologie (FOM Hochschule) und bildet sich derzeit zum zertifizierten Chief of Staff (Haufe Akademie & Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Management) fort.

Ihre Arbeitsweise ist geprägt von hoher Professionalität, Kommunikationsstärke und Organisationstalent auf Top-Level.

Chief of Staff Ausbildung: https://www.haufe-akademie.de/41675

Links zu Chantal:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chantal-thyes-484513199/
https://www.instagram.com/unforgettablemomentsbychantalt/

Weitere Links:

🔴 Folge auf YouTube anschauen: https://youtu.be/E19iHjCSvwI

Diana auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-brandl/

Executive Office Insights Newsletter: https://the-socialista-projects.com/#newsletter

Podcast auf Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qBSDjTfYOG2x6qos7dKkS

Podcast auf Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-future-assistant/id1493106661

169: Jodie Mears is a strategic C-Suite Executive Assistant, a respected thought leader in the administrative profession, and LinkedIn Top Voice, recognised with the Blue Badge for her industry expertise. With over 20+ years of experience spanning aviation, energy, and digital sectors, she currently supports C-Suite executives at Bentley Systems, combining high-level executive support with operational excellence and strategic business partnerships.

As the co-host of “The Crodie Files” podcast and an Advisory Board Member for The PA Show-UK, Jodie is passionate about elevating the administrative profession. Her highly sought-after mentoring and coaching program, which maintains a waitlist into 2025, offers a unique bespoke six-session approach to helping administrative professionals transform their existing talents into career-advancing strengths.

A certified Mental Health First Aider and Regional Wellness Lead, Jodie regularly shares her insights through speaking engagements, her monthly newsletter “The Assist List,” and industry publications.

Connect with Jodie on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodiemears or visit http://craigandjodie.com/.

⬇️ Offer from Jodie:

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🔴 Watch the Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eqyb9NIh3uQ

Diana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-brandl/

Executive Office Insights Newsletter: https://the-socialista-projects.com/#newsletter

Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qBSDjTfYOG2x6qos7dKkS

Podcast on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-future-assistant/id1493106661