Not "Just an Assistant": How Top EAs Become Executive Partners
197: What if the most underrated role in leadership is actually the one that makes everything run? In this episode of Executive Office Insights, Joe Davis (Senior Advisor, former Managing Director & Senior Partner, and North America Regional Chair Emeritus, BCG) and Mary Kate Steincke (Administrative Services Manager, former Senior EA) unpack what real executive support looks like when it evolves into true partnership. You'll hear how high-performing leaders and EAs build trust, decision rights, and a shared operating rhythm. The best support isn't "task help," but a strategic advantage that protects focus, energy, and outcomes. They also explore the leadership mindset behind great partnerships: mentorship without strings attached, honest feedback, and the human side of high standards—the kind of principles that shape culture and careers. Finally, they look ahead at how AI and modern tools are changing admin work, what will (and won't) be automated, and what skills will matter most for the next generation of executive support professionals. What to expect in this conversation: - Executive Assistant → Executive Partner: What makes the shift happen? - The leadership behaviors that create trust (and the ones that break it) - Career paths, titles, and what "progression" can really look like - AI, automation, and the future of the EA/admin function About Joe Davis Joe is a Senior Advisor at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and a former Managing Director & Senior Partner, where he worked for 37 years. He founded and is Chair of BCG's Center for Inclusion and Equity (CIE). He co-founded and later led BCG's Washington, D.C. office, and founded BCG's U.S. Public Sector Practice. Joe served as Chair of BCG North America, responsible for operations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. As Regional Chair, he advanced inclusion, diversity, and racial equity by launching BCG's Racial Equity Task Force, publishing BCG's first public U.S. DEI Report, and founding BCG's CIE (where he currently serves as Chair). His client work focused on the Consumer/Retail, Public Sector, and Organization Practices, primarily on fundamental transformations, change, and organizational effectiveness. Outside of BCG, Joe serves as Chair of the Whitman College Board of Trustees and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Joe and his spouse Sarah have four children and eight grandchildren. He published The Generous Leader: 7 Ways to Give of Yourself for Everyone's Gain in April 2024. About Mary Kate Steincke Mary Kate is an Administrative Services Manager at BCG with more than eight years of experience supporting senior leadership and driving administrative excellence across the NAMR region. Since joining BCG in 2017, she has worked in Administrative Services—starting as an Administrative Assistant and later becoming an Executive Assistant and Senior Executive Assistant (plus Specialist-level roles)—while supporting Joe Davis, BCG's North America Regional Chair. She managed complex, high-stakes calendars, communications, leadership meeting rhythms, and onsite support for major regional events and executive visits. Her work ranged from strategic prep for leadership engagements to orchestrating multi-layered client meetings, regional town halls, cohort forums, and cross-office initiatives, with high precision and ownership. She's recognized for creating order, clarity, and calm, and supported large-scale operational efforts including COVID-19 response coordination, regional communications, digital signage programs, and leadership forums, while mentoring new administrative staff and shaping a cohesive cross-office experience. She built training initiatives for the NAMR Administrative Services cohort, including a new series on supporting BCG's Managing Directors and Partners that is now a Regional offering. Colleagues praise her grace, empathy, and extraordinary service orientation—calling her "Disneyland personified," a "BCG Rockstar," and someone who makes high-pressure situations "feel like a summer breeze." Today, as Administrative Services Manager for the NYC and Brooklyn teams, she continues to elevate administrative operations, strengthen team culture, and enable leaders and staff to work at their highest potential. Outside of BCG, Mary Kate enjoys time with friends and family, especially in Atlantic Beach, and earned a BA in Communications and Marketing from Loyola University Maryland. - Diana Brandl 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 The Executive Office Insights Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3QH8HL8oWIC0HzHWvb5KLd Guest Picks: Mary Kate Steincke: Light On by Maggie Rogers Joe Davis: Buy Me a Rose by Kenny Rogers
