Finding the Right Executive Assistant Takes More Than Experience.
Lead Search Group provides Executive Assistant recruitment in Toronto for CEOs, founders and senior leaders looking for someone they can genuinely rely on. We recruit experienced Executive Assistants who bring the judgment, discretion, organization and communication skills required to work closely with leadership.
The strongest EA searches balance capability with working style, personality and trust. The skills have to be there, but the match has to work too.
Let's Talk About Your EA SearchThe Right EA Looks Different for Every Executive.
Executive Assistant recruitment is rarely about finding someone who can simply manage a calendar or organize a meeting. The role changes depending on the executive, the business, the pace of the organization and the level of trust required. Lead Search Group recruits experienced Executive Assistants across a range of leadership environments, with each search shaped around how the partnership needs to work.
CEO & President
Executive Assistants
Senior Executive Assistants supporting CEOs and Presidents who need discretion, judgment, organization and the ability to operate confidently at the highest levels of the business.
Founder & Entrepreneur
Support
Executive Assistants who can keep pace with entrepreneurial leaders, shifting priorities and fast moving organizations where adaptability and anticipation matter.
Senior Executive
Assistants
Experienced EAs supporting senior leaders with complex calendars, travel, communication, stakeholder coordination and competing priorities.
Executive Business
Partners
Highly capable professionals whose roles extend beyond traditional executive support into project coordination, decision support and helping leadership move priorities forward.
Board & Leadership
Support
Executive Assistants experienced in supporting leadership teams, board activities, confidential materials, executive meetings and high stakes communication.
High Trust &
Complex Mandates
Searches where confidentiality, personality, working style and judgment are as important as technical capability, and where getting the match right is essential.
Experience matters. Judgment matters. But the best Executive Assistant search is the one where the skills, working style and relationship all come together.
A Great EA on Paper Is Only Part of the Answer.
Executive Assistant searches are unusually personal. Two candidates can have nearly identical experience and perform very differently depending on the executive they support. Finding the right person means understanding the skills required, but also how the executive communicates, works, makes decisions and wants to be supported.
We Start With the Executive, Not the Resume.
Before we search the market, we work to understand how the executive operates. Are they highly structured or constantly changing direction? Do they want an EA who quietly creates order behind the scenes or someone confident enough to challenge, anticipate and take ownership?
Those differences matter. They shape the experience, personality, communication style and level of autonomy we look for, and they help us identify candidates who can build a working relationship that lasts.
Working style, communication preferences, pace, personality, discretion, decision making, executive expectations, organizational complexity and how much ownership the EA is expected to take.
The Best Executive Assistants Are Often Already Trusted Somewhere Else.
Exceptional Executive Assistants are rarely defined by how well they write a resume. Many have spent years becoming indispensable to the executives and organizations they support, and they may have little reason to actively search for another position.
Lead Search Group uses targeted research, professional relationships, referrals and direct outreach to reach experienced EAs beyond the active applicant market and introduce opportunities that may genuinely be worth considering.
Executive Assistants supporting CEOs, Presidents, founders and senior executives, Senior Executive Assistants, Executive Business Partners and experienced professionals working within complex corporate, entrepreneurial and professional environments.
Capability Gets Them Considered. The Match Makes It Work.
We look for Executive Assistants who can do the job exceptionally well and build the kind of working relationship the executive can genuinely depend on.
What Does This Executive Really Need?
Executive Assistant hiring often begins with years of experience, calendar management and a list of responsibilities. Those things matter, but the strongest search goes further. We look at how the executive works, what they expect their EA to own and what kind of partnership will allow both people to perform at their best.
What will make this Executive Assistant truly successful with this executive?
Handle the
Complexity
What does this person need to manage exceptionally well?
Complex calendars, travel, meetings, communication, stakeholder coordination and competing priorities can all be part of the role. The key is understanding which capabilities are truly essential for this executive.
Know What Needs
Attention
Can this person make good decisions without being told every step?
Exceptional Executive Assistants constantly make judgment calls about priorities, access, communication and what can wait. The best know when to act independently and when the executive needs to be involved.
Work the Way the
Executive Works
How does this executive communicate, organize and make decisions?
Some executives want structure and predictability. Others move quickly and change direction throughout the day. Matching pace, communication style and expectations can be just as important as matching experience.
Become Someone They
Can Rely On
Will this person earn the confidence that the role requires?
Executive Assistants often have access to sensitive information, important relationships and the executive's most limited resource: their time. Discretion, reliability and trust are not optional parts of the match.
The Most Experienced Candidate Is Not Always the Right One.
A strong Executive Assistant search looks beyond titles and years of experience to understand the combination of capability, judgment, working style and trust the relationship actually requires. That is where a good hire becomes a genuinely valuable partnership.
Let's Talk About Your Executive Assistant Search.
Tell us about the executive, the role and how the partnership needs to work. We can help shape the search around the capabilities, working style and candidate market you need to reach.
Discuss an EA SearchDefine What Success Requires Before You Search.
Explore the research, talent market signals and practical questions shaping critical hiring decisions in 2026, including how to separate essential requirements from capabilities that can be learned.
Explore the 2026 Hiring PlaybookComplimentary resource for organizations hiring across Canada and the United States.
A More Thoughtful Approach to Executive Assistant Recruitment in Toronto
Executive Assistant recruitment is not simply about finding someone with the right experience. The strongest search considers the executive, the pace and complexity of the role, the level of trust involved and the working relationship that needs to develop.
Experienced
Judgment
We look beyond titles and years of experience to understand how candidates think, prioritize, communicate and respond when the executive needs them to take ownership.
Principal
Led
EA searches benefit from attention and context. Your search stays close to experienced recruitment leadership from understanding the executive through outreach, assessment and the final hire.
Search Strategy
Built Around You
The executive's working style, business environment, expectations and priorities determine the candidate profile, where we search and who we approach.
Relationships
Expand the Search
Targeted research, direct outreach, referrals and professional relationships help us reach exceptional Executive Assistants who may never enter the active candidate market.
Relationships That Speak for Themselves.
Our reputation has been built one relationship at a time. Clients and candidates trust Lead Search Group with important hiring and career decisions, and their experiences say more about our approach than we ever could.
Jackie Sparking
Human Resources Manager
Five years ago, I was very fortunate to meet Magdalena during a period when I was exploring my own career opportunities. We established instant rapport, and she instilled confidence in me to pursue my goals. From the time of our initial meeting, we have developed a strong relationship (both personal and professional) and today we have a solid business partnership. Magdalena is a talented search professional who takes the time to listen and understand her client's needs. She is methodical in her approach, and handles each situation with integrity and respect. Through dedication and hard work, Magdalena strives to deliver results with each assignment she accepts. Her commitment to her customers is commendable, and is second to none.
Leslie Proulx
Human Resources Advisor
Magdalena is more than a recruiter – she takes the time to develop a close relationship with her clients. I had the pleasure of working with Magdalena when I was looking for a new HR role. Living in Calgary at the time, I was eager to move back to Ontario. The idea of finding a new job across the country was daunting. Magdalena and I connected and I immediately knew that I had her full support in my job search. She took the time to understand my interests and my career goals, ultimately leading to securing a position in a few weeks. Since that first initial contact with Magdalena more than two years ago, we have maintained a close relationship, both professionally and personally.
Victoria Almeida
Human Resources Generalist
It has been an absolute pleasure working with Magdalena. It’s very clear that she has a sincere interest in her clients’ success and she works so hard to ensure that they find the perfect role. She is always in touch every step of the way and makes sure you are confident and comfortable before going into an interview or putting you forth for a position. I love working with her and recommend any contact who is searching for a new role to her as a recruiter but more so as an advisor and confidant. She placed me in my current role (before providing me with quite a few amazing opportunities) and its been a great opportunity for me. I look forward to working with Magdalena in the future.
Questions Worth Asking Before an Executive Assistant Search.
Executive Assistant hiring can be surprisingly complex. Experience matters, but so do working style, judgment, discretion, personality and the relationship the executive needs to build with the person supporting them.
We begin by understanding how the executive actually works. That includes communication style, pace, priorities, decision making, expectations, level of autonomy and the type of support they value most. We then assess candidates against both the capabilities required for the role and the working relationship that needs to develop.
Many exceptional Executive Assistants are already supporting senior leaders and may have little reason to actively search for another position. We use targeted research, direct outreach, referrals and professional relationships to identify experienced EAs who may not appear in the active applicant market but could be open to the right opportunity.
We look beyond years of experience and administrative responsibilities. Judgment, discretion, communication, organization, anticipation, adaptability and the ability to manage competing priorities all matter. We also consider how a candidate works with leadership and whether their style is likely to complement the executive they will support.
Yes. Confidentiality may be important when replacing an existing Executive Assistant, supporting a sensitive leadership transition or recruiting for a highly visible executive. The search strategy, outreach and information shared with candidates can be structured around the level of discretion the situation requires.
Searches can include Executive Assistants supporting CEOs, Presidents, founders and senior executives, Senior Executive Assistants, Executive Business Partners and other high trust executive support roles. The scope of the search is shaped by what the executive and organization actually need rather than limited to a specific title.
Yes. Executive Assistant roles can look very different inside a large corporate environment, professional services firm, entrepreneurial business or growing organization. We build the search around the executive, the operating environment and the level of complexity behind the role rather than assuming one EA profile fits every organization.
Yes. While Lead Search Group is based in Toronto, searches can extend across Canada and into the United States when the mandate requires a broader candidate market. The geography of the search should reflect where the right Executive Assistant talent is most likely to be found.
Have an Executive Assistant Search That Is Hard to Define?
Start with the executive. Tell us how they work, what they need help accomplishing and what they need from the person beside them. We can help define what the search should look like.
Discuss an EA Search