An interview with EA extraordinaire Dimitra Zographos

Dimitra Zographos, Executive Assistant to Simon Glendenning, Senior Vice President at Western Union, has been an EA for over 20 years, providing her with a wealth of experience.

Now she uses her knowledge of the industry to mentor and advise young and aspiring EAs. And she also has a few words of wisdom for the CEOs and other C-suite executives for whom they work. Here she shares just a fraction of her expertise with The CEO Magazine.

The CEO Magazine: How did you get started as an executive assistant?

Dimitra: I started my career with Crown Limited in March 1994 at their inception stage as their Accounts Payable Supervisor. It was very exciting being one of the very first employees to join the very small project office. Little did I know at the time, joining Crown was the beginning of a life changing experience thanks to a wonderful, inspirational man, Nigel Morrison, COO of Crown at the time.

I remember saying to Nigel,   “I have never been a PA and cannot even type; how can I possibly be your EA, a C Level executive, with no experience?” – Dimitra Zographos

I’ll never forget Nigel’s words when he asked me to work for him in June 1994 as his EA. At the time, the title ‘Executive Assistant’ had just started being mentioned, so I had no idea what it really meant. I was taken aback; having a finance background and never having done any secretarial or PA work in my life, I wondered why he asked me to become his EA.

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I remember saying to Nigel, “I have never been a PA and cannot even type; how can I possibly be your EA, a C Level executive, with no experience?” His reply to me was, “Dimitra, anyone can type. I believe you have what it takes to multi-skill at the top.” As an inspiring leader, Nigel saw my potential and reached out and gave me the opportunity.

Together, we formed a great partnership and went on to achieve great things at Crown over the seven years we worked together. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity of a lifetime Nigel gave me and I now do the same. Through mentoring and public speaking, I reach out to others who I believe in and give them the opportunity to find their passion and go on to do great things.

When did you get involved in public speaking and mentoring?

After I moved on from Crown, I had an experience working for an executive that truly did not understand the EA role and our values were not aligned. I never imagined I would be in a very difficult working relationship where I was expected to take responsibility for other people’s inefficiencies. Given my success at Crown this rocked me to my toes. Trust, respect, honesty and transparency are critical in any relationship be it personal or professional. Sadly, this is not always the case and in this instance my confidence was shattered and I felt I didn’t really have much to offer any more given the relationship was not working.

Trust, respect, honesty and transparency are critical in any relationship be it personal or professional. – Dimitra Zographos

I looked within and found the strength to move on and felt I had an obligation to share my journey with other EAs. It was important to make EA and PAs aware that they have a choice and a voice and to encourage and empower them to step up and speak out appropriately when necessary. I felt through public speaking I could share my journey and experiences hoping to inspire and make a difference to people’s lives. During this process, not only have I made a difference to so many people, but I have grown and developed as a person which has opened so many doors for myself and for so many others in my network.

Now, I am blessed to be working with my executive, a true leader, Simon Glendenning, Senior Vice President at Western Union, who not only utilises and values my EA skills but more importantly is interested in and supportive of how I can add strategic value to the business through the broad EA network that I have developed, creating opportunities to promote our business and be an ambassador for our organisation. Simon and I have a great partnership and work well as a team. Simon’s acknowledgement of my role as his EA, has positioned my role to be recognised and valued within the business empowering me to add value and make a difference within the organisation. 

How has the role of EAs changed over the past 20 years?

The role has changed so much over the last 20 years and I’d like to refer to a brilliant article written by a passionate thought leader and inspiring man, John Karagounis, MD and CEO of The CEO Circle and EA Circle last year in his blog.

John truly understands the role of an executive assistant and is a huge advocate for our profession. He says,

They are the great unsung heroes of corporate life: the executive assistant. Toiling away behind the scenes, taking care of the details that matter, lending a supportive ear, or having a quiet word, the right EA can make all the difference to the smooth functioning of the executive team. […]
 
The modern EA is an integral member of the engine room for most organisations. Highly talented and with an irrepressible can-do attitude, the EA makes sure things get done. But the scope of what the EA does now is far greater than it ever was in the past. Now, the EA rolls out strategy, marshals the executive team and other staff, and is usually responsible for the maintenance of an organisation’s administrative infrastructure. – John Karagounis

Having shared with you John’s thoughts, in a nutshell, I see the role of the EA today as a junior CEO.  Having to wear so many different hats and constantly juggle so many variables with a smile, we are without a doubt the anchor and strength to our executive and the business.

What are some of the challenges that EAs face? 

Given the role of the EA has changed so much over the last 20 years, very much becoming a strategic role requiring many skills that are hard to define, like emotional intelligence, reading the room, knowing the right time to diffuse a situation or pull up the executive and provide constructive feedback all of which can be managed and achieved if the executive understands how to effectively use their EA. I think this is the greatest challenge we face when management doesn’t always understand how to effectively use their EA. 

Working with executives who are challenged in delivering their business objectives is difficult. From my personal experience, also through public speaking and mentoring over the years, I have found this as being one of the most stressful for EAs. 

You try hard to make this relationship work, however in the long term it’s not worth it. I’ve learnt the success of the EA role very much depends on being in a role working with the right executive. You can accommodate unrealistic demands, however if your values are not aligned you must not compromise your values or your integrity. It’s best to move on. 

Often leadership teams are not as effective in communicating and collaborating as they should be. Understanding the dynamics within the leadership team improves communication and collaboration which results in personal, professional and organisation success.

What was it like to be named EA of the Year award at the 2015 Executive of the Year Awards?

Winning ‘Executive Assistant of the Year 2015’ at The CEO Magazine’s Executive of the Year Awards was truly an honour. Being recognised for a profession I am so passionate about empowers me to do even more in this space. It’s an award I share with many people who have helped me on my successful EA journey. Winning this prestigious award has certainly raised my profile in the EA space, further developed my personal brand and often I am asked for advice, from different people in different industries. It truly is humbling and empowering.  

What do you love most about your job?

I love having the power to make a positive difference in all that I do and inspire people around me. I thrive working as a partnership with my executive and the leadership team and strive to nurture this partnership by being responsive and collaborative, observing the business and driving culture change where necessary. 

I also love being there for my executive and the leadership team. Making my executive’s professional and personal life as seamless as possible to enable them to focus on the bigger picture. And I love being great role models with my executive and being an Ambassador for my organisation.

Being an EA is one of the most empowering and rewarding roles if you look within and find what is important to you in the role. Think about what kind of person inspires you, what industry excites you and always remember, no matter what you do or where you go, be authentic and stay true to your values. I’d like to leave you with this beautiful quote:

Your smile is your logo.  Your personality is your business card, how you leave others feeling after having an experience with you becomes your trademark and your legacy. – Jay Danzie

Dimitra Zographos is speaking at the 5th Annual Australia National EA/PA Conference in Melbourne & Sydney, presented by Clariden Global.

For details on the conference, or to register, visit claridenglobal.com.