Why Principals Come to Us
Most EA searches fail before they begin. The brief is vague. The shortlist is generic. The recruiter has never met the candidates they are sending.
TalentSmiths is a specialist executive assistant recruitment agency — built on two decades of direct relationships and personal placements, not generic sourcing or speculative outreach. We place senior EAs, Chiefs of Staff, and Private Assistants with UHNW principals, family offices, founders, hedge funds, private equity firms, and fast-growth companies across London, New York, Miami, San Francisco, and Austin.
86% of our mandates never reach a job board. Every search begins in Elevate — our private network of over 10,000 vetted senior EAs, cultivated through 20 years of direct relationships and personal placements. We do not send availability-based shortlists. Every candidate on your shortlist was known to us before your brief arrived.
Every search begins with a conversation — not a form, not a pitch. We need to understand the role, the principal, the environment, and the non-negotiables. A founder scaling from Series B to pre-IPO needs a different EA than a UHNW principal managing a family office across multiple residences. We establish this before we speak to a single candidate.
Elevate — Our Private EA Network
Elevate is our private network of over 10,000 vetted senior EAs, built and maintained since 2004. Every person in it has been engaged directly. We know their background, their working preferences, their motivations, and their capabilities — not from a CV, but from years of direct contact.
When we call someone from Elevate, we are not introducing strangers. We are making a precise recommendation based on deep knowledge of both sides.
We do not send long candidate lists. You will receive one, two, or three names. Each one will be right.
James, our founder, personally oversees every search. He has led every search personally since the firm was founded in 2004 — and has never outsourced a brief to a junior consultant. He knows the difference between an EA who thrives in chaos and one who needs structure — between someone who manages a calendar and someone who runs an operation — between discretion and avoidance. These distinctions are invisible on a CV. They are not invisible to us.
We work with principals who have been burned by recruiters before. Principals who received 15 CVs and none were close. Principals who hired someone impressive on paper and watched it unravel within months. These are the people who come to us. They do not come back to anyone else.
Our EA retention rate is 88.97% since 2021 (based on confirmed placement outcomes across all mandates, 2021–2025) — against an industry average of under 60%. That number reflects what happens when the match is right from the start.
We are selective about the mandates we accept. If we do not believe we can find the right person, we will say so. If we take the brief, we will deliver.
The brief form below takes two minutes. James responds personally within 24 hours.
“I had spoken to four EA recruitment agencies before TalentSmiths. James sent me two names. The first one is still with me three years later.”
— Principal, UHNW Family Office · London
“The search took six weeks. I've worked with executive assistant recruiters who took longer just to send me an initial longlist. TalentSmiths sent three candidates. All three were credible. I hired one within a week.”
— Series B Founder · New York
How It Works
Four StepsTHE BRIEF
30-minute call with James. No forms.
The call exists to understand your world, not to sell the service.
THE SEARCH
Elevate is searched first.
Every name on your shortlist was known to us before the search began — sourced from our private network of over 10,000 vetted EAs. 86% of our searches never reach a public job board. You receive a maximum of three candidates, each with a written match rationale.
THE SHORTLIST
Psychometric-assessed. Match rationale included.
Each candidate comes with a written rationale explaining why this person, for this principal, in this context.
THE PLACEMENT
12-month guarantee. 30, 60, 90 day check-ins.
The guarantee exists because placements occasionally fail. When they do, the search reopens at no cost.
Types of Search We Handle
UHNW + FAMILY OFFICE
Private principals, family offices, and multi-residence households requiring an EA with the highest level of discretion and judgement.
→ View UHNW mandatesSERIES B + FOUNDER-LED
High-growth founders and executive teams scaling fast — who need an EA that can run an operation, not just a diary.
→ View Series B mandatesDUAL PRINCIPAL
Two principals, one EA. Complex scheduling, competing priorities, and the rare capability set required to navigate both.
→ View Dual Principal mandatesFrequently Asked Questions
How long does the search take?
Most searches complete within 6–10 weeks from brief to placement. Timelines vary depending on the seniority of the role and the specificity of the requirements.
How many candidates will I see?
A maximum of three. Each comes with a written rationale explaining why this person, for this principal, in this context. We do not send longlist CVs.
What roles do you place?
Senior Executive Assistants, Chiefs of Staff, Private Assistants, Business Managers, and EA/PA hybrids at the intersection of operational and executive support. Primarily at the UHNW, family office, PE, and founder-led level.
What if the placement doesn't work out?
All placements come with a 12-month guarantee. If the match breaks down within that period, the search reopens at no cost.
Ready to start a search? Complete the brief below and James will respond personally within 24 hours.
All searches come with a 12-month placement guarantee. If the placement doesn't work, the search reopens at no cost.
Prefer to call or WhatsApp? +44 203 965 7445
Send your brief