About TalentSmiths Intelligence
WHAT WE PUBLISH AND WHY.
TalentSmiths Intelligence is the editorial arm of TalentSmiths executive search. It exists because the EA market is widely misunderstood — by principals who have never hired at this level before, by EAs who do not know where they sit in the market, and by firms that treat the role as interchangeable with general administration.
Every article published here is drawn from direct placement experience. Not theory. Not aggregated survey data. Observations from 500+ placements across London, New York, Miami, San Francisco, and Austin over 20 years. The articles cover the questions that come up in every brief, every shortlist conversation, and every retention discussion.
We publish when there is something worth saying. Not on a schedule. The result is a small body of work that holds up over time rather than a high-volume feed that does not. If you are a principal trying to understand what kind of EA you actually need, or an EA trying to understand where you sit in the market, start here.
Future of the Profession
THE EA IS DEAD. LONG LIVE THE EA.
AI is eliminating the administrative layer. What remains is something far more valuable, and far harder to replace.
Read article →Role Definition
EA VS CHIEF OF STAFF
Knowing which role you actually need before you start a search is the difference between a great hire and an expensive mistake.
Read article →UHNW
THE UHNW EA
What changes at the highest level of principal support, and why most EAs are not ready for it.
Read article →FOR PRINCIPALS
WHAT DOES AN EA COST IN 2025?
The number most principals have in their head is wrong. Here is what the market is actually paying across all five cities.
Read article →FOR PRINCIPALS
HOW TO BRIEF AN EA RECRUITER
A search is only as good as its brief. The brief is almost always the last thing a principal thinks carefully about. Here is how to do it right.
Read article →FOR PRINCIPALS
WHY YOUR EA LEFT.
Most EA departures are not surprises. The signals were there for months. Here is what principals miss and what the ones who retain have in common.
Read article →FOR PRINCIPALS
HOW TO INTERVIEW AN EA
The questions that reveal character. The signals most principals miss.
Read article →FOR PRINCIPALS
EA ONBOARDING GUIDE
The first 90 days determine the next 3 years. A framework for every stage.
Read article →FOR PRINCIPALS
EA RETENTION GUIDE
You hired the right EA. Now how do you keep them. The signals most principals miss.
Read article →