The impact of a thoughtful executive assistant in tech: Suzanne Cunha, EA at AbnormalAI

We recently had the pleasure of chatting with Suzanne Cunha, executive assistant to four executives at Abnormal AI. This interview is part of our ongoing series where we sit down with some of the best executive assistants in tech. Suzanne is, without a doubt, one of them.

When you talk to Suzanne, it doesn’t take long to realize she embodies what makes an executive assistant in tech truly exceptional. She brings over two decades of experience, but what stands out most is her warmth, thoughtfulness, and ability to anticipate what people need before they even ask. Suzanne started in event planning, where attention to detail and creativity were second nature. Over time, those same skills helped her flourish as an EA.

Table of contents

1. Can you share a little bit about your career and your current role at Abnormal?
2. Why should executives delegate offsite planning to EAs?
3. What’s the secret to building a successful EA/executive relationship?
4. What’s the most difficult situation you’ve had to handle as an EA?
5. What’s one decision or change you made in the background that completely changed the game for your executive or company?
6. What is one thing you do that consistently makes your executives more productive?
7. What’s one thing EAs can do that makes executives say, “Wow, I didn’t know you could do that”?
8. What advice would you give to an executive considering working with a remote EA for the first time?
9. What can EAs do that AI can’t replicate?
10. How do you currently use AI to maximize your productivity as an EA?

1. Can you share a little bit about your career and your current role at Abnormal? 

I started my career in event planning after graduating from college with a degree in marketing. After a few years working at The Peninsula Golf and Country Club I moved over to tech, working at Infineon Technologies as the Sales Event Planner. It was a great experience for a few years, but then the economy took a dip and we spent less money on events. 

I swiftly moved into the role as executive assistant and that led me to where I am today. So much of the skillset is transferrable from an event planner to an executive assistant. You must be organized, have a high attention to detail, communicate well and have a backup plan to your backup plan.

2. Why should executives delegate offsite planning to EAs? 

For executives in high-growth companies, having an executive assistant in tech plan offsites ensures nothing slips through the cracks. Executive assistants are the best event planners for a few reasons. First, we know the team like nobody else. We listen and remember little details that comes through at events, like who has a dietary restriction, or prefers a certain type of tea. We get to know team members on a personal level and that carries through at events. Second, we are detail-oriented, and no detail is too small. From menu planning to AV needs, we know how to manage multiple tasks at once, flawlessly.

3. What’s the secret to building a successful EA/executive relationship? 

For me and the executives I’ve supported over the years, it really comes down to mutual respect and knowing one another on a personal level. I get to know the executives I support personally without crossing a line. Learning about their families, their likes, and dislikes. It is also important to have respect for one another. My executives empower me to make decisions on my own. If that didn’t exist, I don’t believe it’s a job I could do successfully.

4. What’s the most difficult situation you’ve had to handle as an EA? 

As EAs we handle sensitive and confidential information all the time. Sometimes it’s very difficult when you know in advance that someone is being let go before they do. As EAs we build a lot of personal relationships within the organization and it’s very difficult not to be able to tell someone you consider a friend, that bad news is coming their way. I had to maintain my level of confidence and not share the information I knew until my friend was let go from the company. I reached out afterwards to share my sadness, but at no point did I ever let them know I knew anything about it. 

It’s my job to keep things private and not to share with anyone. Sometimes that can be very difficult, but necessary.

5. What’s one decision or change you made in the background that completely changed the game for your executive or company without them even realizing it? 

One of the things I’ve found helpful for my execs is suggesting they offer weekly office hours vs. trying to meet with their skip-level reports. My execs can manage up to 80 or more employees and they were trying to meet biannually with every single person on their team. It was not a good use of time and was almost impossible to achieve. 

Now, we offer a sign-up sheet for those that want time to talk with them. We have an hour every week set aside and it’s proven to be a better use of time. People come prepared to discuss topics or issues they are concerned about and it’s been received well by the organization. This is another example of how an executive assistant in tech can transform workflows without drawing attention to themselves.

6. What is one thing you do that consistently makes your executives more productive? 

I consistently block time on their calendars to eat lunch, workout, and get work done. It’s not possible every day, but how productive can someone be if they are in back-to-back meetings all day without any time to think or nourish themselves?

7. What’s one thing EAs can do that makes executives say, “Wow, I didn’t know you could do that”? 

EAs go above and beyond to acknowledge people and make them feel special. It was during the pandemic, when we were all stuck at home on Zoom, after Zoom, after Zoom, when I organized a parade of his direct reports for my boss’ birthday. I recruited his team, we met near his home to decorate our cars, and then we surprised him when we dialed into the Zoom and asked him to come outside. He couldn’t believe I pulled it off and actually surprised him.

8. What advice would you give to an executive considering working with a remote EA for the first time? 

Open communication is key to making a remote EA situation work. Meeting as regularly as possible over  Zoom or a phone call, and having open lines of communication over Slack or text to answer any questions swiftly is also important. Like any relationship, there is a learning curve to knowing someone, but if you empower and trust your EA and share details about how you prefer things to be done, you will be amazed at how much we eventually take care of without even having to ask.

9. What can EAs do that AI can’t replicate? 

AI is constantly evolving and has plenty to teach us about how it can support our daily lives, but it will never quite think the way a human does. 

Is AI going to know it’s your son’s birthday next week and block off the morning on your calendar so you can have breakfast with him and drop him off at school? Or will it be able to know how stressed you’ve been the last few weeks working late on a project and put time on your calendar mid-day for a walk to relax and clear your mind? 

Sometimes a phone call is the quickest and best way to schedule a meeting or to let someone know your exec is running late to an in-person meeting. There are organizational tasks that can be handled by AI, but I think EAs bring a personal touch and warmth that we don’t want to lose.

10. How do you currently use AI to maximize your productivity as an EA? 

I mostly use AI to write sensitive emails. It is a good starting point, but I edit the message quite a lot before sending it, so it has my voice. It’s also a good tool to use when planning offsites for the teams I support. It can help find restaurants or venues for meetings, as well as help to create surveys for attendees upon the conclusion of an event.

Suzanne Cunha’s career shows how an executive assistant in tech can shape culture, safeguard productivity, and bring humanity to fast-paced tech environments. From planning flawless offsites to creating space for executives to think, Suzanne proves that great EAs are not only partners but also catalysts for organizational success.

Having executive support in tech is not a luxury; it is a must-have. Book a call today and experience the impact the right executive assistant could have on your own team.

Fadua Caicedo Díaz del Castillo

Fadua is a bilingual advertiser and holds a master’s degree in creative writing. With over ten years of experience, she has written countless advertising and social media campaigns, blogs, interviews, and everything in between. She writes about startups, the impact of executive assistants, and the stories behind their work. When she’s not writing, she is spending quality time with her husband and son, hiking, reading, or discovering new cafés.