Supporting executives across countries, cultures, and AI: Lessons from Camila Brandoni at Workday

If you’re wondering what executive assistant support feels like and what they can do for you and your leadership team, there’s no better people to ask than EAs themselves. In this series, we sit down for deep-dive conversations with some of the best EAs in tech to learn more about how they keep their executives and their teams on track.

In this interview, we talked with Camila Brandoni Allende, the executive assistant to two Workday country leaders: Adolfo Pellicer, country manager for Spain and Portugal, and Fabrizio Rotondi, country manager for Italy.

In our conversation, Camila shared what it’s really like to support executives across countries and languages, why there’s no such thing as a traditional ‘EA background,’ and, most fascinating of all, how she’s using AI in a way that redefines what’s possible for executive support. Here’s what she told us:

Table of contents

1. What does a typical week look like for you?
2. How do you manage the complexities of supporting two executives in different countries and in multiple languages?
3. How important is it to have an EA background?
4. What is the secret behind a successful EA/exec relationship?
5. What do people often not realize about the EA role?
6. What is the wider impact of executive assistant support beyond executives?
7. What can executives expect when they’re supported by strong EAs?
8. Why should tech companies invest in hiring executive assistants?
9. How do you see the EA role evolving with AI tools?

1. What does a typical week look like for you?

I support two executives: the country managers for Iberia (Spain and Portugal) and Italy. Both are the top representatives for their markets, leading national sales teams while serving as the face of Workday in their regions. To keep them aligned and focused, I begin every week with one-on-one meetings with each of them, reviewing priorities and planning for what’s ahead.

Much of my role is about communication and coordination. I serve as the go-to contact for their sales organizations and act as a bridge between my executives and other leaders. One week might mean preparing my Spanish executive for a slate of customer meetings, while another might involve coordinating my Italian executive’s travel logistics. No two weeks look the same, but that’s what I love about it.

2. How do you manage the complexities of supporting two executives in different countries and in multiple languages?

I work across three languages: Spanish, Italian, and English. While Workday’s official language is English, local teams prefer their native tongue. Learning Italian was a turning point. At first, I didn’t know a word, but once I could participate in meetings, everything changed. It helped me build stronger relationships and foster collaboration.

This multilingual environment adds complexity, but it’s also one of the most rewarding aspects of my role. Sometimes I mix languages in the wrong meeting, but the diversity is what makes our team stronger.

3. How important is it to have an EA background?

I studied art history in Argentina, a degree that took seven years. While not directly related to business, it gave me skills that translate into my EA work: managing long-term projects, thinking differently, and juggling multiple priorities. Organization and prioritization are core to what I do now, and those are exactly the skills I gained through my studies.

I don’t think there’s such a thing as an “EA background.” What matters are transferable skills: confidentiality, adaptability, organization, and judgment. My Spanish executive hired me precisely because of my diverse background; he valued creativity and resilience over a straight-line career path. That mindset has shaped our relationship from the start.

4. What is the secret behind a successful EA/exec relationship?

Success starts in the hiring process. When executives are directly involved in selecting their assistants, both sides can evaluate fit early. With my Spanish executive, alignment was natural. He values being challenged, and I’m not afraid to speak up. With my Italian executive, the fit was less immediate, but over time, we learned how to work together. Some executives, especially those who haven’t had executive assistant support before, also need to learn how to collaborate effectively, and part of my role is guiding them through that process.

5. What do people often not realize about the EA role?

Many don’t realize the influence an EA can have. I often propose initiatives to my executives that we later present as shared ideas. I also coordinate high-stakes visits from U.S.-based executives. In those moments, I essentially serve as their EA for the day, managing logistics and ensuring customer meetings run smoothly. Those visits open doors with major accounts and have a real business impact.

6. What is the wider impact of executive assistant support beyond executives?

EAs are often the glue across organizations. We reflect our executives’ leadership style: approachable, private, or somewhere in between, and set the tone for how others interact with them. When someone approaches me, they expect the same presence they’d get from my executives. When you have executive assistant support, that alignment is critical.

7. What can executives expect when they’re supported by strong EAs?

There are many things executives can expect from strong executive assistant support, but to state a classic one: calendar management, although that’s just one part of what we do, is absolutely critical. When I started working with my Italian executive, his calendar was in chaos. I reorganized his schedule, blocked time for deep work, and re-evaluated recurring meetings. With my Spanish executive, I redesigned his governance structure to avoid burnout. The biggest difference I make is giving leaders back the ability to lead.

8. Why should tech companies invest in hiring executive assistants?

Once a company reaches a certain size, having EAs is essential. In tech, the pace is too fast to manage without an executive assistant. Without EA support, leaders get consumed by reactive work and lose focus on strategy. For tech companies especially, hiring an EA isn’t a luxury; it’s survival.

9.   How do you see the EA role evolving with AI tools?

AI has already changed parts of my workflow. I created a customized AI assistant on Gemini, and modeled it after one of my executives. I trained it using public info and non-confidential feedback from him. Now, I use it to anticipate his feedback. For example, when he needed to send a message to commemorate an important milestone, I asked my Gem to translate a similar note from another country manager and adapt it to his style. He didn’t change a single comma before sending it out.

That consistency makes my work nearly foolproof, since the AI often provides the same feedback my executive would. It saves time and helps me deliver at the level he expects.

But AI won’t replace EAs. Our role is deeply strategic, grounded in trust, judgment, and human partnership. Leaders often need someone they can confide in, something no AI can replicate.

In my experience, the EA role is anything but one-dimensional: it’s strategic, creative, and highly collaborative.

As Camila’s story shows, the right EA is more than support; they’re a force multiplier for leaders and teams. Book a call today to get an executive assistant who can bring that same impact to your organization.

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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.