Inside executive support at Notion: A conversation with Latoya Freeman

What does it take to run executive support at one of the most innovative companies in tech? We sat down with Latoya Freeman, Executive Operations Partner at Notion, to learn how she leads a complex, hybrid executive assistant program, keeps one of Notion’s senior leaders operating at full capacity, and supports 10 EAs and their 30+ executive stakeholders, all while driving structure and consistency across the org. Here’s what she had to say.

Table of contents: 

1. What’s the number one priority of your role?
2. How would you describe the executive support function?
3. What does the structure of the exec ops function look like?
4. How do you decide who is eligible for EA support?
5. Do new leadership hires automatically get an EA?
6. How do you drive consistency across such a diverse team?
7. How do you manage feedback across so many EA-executive pairings?
8. What advice would you give to someone in your role?

1. What’s the number one priority of your role?

My top priority is making sure my executive is set up for success. That means her calendar is tight, pre-reads are in, travel is booked, and everything around her workday is handled. 

Once I have that down, the majority of my time is spent running our EA program in partnership with Viva. I lead 1:1s with all 10 Viva EAs, and I check in regularly via Slack with the 30 executives they support. I also oversee their budgets, expense approvals, and staffing.

There’s a lot that pops up every day, fires to put out, questions to answer, planning, events, legal processes, and I’m right in the middle of it all. We’ve hired onsite help to support the logistics side, but I still do my own check-ins with execs to make sure their EAs are a great match and things are running smoothly.

2. How would you describe the executive support function?

At its core, our job is to make life easier for our executives and their teams. That includes all the traditional responsibilities – calendars, travel, expenses – but also team building, morale, event planning, you name it.

Some EAs function almost like Chiefs of Staff. Others are purely administrative. For example, our CEO has both a Chief of Staff with a strong technical background who joins most of his meetings, and an EA who supports on the administrative side. It’s a flexible function because the role adapts to each executive’s unique needs.

3. What does the structure of the exec ops function look like?

When I first started at Notion two years ago, it was a free-for-all; different execs wanted different things, and there wasn’t a clear structure.

Now, it’s much more defined. Every C-level executive gets an onsite EA, and their department heads get support from a virtual Viva EA. That ratio is usually 3:1 for department heads and 1:1 or 2:1 for C-suite, depending on workload.

We’ve also hired a floating onsite EA who supports the in-person needs that can’t be covered by virtual assistants, like handling guests, setting up happy hours, and coordinating onsite logistics. Can a remote executive assistant handle office operations? 

The reason for C-suites to get onsite EAs and heads of department getting virtual EAs has nothing to do with the caliber of their work. It comes down to how externally facing they are and how large their teams are. Sales and Marketing, for instance, have constant meetings, clients, guests, and deliveries, and they need someone physically present. Other roles can function just fine with virtual support.

I’d be confident assigning any of our current Viva EAs to C-level leaders. The only thing holding us back is the onsite component; a lot of what senior leaders need just requires boots on the ground.

That’s why having a floating EA to manage physical logistics has been game-changing.

4. How do you decide who is eligible for EA support?

Other than the C-level executives and the heads of departments, nobody gets EA support unless they meet very specific criteria. I created a framework for this and presented it to our leadership team around six months ago. Here’s the criteria we use:

• C-level executive recommendation
• Manager of managers
• 8+ direct reports or 20+ total FTE
• Frequent travel (1x/month)
• Distributed team across multiple offices
• Ownership of offsites, events, or complex project management
• High calendar volume or customer-facing responsibilities
• Executive buy-in and budget alignment

5. Do new leadership hires automatically get an EA?

Not automatically. Some execs come in and clearly need support; their leader usually flags it before they even start. But I don’t offer support unless there’s a business case.

Who needs an EA? 7 executives to prioritize.

For example, the legal team mostly doesn’t have EAs. Their calendars aren’t as packed, and they don’t travel as much. It’s a different kind of workload, so it doesn’t justify an EA the same way it would for Sales or Marketing.

6. How do you drive consistency across such a diverse team?

From the bottom up. Our Exec Ops team meets weekly to share notes, compare how Chiefs of Staff are running meetings, and align on norms. We’re able to push consistency from our level by setting clear standards with our executives. Even though each team works differently, we’ve built alignment around how we operate.

7. How do you manage feedback across so many EA-executive pairings?

I keep it personal. I don’t follow a rigid feedback cycle; I just check in directly, especially if I sense there might be something going on or if I haven’t heard from a team in a while.

Luckily, the Viva team makes my job easy. I get a constant stream of unsolicited praise: messages asking how to thank their EA, people wanting to send gifts, and execs calling out how on top of everything their EA is. 

8. What advice would you give to someone in your role?

Listen. Be transparent. Push back when needed. Execs often think they need something specific, but with experience, you can offer smarter solutions. Build proactively, not reactively. I’m an open book, and that kind of transparency builds trust quickly.

TL;DR:

• Latoya Freeman runs Notion’s EA program while directly supporting a senior executive, managing 12 EAs and 30+ execs across the org.
• The top priority of her role is ensuring her exec is set up for success, while also driving structure, staffing, and consistency across the EA function.
• Notion uses a hybrid model: C-level execs get onsite support, while department heads are matched with Viva virtual EAs.
• EA eligibility is based on a structured framework tied to role scope, travel, calendar volume, and team complexity.
• Transparency, proactive problem-solving, and tailoring support to each exec’s unique needs.

If you’re building out your executive support team or wondering if a virtual EA could be right for your leadership bench, book a call with us to learn how we can help.

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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.