By Edward Dankwah, GNA
Accra, Aug. 30, GNA – Mrs Abigail Ampontuah-Yeboah, the Executive Director, Centre for Executive Development (CED), has urged executive and administrative professionals to reposition themselves as strategic partners to organisational leadership, as Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation and digital technologies reshaped the workplace.
She said the traditional perception of Executive Assistants, Personal Assistants, Office Managers and other administrative professionals as task-oriented support staff, must change if the profession was to remain relevant in the evolving workplace.
The Executive Director was speaking at the Executive and Administrative Leaders Roundtable 2026 in Accra, held on the theme, “Executive Support 2030: Leading Through Innovation, Influence and Impact.”
The roundtable brought together executive support professionals, human resource practitioners, governance experts, professional bodies and organisational leaders to examine the changing demands of executive and administrative support.
It featured contributions from leaders and representatives of the HR Certification Centre, National Association of Professional Secretaries and Administrative Professionals Ghana, West African branch of the Chartered Governance Institute, Association of Executive Assistants-Ghana and other stakeholders committed to advancing professional standards in executive and administrative support.
Mrs Ampontuah-Yeboah said the executive support professional of the future must possess strategic thinking, sound judgement, innovation and the ability to demonstrate measurable value to an organisation.
“The future of executive support will belong to professionals who are prepared to think strategically, embrace innovation, exercise sound judgement and demonstrate measurable impact,” she added.
She said the growing adoption of AI and automation should not be viewed solely as a threat to administrative jobs but as an opportunity for professionals to move beyond routine tasks and take on higher-value responsibilities.
The Executive Director said as technology assumed repetitive administrative duties, professionals in the sector would increasingly be required to provide uniquely human capabilities, including emotional intelligence, discretion, critical thinking, effective communication and relationship management.
She urged executive and administrative professionals to invest in continuous learning and develop competencies in digital technology, strategy, governance, project management, communication, and organisational performance.
Mrs Ampontuah-Yeboah stated that professionals must take ownership of their career development and deliberately prepare themselves for greater responsibility, influence and leadership.
She reaffirmed CED’s commitment to professionalising executive support through training, certification and continuous professional development, noting that the Centre had so far trained more than 200 professionals through international certification and executive development programmes.
The Executive Director called on employers to prioritise the professional development of executive and administrative staff, stating that investment in their capabilities could strengthen leadership and improve organisational performance.
She explained that when empowered beyond traditional administrative duties, executive support professionals could contribute to stronger governance, improved communication, effective project coordination, reduced operational risks and increased organisational productivity.
Mrs Ampontuah-Yeboah said the participation of professional bodies, governance institutions and human resource leaders demonstrated the growing recognition of executive support as an important component of organisational effectiveness.
She said CED would continue to provide platforms for professional learning, networking, knowledge sharing and career advancement to equip executive and administrative professionals with the competencies required to become trusted strategic partners within their organisations.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo
