Lisa
Dolan
Twenty years of being the person every senior leader relies on — quietly, completely, without question. Making the complex feel effortless and the impossible feel manageable. Earning trust at the highest level, turning complexity into clarity, chaos into calm, and pressure into results.
I'm a Senior Executive Assistant and Personal Assistant with over twenty years of high-trust support across financial services, energy, media, luxury fashion, technology, hospitality, and property.
I've supported CEOs, founders, COOs, CTOs, Directors, and high-net-worth individuals through complexity, change, and the quiet moments in between. I don't just manage complexity — I anticipate it, absorb it, and make the people I support feel like everything is always under control.
I'm the colleague who remembers your daughter's christening or your dog's birthday and asks how it went. Who treats the person holding the door with the same warmth as the person running the meeting. I believe everyone deserves respect — we are all in it together, working towards the same goal.
That isn't performance. It's simply how I move through the world — and the result is that people trust me quickly, speak to me honestly, and rely on me for far more than a task list.
I'm a natural listener — not in the polite, waiting-to-speak sense, but in the way that means I notice what isn't being said. The undercurrent in a message. The tension in a room. The dynamic that should shape how a meeting is sequenced or an email is worded. I pick things up before they're named, and I act on them quietly, without fanfare.
I plan obsessively and stay three steps ahead — not because I'm anxious, but because anticipating needs before they arise is how I create the breathing room that allows senior leaders to do their best work.
I integrate quickly into new environments, adapt to diverse cultures and working styles, and deliver at the highest level from day one.
Complex diary management across time zones. End-to-end international travel. Inbox mastery. Events from intimate offsites to large-scale international roadshows. Stakeholder management and relationship building at every level. Complex project coordination, systems and process improvement, supplier and vendor management, budget oversight, and recruitment and onboarding support.
But the skills that set me apart are the ones that don't appear on a job description. I'm calm under pressure — genuinely, not performatively. I operate with absolute discretion. Formally qualified in Peer Mentorship (OCN Level 2). Skills developed through this qualification that translate directly into my EA practice include: active listening and reading between the lines; asking the right questions at the right moment; holding space for difficult conversations with sensitivity and discretion; recognising when someone needs support before they've asked for it; building trust quickly across different personalities and seniority levels; and communicating complex or sensitive information with clarity and care. These aren't soft skills — they're the skills that make the difference between a good EA and an exceptional one.
Since 2021, I've built my career as a professional contractor — stepping into C-suite environments across seven industries, integrating fast, and making an immediate impact. Every placement has sharpened my ability to adapt to new cultures, new leadership styles, and new challenges without missing a beat. I'm now ready to bring that breadth — and that depth — into a permanent role where I can truly invest for the long term.
Complex diary management across time zones. End-to-end international travel. Inbox mastery, and events — delivered with precision from day one.
I listen to what isn't being said. I remember your daughter's christening and your dog's birthday. I treat the cleaner with the same warmth as the CEO. Real connection is a strategic skill.
Trusted with sensitive matters by HNWI principals, founders, and global executives. Absolutely reliable with information that never leaves the room.
Most EAs have lived on one side of the fence. I've worked on both — and that changes everything about how I see a business, a leader's needs, and what good support actually looks like.
In startup environments, I've been the person who built things from scratch — systems that didn't exist, processes that needed inventing, structures that had to be created before they could be maintained. At Mallet London, I built the entire operational infrastructure from the ground up: implementing internal systems, integrating APIs to connect website sales directly into Xero, synchronising stock management in real time, and leading recruitment and onboarding as the team scaled.
I know what it means to wear ten hats at once, to pivot on a Tuesday because everything changed on Monday, and to hold the operational centre together when leadership is moving at a pace that would unsettle most people. I was also the primary liaison between Mallet's board and its lawyers, accountants, shareholders, and C-suite leaders at JD Sports during their investment round — navigating high-stakes relationships with confidence and discretion throughout.
I thrive in ambiguity. I don't need a manual — I write one. When a business needs someone who can think commercially, act independently, and keep everything running quietly in the background while the founders focus on the big picture, that's exactly where I do my best work.
In large, complex organisations, the demands are entirely different. Navigating matrix structures. Managing upward, downward, and laterally with equal skill. Understanding which conversation happens in which room, and why sequencing matters as much as the decision itself.
I've supported senior leadership teams in global financial institutions, energy majors, and major media groups — environments where the stakes are high, the stakeholders are many, and the margin for error is slim.
What this range gives you is an EA who doesn't need to be told how your world works. Whether you're scaling fast and building on the fly, or operating within a complex, established structure, I've been there — and come out stronger for each.
Throughout 2023, Lisa provided exceptional senior-level Executive Assistant support to me. She approaches her work with a combination of professionalism and practicality, consistently staying a few steps ahead to ensure smooth operations.
In addition to her technical skills, Lisa is highly trustworthy and discreet, making her an invaluable partner in a complex business environment. Her excellent relationship management skills enable her to navigate intricate stakeholder landscapes with ease. I cannot recommend her highly enough to any executive seeking a proactive and reliable partner.
Lisa was employed in our head office from 2017 to 2020. Throughout her time with our organisation, she demonstrated critical skills that would make her an excellent employee at any company.
Lisa did a terrific job in her position and was an asset to our organisation during her tenure. She has excellent written and verbal communication skills, is extremely organised, can work independently, and is able to effectively multi-task to ensure that all projects are completed in a timely manner. She was always willing to offer her assistance and had an excellent rapport with the many constituents served by our office — including clients, suppliers, employees and other professional organisations. I wholeheartedly recommend her for any endeavour she chooses to pursue.
Lisa is an extremely organised professional who is able to maintain a busy schedule and act as a files administrator simultaneously. She is excellent at arranging executive meetings, managing multiple diaries and inboxes, making travel arrangements, processing expenses for three managers, and screening all executive correspondence. Lisa also made herself available to help other team members whenever needed.
Duties Lisa performed at CFA Institute included: intensive diary management and meeting coordination; meeting facilitation for management and the broader team; travel management and expense processing using Concur; action plan reporting in Excel and Word; daily 1:1 stand-ups to co-ordinate the team with management; and corporate records management via SharePoint. Her contribution was outstanding.
During Lisa's employment with us she proved to be highly committed to her role. She is an extremely honest and trustworthy individual. Lisa possesses an excellent attitude towards work — she is flexible and willing to help out wherever possible, making her a joy to work with.
Lisa was responsible for the payroll and purchase ledger for all five restaurants within the group. Her good interpersonal and communication skills allowed her to develop productive working relationships with staff at every level, from head office to restaurant floor.
Lisa's ability to remain unflustered and her excellent organisational skills allow her to work well under pressure. She is a very reliable and dependable member of the team who consistently achieved good results and delivered on all expectations. I would happily re-employ her.
From 2005 to 2012, Lisa was employed as my PA and very quickly became my right-hand woman across both my personal life and my property development company. Initially assisting with diary management and travel, she grew into managing a portfolio of 26 properties — booking maintenance visits, liaising with tenants, handling tenancy agreements, inventories, and check-in/check-out. She also served as assistant project manager on new developments, overseeing accounts via Sage Line 50, rental income management, payroll, and junior staff delegation.
Lisa is both very bright and motivated. I particularly appreciate her willingness to take initiative — it proved invaluable in ensuring my personal arrangements ran smoothly and my business functioned as well as it possibly could. I only regret having to find someone to fill her shoes. I highly recommend her without reservation.
I have known Lisa Dolan personally for approximately 30 years and have watched with great interest as she has pursued and progressed her career. Lisa has always demonstrated resilience and adaptability. She is efficient, detail-oriented and extremely competent.
Lisa also has an excellent rapport with people of all ages, showing her proactive skills in team building with initiative and confidence. I highly recommend Lisa for any position she may seek — she would be a valuable asset for any organisation.