Jessie Austin
Jessie Austin is a highly experienced executive and legal professional with more than 30 years of providing strategic administrative support to senior leaders across the legal, academic, and investment sectors. She currently serves as Executive Assistant at Auxo Investment Partners, where she partners closely with firm leadership to drive operational excellence and ensure seamless day-to-day execution.
In her role at Auxo, Jessie serves as a strategic partner to firm leadership, managing complex schedules, coordinating high-level engagements, and supporting firmwide operations to ensure a seamless and high-performing environment. She collaborates on the planning and execution of firm events, supports investor initiatives as needed, facilitates travel logistics, and provides coordination support for portfolio company board meetings —all while handling confidential matters with exceptional discretion. With decades of experience supporting senior leaders, she brings deep institutional knowledge and foresight to every engagement, serving as a trusted liaison who keeps priorities aligned and momentum strong.
Jessie began her career at the United States Attorney’s Office in the mid-1980s, where she built a strong foundation in legal procedure, document management, and administrative precision. She went on to support attorneys at several respected law firms, including Buchanan, Silver & Beckering and Kreis, Enderle, Hudgins & Borsos, P.C., often maintaining long-standing supervisory partnerships built on trust and consistency. Her background also includes serving as Executive Secretary at Grand Valley State University and as an Administrative Specialist and Case Manager within the federal court system, where she supported federal judges and managed highly sensitive legal matters.
Throughout her career, Jessie has distinguished herself through relationship-building, sound judgment, and a solutions-oriented mindset. She holds an Associate’s Degree in Administrative Management from Davenport University and has consistently applied her expertise in executive support, operations management, event coordination, and organizational leadership to strengthen the teams she serves.
Outside of her professional commitments, Jessie is actively involved in church leadership and community service, contributing her time to finance, usher, and hospitality committees—because strong operations matter everywhere.
• Davenport University
• Active in faith-based community service, serving on my church's Finance Committee and as Co-Chair of the Hospitality Committee, and supporting congregational service initiatives.
What do you attribute your success to?
The foundation of everything I do is rooted in my faith. It guides my integrity, my work ethic, and the way I serve others. Equally important are the leaders I have had the privilege of supporting and the commitment I bring to every role. I approach each position with purpose and a genuine desire to make a meaningful impact. My goal has always been to be the most effective and trusted executive or legal assistant a leader has had—someone remembered for excellence, reliability, and character long after the role has changed.
I take great pride in my work. I am not perfect, but I am intentional. I strive to contribute positively wherever I serve and to be a dependable, collaborative member of the team. I understand that my role is to support the leaders I work alongside, helping ensure they are prepared, organized, and able to focus on what matters most. When they succeed, I know I have done my job well.
A defining influence in my career was my mentor, Pat Oldt, who challenged me to strengthen my problem-solving skills. She taught me that when presented with a problem, I should return not simply with the issue, but with a thoughtful solution. That mindset has shaped my professional journey and equipped me to support a federal judge, three university presidents, and partners within a private equity firm with confidence and consistency.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received came from my mentor, Pat Oldt, while I was working at Grand Valley State University. Early on, she asked me to locate specific information on a website. I searched but could not find what she was looking for, so I returned and told her it wasn’t there. She responded with words that stayed with me: “Jessie, when I give you a problem, I need you to come back with a solution. Don’t bring me back the problem.”
In that moment, I realized my responsibility extended beyond completing an assignment at face value. If the answer wasn’t in the first place I looked, I needed to think more broadly, dig deeper, and return with a thoughtful resolution. She challenged me to develop stronger problem-solving skills and greater initiative.
That mindset has stayed with me throughout my career. The leaders I’ve worked with know that even if I don’t have the answer right away, I will take the time to find it and come back prepared. It built my confidence and strengthened the skills I rely on every day.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would encourage anyone entering this field to approach every role with a positive attitude and a genuine willingness to learn. Be open to constructive feedback and don’t take it personally — it’s one of the greatest tools for growth. Take pride in your work, commit to doing it well, and always operate with honesty and integrity.
Develop strong problem-solving skills and take initiative. When a challenge comes your way, don’t just identify the issue — think through possible solutions. Leaders value people they can rely on, especially in fast-paced environments.
When working with high-level executives, there will be pressure and unexpected changes. Learn to stay calm and organized in those moments. If you can manage the details, keep things steady, and earn trust through consistency, you will set yourself apart.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field has been transitioning into private equity and learning an entirely new industry. Moving from the legal and academic environments into a investment firm required me to quickly understand new terminology and processes while adjusting to the expectations and responsibilities of a different professional environment. It meant stepping outside of what was familiar and being willing to learn again — even after decades of experience.
At the same time, that transition created tremendous opportunity. It allowed me to bridge organizational gaps by applying the structure, discipline, and problem-solving skills I developed earlier in my career to a new setting. Growth can feel uncomfortable, but it often opens the door to your greatest contribution.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Trust is foundational to everything I do, both professionally and personally. I want the leaders I work alongside, and the people in my life, to know they can rely on me completely. That is why confidentiality, integrity, and discretion have always been central to my career and to my relationships. I am often entrusted with sensitive information, and I take that responsibility seriously. When something is shared with me, it stays with me.
I am deeply relationship oriented. I believe trust is built one conversation at a time, through consistency, honesty, and follow-through. Whether at work or at home, I value being someone others can depend on.
I genuinely enjoy supporting and serving others, and I thrive on solving problems. There is great satisfaction in easing someone's burden and bringing clarity or calm to a situation.
Above all, my faith in God guides my decisions, my character, and my purpose. It shapes how I treat others and how I approach every responsibility I am given.