Influential Woman · Executive Support

Leyla Jalilie

Fractional Executive Assistant to CEO & Founder, Software, Innovation, Technology & Advisory

San Francisco, CA

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Cultural Anthropology degree from San Francisco State University

Her Story

About Leyla

I began my professional journey while studying cultural anthropology at San Francisco State University, where I was working in office management and executive support. I fell in love with it and discovered it was something I could do in an industry-agnostic way, where I could really make an impact with executives in any industry. My cultural anthropology degree led to understanding participant dynamics within corporations and gave me the ability to inject my knowledge, but also stand back and observe where the gaps might lie. Over the last 20 years, I've built meaningful relationships that I still carry with me well after leaving organizations. For the past 4 years, I've been working remotely in executive support, which has allowed me to have a work-life balance with my kids. Currently, I'm supporting an advisory firm, and while the CEO is on an expedition, I'm overseeing his day-to-day duties, which includes monitoring emails and prioritization throughout the organization. My areas of expertise include multitasking and the ability to drive results in a corporation.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Leyla

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to being resilient and being able to pivot on a moment's notice. I've seen so much in San Francisco in particular - the housing market boom and crash, the dot com boom and crash, and Covid. My husband's in the restaurant industry and has opened and closed restaurants, so it's our ability to shift gears where needed and pivot. I think it's not a destination, it's a journey, and if you can really take that approach, everything seems to fall into place.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would say give yourself the space to have a Plan B. I know that there are ways of looking at things and having dreams and goals, but really look at the big picture and don't focus just on one side. As I'm maturing into my current age and about to hit a milestone birthday, I really feel like going into this next chapter will be all about authenticity and integrity in my work.

03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

The economy certainly, with job cuts, has made the candidate pool a lot larger. I think being a specialized administrative or executive assistant, executive partner, has been able to withstand AI and having that human touch, but it is a challenge as these AI tools become more accessible.

04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

Integrity and really just being authentic are most important to me. I've looked at this over the years, and as I'm maturing into my current age and about to hit a milestone birthday, I just really feel like going into this next chapter will be all about authenticity and integrity in my work.

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