Her Story
About Ursula
I went into the military at a young age, and this was the field that they put me in. I just stuck with it, and over 40 years I've watched this type of work go from being considered a lowly secretary all the way to being a strategic partner. It's definitely evolved and changed. Now I serve as Executive Assistant to the CEO and President of HPE Financial Services, working in a global industry where things happen in different time zones and I have to react well and be prepared and proactive about it. My day starts at 5 in the morning, making sure I get some exercise in, checking calendars to make sure there hasn't been anything that's shifted or changed overnight. Sometimes that just kind of takes over the whole day based on what may have happened. I make sure that the CEO is where she needs to be, whenever she needs to be there, completely briefed and prepared, taking notes, and following her and being her right hand the entire time. It's our job to be strategic in how we move, in what we say, what we do, be the eyes and the ears, always understand, and sometimes we mitigate things before they even know it happened. We're about taking care of things, and we don't let things get to them unless they absolutely need to get to them.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ursula
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success basically just from experience in different industries doing this same kind of work. It takes a lot to understand and to learn a new field or new industry. The job itself is gonna stay the same, but the industry's gonna make it different. So it's about adapting and learning each new environment while maintaining the core skills that make you effective in this role.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
When I was on active duty in the military, a colonel told me once, 'Ursula, if you ever get intimidated by something, always remember they put their pants on the same way you do in the morning. They're just people. No matter what their rank or title is, they are people just like you.' I was young at the time, and that stuck with me all these years. I always approach people and situations in that way, remembering people are just like me.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't take anything too personally, including yourself. Everything is going to change, and the only constant in this field is change. You have to be ready to adapt and not let things get to you personally, because the nature of this work means constant evolution and adjustment.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
A lot of people don't understand exactly what we do. They still think that all we do is plug things into a calendar when we do far more than that. It's a common misconception that they just don't understand what we do. What I want them to understand is that it's our job to make sure that we are protecting our CEO or our manager's time. That means that we have to be the person who surveys the entire room, makes sure that there isn't something that's going to throw everything off schedule or anything like that. We have to be strategic in how we move, in what we say, what we do, be the eyes and the ears, always understand, and sometimes we mitigate things before they even know it happened. We're about taking care of things, and we don't let things get to them unless they absolutely need to get to them.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty, integrity, and trust. Those three things are key to everything I do, both in my work and in my personal life. They form the foundation of how I approach my responsibilities and my relationships.
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