“We Are Not Afraid of Challenges”: Agnieszka Korach on How the Executive Assistant Role Has Evolved in Poland

For more than two decades, Agnieszka Korach has observed, shaped, and driven the transformation of the Executive Assistant and Office Manager profession in Poland. From creating one of the country’s first development academies for Assistants to launching a pioneering industry platform and educating professionals in AI and strategic partnerships, her journey reflects, in many ways, the evolution of Poland's administrative landscape. In this interview, Agnieszka shares her perspective on how the profession has evolved over the years. She speaks about the strength and resilience of Polish Assistants, the challenges surrounding visibility and stereotypes, the impact of artificial intelligence, and why the future of the profession will require not only competencies but also courage, self-awareness, and the ability to build influence.

Agnieszka Korach | Founder of OfficeInfluencers.pl | ARK Consulting | Poland | LinkedIn

Agnieszka Korach is a pioneer in the professionalization of administrative roles in Poland. In 2006, she created the first Academy for Assistants and Secretaries in Poland, followed by the country’s first knowledge portal for Assistants and Secretaries (portaldlasekretarek.pl) in 2008. She is a speaker at industry conferences and has appeared as an expert in interviews for major media outlets, including TVN, Polsat, and TVP. She is also the author of numerous articles published in Sekretariat and Personel i Zarządzanie. Agnieszka has trained more than 10,000 professionals and currently delivers open training programs, in-company workshops, masterclasses, and cohort-based programs under the Office Influencers brand. Her clients include Mercedes-Benz, Geberit, T-Mobile, and many others. She holds a degree in Business Psychology (SWPS), is a certified Group Trainer (SWPS & Laboratorium Psychoedukacji), and is an AI Educator (CampusAI).

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Elizabeth Sutkowska: Agnieszka, you’ve been shaping the professional identity of Assistants and Office Manager in Poland for over two decades, from founding one of the first development academies to creating OfficeInfluencers.pl. Looking back, what do you see as the most meaningful evolution in how this profession is perceived in Poland today?

Agnieszka Korach: The transformation has been tremendous. I started my own career in 1997. Back then, the Assistant role already existed in Poland, but it differed very little from the traditional Secretary role. It was mainly focused on typical office tasks, although there were, of course, exceptions. Technical competencies were considered the most valuable skills at the time. The most prestigious Assistant school in Poland during the 1990s, the well-known two-year “Ogrodowa” school, taught languages, computer skills, fast typing, office equipment handling, and even shorthand note-taking. When I began delivering training programs in 2002, the most popular topic was business correspondence. In addition to launching the Academy for Assistants and Secretaries in 2006, we also created PortaldlaSekretarek.pl in 2008, which provided practical, hands-on guidance on performing day-to-day tasks effectively and on building the ethos of the profession.

In 2008, I introduced something completely different to the market: “Assistant as a Management Partner, Think Like Your Executive.” I had to wait almost a year for companies to be ready for the idea. But eventually it worked. Leaders themselves began sending their Executive Assistants to these programs, indicating they were beginning to recognize a different kind of need. At the same time, employers started expecting different competencies from Assistants: proactivity, strategic thinking, creativity, and broader business understanding.

The naming of roles also expanded. Unfortunately, today we have a lot of confusion about job titles and the responsibilities attached to them. International associations have been working for some time to bring more structure and consistency to these roles and the competencies associated with them. The next edition of this framework was published in April 2026 (globalskillsmatrix.com). As someone who has worked in this field for many years, I remain a cautious optimist.

In 2020, I felt there was a need to offer EAs and Office Managers something even more strategic. That’s why OfficeInfluencers.pl was created. It continues to evolve, especially with the emergence of AI. Today, we focus on helping create stronger, more strategic, and partnership-based relationships between EAs and leaders. It’s challenging, but far from impossible. It requires a shift in mindset from both EAs and Executives, as well as systemic changes inside organizations. In many ways, the story of ARK Consulting mirrors the evolution of the EA and Office Manager role itself.

Elizabeth: Poland’s administrative and EA community is growing stronger and more visible each year. From your perspective, what makes the Polish market unique, its strengths, values, or work culture, compared to international trends in this field?

Agnieszka: Polish Assistants are highly adaptable. They learn quickly, thrive in changing environments, and tend to approach challenges with a “nothing is impossible” mindset. They are responsible, dependable, and strong team players. After Poland joined the European Union, we conducted a series of interviews with Polish Assistants who moved abroad for work. They were highly appreciated specifically because of these qualities. I believe part of this comes from the environment we grew up in. Many Assistants aged 40+ experienced Poland’s economic transformation firsthand, and those experiences built resilience. We are not afraid of challenges. When it comes to skills, Polish Assistants are undoubtedly among the strongest globally.

However, one area that still requires development is self-advocacy. Many Polish Assistants find it difficult to be assertive or visible. Fortunately, Generation Z is already starting to shift this dynamic within organizations. Assistants from my generation approach work differently from Generation Z or even Millennials. It’s not about better or worse, it's simply different. This creates an additional challenge for organizations, team leaders, and recruiters.

There is a high demand for Executive Assistants in Poland, but employers’ expectations have not always kept pace with compensation levels. At the same time, professionals with the highest-level competencies remain relatively rare.

I recently witnessed a great example of recognizing talent. An Assistant who had worked for ten years within a corporate management team was offered an opportunity to move into another Assistant role within the same organization. Normally, such transitions were not possible because of company procedures. However, the company changed its global policies specifically to retain her. That is exactly the right mindset. The company understood that top talent in these roles can no longer be treated as “just administration.”

Elizabeth: You were among the first in Poland to connect business psychology, leadership, and AI in administrative development. How do you see technology, especially AI, reshaping the future of the Executive Assistants and Office Management professions here in Poland?

Agnieszka: I may actually have been the very first, because for many years our company has been the only one in Poland specializing specifically in this area, not as an add-on to broader business training, but as a dedicated focus. Thanks to this, our understanding of business administration remains closely aligned with the real needs of the market.

Coming back to your question, AI is a revolution for the EA and Office Manager profession. And that is not an exaggeration. Through the smart use of AI, Executive Assistants and Office Managers can finally focus on something they never seemed to have enough time for before: thinking and acting strategically within their roles and building greater visibility and impact within their organizations. That is what AI truly enables. Ever since AI became widely accessible in 2022, I have been speaking and writing extensively about its potential. This is a genuine game changer, one that many professionals have probably been waiting for. Organizations also need to start advocating clearly and intentionally for AI adoption within business administration functions. If I had to point to one capability that professionals should prioritize developing in 2026, it would absolutely be AI competency.

Elizabeth: With your experience training over 10,000 professionals, you’ve witnessed both the challenges and triumphs behind this role. What are the biggest struggles that Polish Assistants and Office Managers still face, and what steps could help elevate their strategic position further?

Agnieszka: There are many areas that still require attention. Above all, there is still a lack of appreciation for these roles. For years, in almost every training session I deliver, I hear Assistants say they feel undervalued, that people do not truly understand what they do, and that they continue to struggle with the harmful stereotype of being “the coffee person.”

Of course, this does not apply everywhere. There are environments where these perceptions no longer exist. However, I have the advantage of seeing the broader market landscape, and the differences are significant.

There is substantial disparity in compensation, working conditions, access to tools, and development opportunities. The realities of the private sector differ greatly from those in public administration or publicly funded sectors such as education and healthcare. There are many challenges.

The situation is somewhat different for Office Managers because they already hold the title of “Manager,” which naturally confers greater status within organizations. Yet even here, employees often do not fully understand what Office Managers actually do. Both professions require different approaches and different forms of support. What I believe is essential is greater clarity around job titles, required competencies, and appropriate compensation levels.

I also believe we need clearer distinctions between these roles: An Executive Assistant is not an Office Manager. An Office Manager is not an Executive Assistant. An Executive Assistant is not an Administrative Assistant. An Office Manager is not a Receptionist. Bringing structure to this confusion and increasing business awareness around these roles is critical.

We also need more conversations with decision-makers and influential business leaders, people who can openly demonstrate the value of Executive Assistants and Office Managers within their organizations, allowing professionals in these roles to step out of the shadows and finally challenge outdated stereotypes. I hope we will reach that point one day, but it will require significant effort. And importantly, this is not only a Polish challenge. The same issue exists in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. From the outside, it may appear that they have already solved these challenges, but they have not. This is a global issue. A very real one. And it disproportionately affects women, who still represent around 90% of professionals in these roles.

Elizabeth: You often speak about partnership, influence, and self-awareness as cornerstones of this profession. If you could leave one message to the next generation of Executive Assistants and administrative leaders in Poland, what would it be?

Agnieszka: Look at your work from a strategic perspective, not only through the lens of tasks. Have as many conversations as possible with your leaders so that you understand the context around their work and their goals. Build relationships with key people.

If you work on an Assistant team with people at different levels of experience and tenure, learn from those with more experience. Observe what they do well, ask them for mentorship, and create opportunities to exchange knowledge and experiences, as this is something many teams still lack. At the same time, share what you know with others.

Teach courage in speaking about achievements. Teach assertiveness. Do not allow yourselves to be pushed into the shadows. And leave space behind you for those who will come after you.

Thank You!

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