The Strength Behind the Smile: Mercy Odhiambo on Reinvention, Resilience, and the Silent Power of Assistants

Born in Nairobi and now calling Geneva home, Mercy Odhiambo has built a career and a life defined by courage, curiosity, and compassion. From her beginnings in hospitality to supporting global leaders at organizations like UNICEF and The Global Fund, Mercy’s story is one of constant evolution. As the author of The Silent Backbone series and host of its companion podcast, she gives voice to the emotional realities and untold strengths of administrative professionals. Through mentorship, storytelling, and advocacy for mental health, Mercy is helping redefine what leadership and support truly mean.

Mercy Atieno Odhiambo | Executive Assistant at Medicines for Malaria Venture | Author / Mentor / Mental Health Firstaider | Switzerland & Kenya | LinkedIn | Website

Mercy Atieno Odhiambo is a passionate Executive Assistant with extensive experience across corporate and nonprofit organizations. A storyteller at heart, she is the author of The Silent Backbone book series and host of The Silent Backbone Podcast, where she uses storytelling to advocate for administrative professionals and promote mental health awareness. Mercy is also a mentor and certified Mental Health First Aider, passionate about building supportive and empowered workplaces. In her free time, Mercy organizes networking events for women and writes fiction stories based on themes of mental health, love, and migration.

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Elizabeth Sutkowska: Mercy, your journey began in Nairobi (Kenya) and brought you to Geneva (Switzerland) more than two decades ago, a city that has clearly become close to your heart. What was it like leaving home to study hospitality in Switzerland, and how has that cross-cultural journey shaped the woman and professional you are today?

Mercy Atieno Odhiambo: Growing up, I never had a clear career path in mind; I simply followed the flow. When I moved to Switzerland, I arrived with curiosity more than expectations, and that became my superpower. I tried marketing, customer care, and hospitality, but nothing felt quite right. Then I accidentally landed in administration and realized I had finally found my space, a role that fit my personality perfectly. All I needed were the skills. And the skills keep evolving. I have picked up skills through training and learning from my peers. Also, through reviews, both good and bad.

Thankfully, I met supportive people and encountered opportunities that helped me grow. My Kenyan work ethic has always driven me to push forward. While others wait for promotions, I ask myself, “Where should I be next month?” Sometimes that ambition builds bridges, sometimes it causes friction, but it always keeps me moving. In the Executive Assistant world, things are changing very fast, and when you become comfortable and stop wanting to evolve, you find that you have been left behind. With AI finally here to help us reach our potential, you can find a tool that can and will help you in every weakness you have.

Being multicultural has been great. Apart from speaking multiple languages and knowing how to relate to many different people, I’ve learned to blend the Kenyan drive and passion with the Swiss accuracy and discipline.

Elizabeth: You’ve built an impressive career supporting leaders across organizations like UNICEF, The Global Fund, SITA, and now Medicines for Malaria Venture. What do you believe has been the most transformative lesson about partnership and leadership from your years in the Executive Assistant role?

Mercy: I recently completed my MBA in Leadership and Sustainability, and one of the biggest lessons I took away is that some leaders are born, while others are made. But throughout my career, I’ve also seen people step into leadership roles who shouldn’t be there, and others who deserve to lead being overlooked. Working closely with executive leadership gives you a front-row seat to it all. That is a privilege that many Executive Assistants don’t realize. You witness decisions that inspire you, and others you wish you’d never observed. Over time, you learn when to speak up and when to respectfully step back. Even when you disagree, you still have to find a way to move forward.

What has truly helped me thrive is the ability to build partnerships and allies. In the one workplace where I didn’t invest in relationships, it became the most difficult environment I’ve ever worked in. I know myself, I need collaboration, not competition, to do my best work. Unfortunately, some organizations operate from a mindset that there’s only room for a few at the top, and that creates unhealthy battles rather than shared success. When you see that a company or organisation doesn’t have a clear career progression plan for Assistants, not just vertically but even horizontally, that is a clear red flag, and I wish many people knew this.

For me, leadership, formal or informal, is about lifting others up, not pushing them down. A real leader has room to care about the welfare of their people, not just about results. Results are important, but not at the expense of destroying others.

Elizabeth: Beyond your professional success, you’ve become a mentor and community builder through your initiative, Networking in Heels Geneva. What inspired you to create that space for women, and what have you learned about connection and empowerment along the way?

Mercy: When I was transitioning between jobs, I realized I didn’t have the kind of network that could support my next career step. So I went out and built one. The Kenyan in me believes that if something doesn’t exist, you create it, and that’s how Networking in Heels Geneva was born. What started as a simple lunch club for women has since grown into vibrant dinner events held a few times a year, bringing women together to connect, support, and uplift one another. I love reminding the women that they need to look at it as taking themselves out on a date.

In many ways, I feel self-made. Early in my career, I didn’t have many mentors, and the few people I tried to look up to didn’t always understand me. That’s why mentorship is so important to me today. When I was invited to become a mentor for Executive Assistants, through our Executive PA Network in Switzerland, I didn’t hesitate, and when the chance came to coordinate the mentoring program, I said yes again. I believe deeply in creating the support I once needed. I have no doubt that some of the mistakes I made would have been avoided if I had someone to talk through things with who had already walked the path.

People often say that women are each other’s worst enemies. My experience has been more nuanced; I’ve been uplifted by women, and I’ve been hurt by women, but that’s because I’m surrounded by women. And like any community, there will always be a mix. What matters is that we keep choosing connections. We learn our limits, and we learn who to keep around us. That is part of being an adult and a professional.

Elizabeth: Your book, The Silent Backbone, gives voice to the unseen struggles and strengths of Executive Assistants and support professionals. What was the turning point that led you to write it, and what message do you most hope readers will carry with them after closing the final page?

Mercy: The Silent Backbone is actually a four-part book series: two books are already published, and two more are on the way. My plan was to look at the full picture of what is affecting the mental health of assistants. General day-to-day work (part one), Company culture (part 2), Neurological reasons (part 3), and Social reasons (part 4). I wrote it as stories that I collected from my network of assistants. My intention from the beginning was simple: I wanted Executive Assistants to read these stories, recognize themselves, and feel empowered to seek help or make changes when they’re struggling. But when the first book came out, something unexpected happened; many readers who were not assistants bought it and suddenly saw what they could do to make an assistant’s work and life less overwhelming.

The role of an assistant is incredibly lonely, and the higher up you support, the lonelier it gets. Many assistants have no one they can confide in. HR often doesn’t fully understand their challenges, and some leaders don’t realize how much pressure they pass down. They assume, “If I can handle it, my assistant should too.” But no bonus or thank-you can compensate for being treated like a punching bag when the pressure rises. Every other post for an Executive Assistant post is to replace someone who went on burnout or just got fed up. And this is not a crisis people are talking about.

When an assistant finishes any book in the series, I want them to take away practical coping strategies, a reminder to protect their well-being, to develop their personal brand, to build a career plan, and, most importantly, to know they are not alone.

Elizabeth: You often speak about the “superpowers” of Executive Assistants, from emotional intelligence to resilience and quiet leadership. As you look ahead, what vision do you hold for the next generation of EAs, and how can we better protect their well-being while celebrating their impact?

Mercy: When I speak with new assistants or my mentees, I always encourage them to think about how they are future-proofing their careers. Too often, assistants are told the role is just a stepping stone to something else. And when that “something else” doesn’t happen, they feel stuck or inadequate. But if you choose to build a career as an assistant, then you must understand what makes you distinct, what sets you apart from every other talented professional in the room.

Start by looking at how others describe you. Ask for feedback. Listen for the words that come up again and again. I once knew a woman who requested reference letters from her colleagues under the pretense of applying for a promotion, and she analyzed them to discover her unique strengths. In my case, nearly every reference highlighted my calmness in crisis and my ability to build strong networks. That became the foundation of my professional brand.

If you don’t understand your own value, the world won’t recognize it either. This new era demands self-awareness, confidence, and a clear personal brand; otherwise, you will be undervalued at every turn.

We can never be okay on the outside if we are not first happy with who we are on the inside. The job, no matter how much it pays, at the end of the day, is just a job. When you burn out, they will simply replace you. Give it your best, but look out for yourself.

Thank You!

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