Men are capable of being effective Executive Assistants and employers need to give us a chance, says Denis Mermoud
In 2007, I became the first male Executive Assistant at the City of Lausanne, an organisation of over 5,000 employees. I applied for a position as a secretary to the head of one of the financial departments. I had never organized a meeting or written a minute. I had to start from the beginning and learn everything!
I have often been asked the question “Why did you choose to become an Executive Assistant? It is a job for women.” I mostly reply with a certain sarcasm or cynicism that I decided to start this job when I saw the movie The Devil Wears Prada! Sometimes I mention that up until World War I, the role was done by men, with women taking over clerical work whilst the men fought at the front.
Unfortunately, too many people have the image of an Assistant preparing coffee for their executive. They cannot imagine the range of duties we have and the skills we need to perform them. In the French-speaking part of Switzerland, we have the nickname “Couteau Suisse” because, like a Swiss knife, we have multiple functions.
Being a male Executive Assistant is a challenge. Every week I receive an email starting with “Dear Madam” or a phone call with such an exchange: “Good morning, sir, I would like to talk to your executive’s secretary.” “Yes, at your service, madam.” “Oh, I am sorry, sir, I was expecting to speak to a woman.”
In 2008, my executive organized a dinner before he retired. We decided that everyone would pay their share of the bill. But he told me, “Denis, put your wallet away, it’s on me.” I was incredibly surprised, but another colleague said, “Of course, Denis. You did not know? Tonight, men invite women.” He quickly realized that it was not funny at all, and it was not an appropriate way to behave. He apologized immediately.
Today, such behaviour would not be acceptable and could have consequences. In February 2020, Swiss citizens voted for a change in article 261 of the Penal Code[1] to extend racial discrimination to sexual orientation discrimination. In April 2023, the City of Lausanne joined the Rainbow Cites Network[2] to exchange best practices, joint activities, and initiatives between the cities of the network and to improve measures locally.
I recently joined the association Executive & PA Network[3] based in Geneva. We meet six to eight times throughout the year. The association has about 80 members, including… four men! Once, one of the co-presidents welcomed us with “Good evening, ladies, it is a pleasure to see you tonight” and I answered, “It is a pleasure for us as well.” The audience reacted with howls of laughter! We always get goody bags and we all very much appreciate this attention, even if sometimes they are aimed at women, like pink pencils or caps. Non-gender-specific items would be much appreciated!
I have also completed a two-year course to obtain the Federal Diploma of Higher Education as an Executive Assistant. As I expected, I joined a class of women (17 of them!). However, it was an immense pleasure to attend this training and validate my knowledge. I learned new skills and I have expanded my professional network. In all situations, I try to act as an ambassador for the profession, taking initiative on social media and participating in conferences and during seminars.
In conclusion, potential male candidates for the role of Executive Assistant should not hesitate to apply… and employers need to give us a chance.
[1] CFR : Droit pénal (admin.ch)
