Executive Assistants by Pickle
Work with an experienced executive assistant you can trust to learn your priorities and follow things through. The same person each week, for the hours you need.
We find the right person and take care of regular check-ins, ongoing training, as well as holiday and sickness cover. You’ll also have a named Pickle contact whenever you need help or want to make a change.
From £1,600 a month for 40 hours of support
Risk-free first month, then monthly rolling
Start in as little as 48 hoursTell us what you’d like help with. We’ll reply within the hour to book a short call. If we already have an assistant who fits, you can be working together in just 48 hours!
Every client needs something different. Our trusted assistants handle the work below and much more, getting to know your business and adapting their support as things change.
Emails organised, replies drafted and important messages brought to your attention, so you know what needs you and what’s already handled.
Meetings arranged, clashes resolved and your time protected for focused work, with a diary that reflects your priorities.
Agendas, papers and background notes pulled together, so you arrive knowing who’s involved, what’s being discussed and what needs deciding.
Actions tracked, updates chased and people followed up with, so you don’t have to keep remembering who owes you what.
Flights, hotels, transfers and itineraries organised around your schedule, with bookings adjusted and alternatives found when plans change.
Board packs prepared, papers circulated and meetings coordinated, with deadlines tracked and the right information reaching the right people.
People kept in the loop, progress checked and deadlines followed up, so projects keep moving without you chasing every update.
Appointments booked, renewals tracked and deliveries arranged, taking care of the personal tasks that can otherwise interrupt your working day.
Our assistants get to know what matters to you, who you’re working with and what’s coming up. They use that context to think ahead, follow things through and make decisions you’re comfortable leaving in their hands.
Pickle provides executive assistant services for founders and leadership teams who need space to think, lead and grow without carrying everything themselves.
Our support is a good fit for:
Handing over your inbox and diary can feel like a big step. You want someone who knows what they’re doing, handles sensitive information carefully and doesn’t need you checking everything. Here are a few of our Pickle EAs and the experience they’d bring to your working week.
Spain · UK hours
17+ years supporting senior executives and high-net-worth individuals across finance, insurance, gaming and start-ups.
Managing busy diaries, coordinating complex international travel and supporting investor relations. Marie also excels at putting clear processes in place to reduce key person dependencies.
South Africa · UK hours
14+ years supporting senior leaders across corporate businesses, legal services and higher education.
Managing several executives’ diaries across time zones and coordinating international travel. Megan also handles finance and HR admin, organises events and takes care of client onboarding paperwork and AML checks.
South Africa · UK hours
Experience supporting founders, senior leaders at a business school, and the executive team of a Premier League club.
Balancing competing priorities for several leaders and building trust quickly with their teams. Nicole also gets to grips with new tools and systems, adapting to the way each client works.
Slack
Notion
Asana
Claude
Zoom
Teams
Zapier
XeroYour assistant will work remotely. Most of our EAs are based in the UK and South Africa, with some in the US. Most work UK business hours, Monday to Friday. We’ll match you with someone whose working day lines up with yours and agree their availability around the hours of support you need, so you know when you can reach them and plan your work together.
Most are fluent in Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, Teams, Notion, Asana, Zoom and the usual CRM and scheduling tools. They’re daily AI users too, for drafting, summarising and meeting prep, which means more of your hours go on the work that needs a human. If you use something less common, they’ll usually be comfortable with it within days.
Yes. You’ll have one dedicated assistant who gets to know you, your priorities and how you like things done. That familiarity builds over time, so you can hand over more without explaining everything from scratch.
Like you would with a colleague. Most clients use Slack or email day to day and have a call when that’s quicker. You’ll work directly with your assistant and decide who else on your team can brief them.
You’ll have a live time-tracking link showing the work your assistant has done and the time spent on it. You can see how your hours are being used and agree what to prioritise next.
We arrange cover at no extra cost. You’ll know in advance who’s picking things up and what’s being handed over, so work keeps moving while your executive assistant is away.
No job ads to write or applications to work through. We find the people, arrange the introductions and handle the paperwork. You choose who you’d like to work with.
We’ll spend around 30 minutes talking through your workload, the tools you use and when you need support. You don’t need a detailed brief. Tell us what’s taking up your time, and we’ll help you work out where an EA could make the biggest difference.
We’ll introduce you to up to three Pickle EAs whose experience fits the work you need help with. You’ll have a conversation with each, ask questions and get a feel for how you’d work together. The choice is yours.
Together, we’ll work out how much time your EA will need for the work you want to hand over. Packages start at 40 hours a month, with the cost and availability agreed before you begin. You’ll receive one monthly invoice from Pickle.
You and your EA will talk through the first pieces of work, arrange access to the tools they need and agree how to stay in touch. They’ll bring the questions that help them get started, and you’ll share what they need to know about your business.
We’ll check in regularly over the first six months, then agree how often you’d like to hear from us. It’s a chance to discuss what’s going well, raise anything that needs attention and adjust the hours or responsibilities as your needs change.
We take care of payroll, tax, National Insurance, pension and holiday cover. You get one monthly invoice and a named Pickle contact to help with questions, changes to your support or anything that needs sorting.
Head of Sales
I started my career as an Executive Assistant to a high-net-worth family, then spent five years at Google, working with the London Sales team before supporting the Chief Business Officer and moving into programme management.
I later ran my own business while raising a young family. During that time, I began working with FYXER, a relationship that eventually brought me back in 2023 to lead sales.
As a mum of three, I know how easily work can take over. Time with my children and keeping fit matter to me, and having room for both makes a real difference. At Pickle, I help founders and executives find experienced support they can trust, while helping our contractors build rewarding careers that fit around their lives too.
An experienced executive assistant for the hours you need, without taking on a full-time hire. This is fractional support, starting at £1,600 a month for 40 hours. We’ll help you choose the right number of hours, with room to adjust as your workload changes.
£1,600 a month
£3,200 a month
Need a different number of hours? Let’s talk through your workload and work out a custom package together. You don’t need to know exactly how many hours you’ll need before we speak.
Need to adjust your support? You can change your hours month to month, increasing support during busy periods or reducing it when you need less help.
One experienced EA who gets to know your priorities and how you workHoliday and sickness cover arranged within your agreed hours, at no extra costA named Pickle contact to help with questions, changes or concernsRegular check-ins to make sure the support is working for you and your EAOngoing training and development for your assistant, managed by PickleA live time-tracking link so you can see how many hours you’ve usedNo recruitment fees or employer costs, with one monthly invoiceYour first month is risk-free. If it isn’t right, we’ll refund you, with no obligation to continue.
After that, your package rolls monthly, with one month’s notice to cancel.
Hiring an assistant is one thing. Arranging cover, supporting their development and making sure the relationship works over time is where Pickle makes the difference. You’ll have someone to turn to as your needs change, with ongoing support for both you and your EA.
Swipe to compare all four options
| Feature | Pickle EA | Virtual Assistant | Freelance PA | Full-time EA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experience | Experienced EAs who use their judgement | Varies by person or provider | Varies by individual | Depends on who you hire |
| Same assistant each week | One person who gets to know your business | Depends on the arrangement | Yes | Yes |
| Holiday and sickness cover | Included within your agreed hours | Depends on the provider but rarely | Usually arranged by you | Arranged internally |
| Start time | From 48 hours, subject to availability | Depends on availability | Depends on availability | Recruitment and notice periods |
| Commitment | Risk-free first month, then monthly rolling | Depends on the agreement | Depends on the agreement | Employment contract |
| Management | A named Pickle contact with regular check-ins | Varies by provider | Managed directly by you | Managed internally |
| Data and confidentiality | You control access, with confidentiality and UK GDPR covered in our contract | Depends on provider terms and systems | Up to you to agree terms | Covered by your own policies |
| Performance and development | Ongoing training and development handled by Pickle | Varies by provider | Managed by the individual | Managed internally |
Your assistant takes care of the work. We take care of their ongoing support, development and cover when they’re away.
When their full-time EA left, this NHS healthtech company didn’t want a like-for-like hire. Their Pickle EA took over the CEO’s diary and inbox, and now nothing slips.
Three partners at this remote consultancy were losing hours to diaries, travel and expenses. One Pickle EA now supports all three, and the work has grown well beyond the original brief.
The hiring process was very smooth and we were presented with high calibre EAs.
- The Development Guarantee Group
Finding our EA was seamless. Mai is one of the best EAs I have ever worked with.
- Apkudo
Choosing an executive assistant is a big decision. Here are some common questions before getting started.
We start with a conversation about your workload, priorities and how you like to work. We’ll discuss the experience you need, the tools you use and the hours you’re looking for, then introduce you to suitable EAs. You’ll meet them before deciding who you feel comfortable working with.
Yes. You’ll work directly with an experienced executive assistant who supports you remotely. As they get to know your business, they can anticipate what’s needed and take on more responsibility without you directing every step. You’ll have the same EA each week, with cover and ongoing support arranged by Pickle.
Support starts at £1,600 a month for 40 hours, or £3,200 for 80 hours. If you’re unsure how much time you’ll need, tell us what you’d like to hand over and we’ll work it out with you. Your dedicated executive assistant, holiday cover and ongoing support from Pickle are included, with no recruitment fees or employer costs. We’ll confirm the hours and exact cost on our first call together.
No. After your risk-free first month, the arrangement is monthly rolling, with monthly billing and one month’s notice. You can build a long-term working relationship without committing to a permanent hire. After six months you can move to quarterly if preferable.
Tell your named Pickle contact what isn’t working, whether that’s communication, priorities or the working relationship. We’re here to help address it. Your first month is risk-free: if it isn’t right, we’ll refund you and there’s no obligation to continue. After the first month, you can end the arrangement with one month’s notice.
Within 48 hours if we already have an EA who fits your needs. A week at most if we don’t. We’ll confirm the timing on your first call and arrange for you to meet your assistant before getting started.
You won’t be teaching someone how to be an EA. Our EAs have supported busy leaders before and know the questions to ask. You’ll need to talk them through your priorities, key people and preferences, but you don’t need to document every task or have everything organised first. Start with the work you most want off your plate. They’ll get to know how you work and take on more as the relationship develops.
Your assistant works within your own systems, and you control what they can access and when that access ends. Every EA works under strict confidentiality terms, and our contracts cover data protection under UK GDPR. You can discuss any specific requirements with us before getting started.
Yes. Alongside business support, our EAs can help with appointments, travel, renewals and other personal admin. We’ll discuss what you want to hand over when matching you with an assistant.
Yes. We’ll discuss your time zone and the hours you need, then match you with an EA whose working day lines up with yours. You’ll agree their availability before starting, so you know when you can reach them.
Yes, and some clients do. If you’d like to bring your EA into your business as a permanent employee, there’s a transfer fee. We’ll explain the terms upfront, so you know where you stand from the start.
Explore our other services for experienced support across your business.
Tell us what you need from an assistant. We’ll help you find someone who understands your priorities, uses their judgement and earns your trust.
From £1,600 a month · Risk-free first month