EA/PA Leadership Summit Melbourne 2026

Pre-Conference Workshops

The Elite EA Masterclass

09:00- 5:00 PM 

From Support Role to Strategic Partner: Your Career Transformation Starts Here!

• The most successful Executive Assistants aren’t defined by the executives they support, but by how they transform those executives’ effectiveness through strategic partnership rather than mere support.

• The Executive Assistant who masters both human connection and technological advancement doesn’t just survive disruption—they become the indispensable bridge between the efficiency of automation and the emotional intelligence that drives organisational success. The difference between a career plateau and continued advancement for Executive Assistants isn’t technical skill—it’s the courage to step beyond your assigned role and into the strategic vacuum others haven’t yet recognised

Are you ready to be recognised as the strategic asset you truly are?

The Elite EA Masterclass isn’t just another training program—it’s your career reinvention blueprint. Designed exclusively for ambitious Executive and Personal Assistants who refuse to be boxed in by outdated perceptions, this intensive experience  transforms how you work, how you’re perceived, and where your career can go.

The Reality EAs Face in 2025:

• Expected to master AI tools without proper training
• Transitioning from administrative to strategic roles with little guidance
• Navigating unclear pathways from “assistant” to “advisor”
• Managing increasing responsibilities without corresponding compensation
• Fighting to be recognised as more than “just an Assistant”

Your 4-Session Journey to Excellence:

1. Confidence, Empowerment, and Mindset breakthrough limiting beliefs and develop the executive mindset that
commands respect

2. Executive Presence and Creating Opportunities Master the subtle art of presence that turns heads and opens doors

3. Strategic Thinking and Leadership Elevate your thinking from task execution to strategic partnership

4. Effective Partnering and Career Progression Position yourself for advancement and negotiate your true value

The 5 Essential Skills Every EA Needs in 2025:

1. Insight & Decision-Making Capabilities - Move beyond executing decisions to shaping them

2. Adaptability in Rapidly Changing Environments - Thrive amid uncertainty while others merely survive it

3. Executive-Level Communication - Speak with the clarity and influence that drives organisational outcomes

4. Critical Thinking Beyond Basic Problem-Solving - Anticipate needs and develop strategic solutions before problems arise

5. Digital Literacy, Especially AI Integration - Harness technology as a force multiplier for your effectiveness
EXCLUSIVE BONUS: Receive a custom AI prompt template designed specifically for EAs to automate routine tasks and
reclaim valuable time.

Don’t just survive your workday—learn to thrive within it. Your executives (and your peace of mind) will thank you.

Through expert-led sessions, immersive exercises, and personalised guidance, you’ll emerge with both the mindset and
practical tools to transcend the traditional boundaries of your role.

Your career evolution doesn’t have to wait. The strategic partner your executive needs is already within you—we just help bring it to the surface.

Conference Day One | 27th May

09:00 Welcome to Country

09:05 Opening Remarks from Chair

Danielle Colley is an integrative life coach and founder of Your Good Life. She helps successful women in business who are dissatisfied with their lives and dealing with pressures from all angles, to reach their full potential by helping them clear the debris from their past, super charge their present and transition from where they are now to where they desire to be.

SESSION 1 9:20 AM: The Trusted Partner: What Executive-Level Influence Really Looks Like

Today’s EA is no longer just a gatekeeper or organiser. The most valuable assistants operate as trusted partners, shaping conversations, anticipating risk, and influencing decisions at the highest level. In this powerful session, we explore what real executive-level influence looks like in practice. You’ll learn how to think commercially, contribute strategically, and build the kind of trust that gives you a genuine seat at the table. Discover how to move from reactive support to proactive leadership, strengthen your executive relationship, and position yourself as indispensable in complex, high-stakes environments.

10:10 AM: LEADERSHIP NETWORKING

10:30 AM MORNING TEA

SESSION 2 11:00 AM: Executive Presence in High-Stakes Rooms

SESSION 3 12:00 PM: The AI-Smart EA: Beyond Prompts and Productivity Hacks

AI is transforming the workplace, but the real advantage lies not in knowing a few clever prompts, it lies in using these tools with judgement, responsibility and strategic intent. In this future-focused session, explore how to harness AI to elevate your impact while protecting the trust placed in you. Learn how to design smart workflows, safeguard confidential information, recognise cyber risks, and ensure your digital habits strengthen rather than expose your executive and organisation. Discover how to move beyond quick productivity wins and position yourself as a confident, cyber-aware, AIsmart partner who leads with both innovation and integrity

SESSION 4 1:50 PM: Thinking Like an Executive: From Decision Support to Strategic Career Growth

The most influential EAs do more than manage logistics. They shape decisions, clarify priorities and think commercially alongside their executive. In this powerful session, learn how to approach challenges with an executive mindset, frame options clearly, anticipate risk and present information in ways that drive confident decision-making. At the same time, explore how mastering decision support elevates your own career trajectory. Discover how to expand your scope, strengthen your strategic credibility and position yourself for greater responsibility, influence and progression. When you think like an executive, you don’t just support leadership, you become an essential part of it.

SESSION 5 2:40 PM: From EA to Strategic Career Architect

Your career should not be left to chance. The most successful EAs take ownership of their growth, deliberately shaping roles that reflect their value, ambition and capability. In this inspiring session, discover how to move beyond task execution and design a career path that positions you as a strategic leader. Learn how to expand your scope, advocate for greater responsibility, build a compelling case for promotion, and confidently negotiate your worth. Whether you aspire to senior EA, team leadership or beyond, this session will challenge you to think bigger, act intentionally and architect a career that matches your impact.

3:30 PM AFTERNOON TEA

SESSION 5: CLOSING KEYNOTE Q&A 3:30 PM: Confidence, Courage and Not Taking Yourself Too Seriously

To close day one, Julia Morris joins us for a candid and entertaining fireside chat on confidence, courage, and the freedom that comes from not taking yourself too seriously. As one of Australia’s most loved comedians and television personalities, Julia has spent her career navigating high visibility, public pressure, and constant reinvention. In this conversation, she will share stories from behind the scenes of a very public life, reflecting on backing yourself, embracing imperfection, and finding confidence when certainty is nowhere to be found. Expect humour, honesty, and sharp insight, alongside moments that resonate long after the laughter fades.

4:30 PM REFLECTION, FROM INSIGHT TO ACTION DAY CLOSE, MEET & GREET WITH JULIA AND NETWORKING DRINKS!

Conference Day Two | 28th May

From Insight To Action – Key Take Aways From Day 1

SESSION 1 9:15 AM: Sustainable Success at the Top Table

High-performing executive environments demand focus, resilience and constant adaptability. But long-term influence is not built on exhaustion. In this inspiring keynote, Danielle explores how to thrive in high-pressure roles without sacrificing your wellbeing. Drawing on the principles of The Chocolate Bar Life, she will share how to structure your work, rest and renewal with intention, set boundaries that protect your energy, and redefine ambition on your own terms. Discover how sustainable success sharpens your judgement, strengthens your presence and enhances the trust placed in you. Because at the top table, true impact comes from clarity, composure and balance, not burnout.

10:15 AM MORNING TEA

SESSION 2 10:45 AM: Brave Conversations: Managing Up Without Burning Bridges

In high-performing executive environments, avoiding difficult conversations can cost credibility, trust and results. The ability to speak up with confidence, clarity and professionalism is a defining skill of a trusted partner. In this empowering session, discover how to manage up effectively, push back with diplomacy, and navigate complex personalities without damaging relationships. Learn practical communication strategies for handling unrealistic expectations, shifting priorities and high-pressure moments. Explore how thoughtful, courageous conversations strengthen your executive partnership and position you as a respected voice in the room. Because real influence is not about staying silent, it’s about knowing how and when to speak with impact.

SESSION 4 2:10 PM: High-Performance Workflow in Complex Environments

Supporting senior leaders in fast-paced, high-stakes environments requires more than strong organisational skills. It demands structure, foresight and the ability to manage competing priorities with confidence. In this practical and empowering session, discover how to design workflows that bring clarity to complexity. Learn how to triage effectively, create decision rhythms, protect strategic time and manage shifting demands without losing control. Explore tools and habits that support focus, reduce reactivity and strengthen alignment with your executive’s priorities. Walk away with a refined approach to workflow that enhances performance, sharpens judgement and enables you to operate with calm authority, even in the most demanding environments.

SESSION 5 3:00 PM: The Power Partnership: Leading Without the Title and Shaping Culture from Within

The most effective EA–executive relationships are built on trust, clarity and shared purpose. But true partnership goes beyond task management. It requires leadership, influence and the ability to shape culture from wherever you sit. In this powerful session, explore what makes a highperforming executive partnership thrive, from communication rhythms to aligned expectations and mutual trust. Discover how to lead without formal authority, influence team dynamics and model the standards that strengthen organisational culture. Learn how to elevate your impact, deepen your executive relationship and position yourself not just as support, but as a trusted partner and cultural force within your organisation.

3:50 PM AFTERNOON TEA

SESSION 6 4:10 PM: Bringing it all together - From Insight to Action

As the summit draws to a close, take a moment to reflect, reset and refocus. In this energising closing session, Danielle will guide you through the key insights of the past two days and help you turn inspiration into practical action. Identify your next steps, clarify your priorities and commit to the changes that will elevate your impact. Leave feeling focused, confident and ready to step forward as a trusted, capable and future-ready executive partner.

4:30 PM CLOSE OF CONFERENCE

Post-Conference Workshop | 30th May

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM: The Practical Leadership Playbook: Leading with Clarity & Courage

Step into the next level of leadership.

This masterclass equips you with practical tools, advanced strategies and confidence to lead with clarity, courage, and impact.

You’ll walk away with a comprehensive toolkit—including proven templates, practical techniques and conversation guides—that you can immediately apply in your workplace and return to throughout your leadership journey.

“I wish I had done this workshop two years ago when I started as a manager”
 
What You’ll Learn:

Grounded in research and tested in practice, this masterclass will help you to:

• Strengthen self-awareness and emotional regulation: 
  Understand your personal leadership style, manage emotional responses and build lasting resilience.
• Set clear expectations for behaviour, performance, and working relationships: 
  Create a culture of accountability and psychological safety through clear boundaries and shared commitments.
• Provide advanced support to your team: 
  Recognise and respond to what your team members need to succeed and grow and manage in challenging times.
• Deliver feedback that drives performance and development: 
  Learn how to give confident, constructive feedback that supports good behaviour, addresses concerns early and
  strengthens your team.
• Navigate brave conversations with clarity and care
  Use the Correction Continuum to prepare for and engage in the conversations that matter—early, effectively and with integrity.

What You’ll Take Away:

Grounded in research and tested in practice, this masterclass will help you to:

• A practical leadership workbook packed with tools, templates, conversation scripts, and frameworks you can use for years to come.
  
  

“Every time I need to have a brave conversation, I go back to the templates and scripts. They give me the support and confidence I need to prepare well"

• A peer learning experience that connects you with like-minded leaders navigating similar challenges.
• The confidence and capability to immediately apply what you’ve learned in your leadership role.
  
  

“This is the most practical workshop I’ve ever attended.”