The executive assistant of tomorrow: DonnaPro's method for human-AI teamwork.

The executive assistant of tomorrow: DonnaPro's method for human-AI teamwork.

      **TL;DR** DonnaPro, an executive assistant agency based in Europe, trains its EAs in AI tools prior to their placement and supports them with over 2,500 pages of operational frameworks. Founder Filip Pesek believes that AI should enhance human judgment rather than replace it. The agency claims that founders can reclaim over 60 hours each month and follows a six-stage selection process that combines AI-assisted filtering with manual evaluation.

      Current productivity tools consistently communicate the same message: AI will take over your job. Eliminate the middleman. Automate human tasks. Achieve more with less. However, Filip Pesek disagrees. “The finest AI tools still require a human who knows how to think,” states the founder of DonnaPro, Europe's premier executive assistant agency. “AI can draft quicker, research deeper, and process more data. But it lacks the ability to understand context, read the room, or know when a founder needs a briefing before realizing it themselves.” This stance does not reject AI but rather presents a viewpoint on its appropriate role.

      **The Flawed Human-AI Equation in Many Companies**

      The discourse around the future of work overlooks a critical aspect. It presumes that increased automation yields better results and that swapping human tasks for AI ones is progressive. DonnaPro holds a different perspective. “Our executive assistants are real, approachable individuals trained on AI tools from the start,” Filip explains. “Every modern executive assistant agency should utilize technology, but we take it a step further. Donna is integrated with AI tools and employs them daily to achieve better, faster outcomes.” This distinction is important since the market is saturated with AI-driven tools and services that promise improvement yet often lead to frustration. Many founders have experienced automation that promises time savings while actually resulting in more time spent managing errors and addressing issues that a human could have foreseen. At DonnaPro, the philosophy is that AI should enhance what human judgment allows, not replace it.

      **Why Human Evaluation Remains Vital in the AI Era**

      AI has limits: it cannot read a room, evaluate personality compatibility, or foresee developments. This gap is why DonnaPro upholds a thorough six-stage selection process, even as AI tools advance. The approach begins with AI-assisted filtering to manage large candidate volumes efficiently. However, any candidate who passes initial screenings advances to manual evaluations by the DonnaPro team. This includes multiple interview rounds, assessments of demo tasks, reference checks, and personality assessments, followed by two weeks of intensive training before engaging with clients. “We’re not merely ticking boxes,” Filip states. “We're searching for individuals who can think, not just execute. AI manages the volume, while human judgment ensures quality.” The outcome is an executive assistant ready to add value rather than one that the founder must develop from the ground up.

      **Understanding the 60+ Hours a Month**

      The figure founders frequently hear from DonnaPro is the recovery of over 60 hours each month. However, Filip emphasizes the significance of how that time is utilized. “The hours are less important than what founders do with them,” he notes. “If you reclaim 60 hours just to take on more tasks, you haven’t truly gained. But if you use those hours to close deals, forge relationships, and strategize for the future of your business, that's when real change happens.” The objective is not merely to recover time but to strategically reallocate it. DonnaPro’s EAs manage the workload that would typically occupy a founder’s entire week—tasks like scheduling, email management, research, project tracking, and preparatory work—allowing the founder to function at the required level for their business.

      **The Extensive Foundation Behind Each Placement**

      Unlike most executive assistant services that simply connect founders with talent, DonnaPro creates structured systems. With over 2,500 pages of frameworks, training documents, debriefs, operational memos, and expertise, DonnaPro lays a strong foundation for each placement. This framework culture enables the agency to maintain high quality across placements, enhance assistant skills over time, and ensure every founder collaborates with someone who grasps context beyond mere tasks. “The aim is a clear transition,” Filip says. “From a reactive task executor to a proactive thinking partner. When an assistant understands the significance of their work, what excellence looks like, and their decision-making freedom, they stop waiting for direction and begin to think ahead.” This transformation turns an assistant from a cost into an investment.

      **The Future of Work at DonnaPro**

      The future executive assistant isn't a bot or a freelancer from a platform; they are trained professionals supported by the best tools to enhance what human judgment can achieve. This model—AI-trained, human-led—distinguishes DonnaPro in a landscape filled with “AI-powered” options. “Founders are not hiring a bot,” Filip remarks. “They are hiring a thought partner equipped with the best tools available. The AI acts as a multiplier, while the human

Other articles

SK Hynix has started construction on a $4 billion memory packaging facility in Indiana. SK Hynix has started construction on a $4 billion memory packaging facility in Indiana. SK Hynix has begun construction on a $4 billion advanced packaging facility in Indiana. Europe granted state aid for a similar plant but then forfeited it. Android 17 will ultimately prevent ISPs from tracking the websites and apps you access. Android 17 will ultimately prevent ISPs from tracking the websites and apps you access. Android 17 introduces Encrypted Client Hello, becoming the first major mobile operating system to widely prevent ISP tracking of your online activities, while also providing safeguards for home Wi-Fi privacy, countering fake certificates, and defending against 2G scam attacks. Anthropic is evaluating a new standard for Claude to interface with factory and laboratory equipment. Anthropic is evaluating a new standard for Claude to interface with factory and laboratory equipment. Anthropic's Model Hardware Standard allows vendors to define how an AI can control a machine. Starting in January 2027, Europe will oversee the safety features of AI in machinery. Claude now has its own browser and does not require the Chrome extension anymore. Claude now has its own browser and does not require the Chrome extension anymore. Anthropic has integrated a browser into Claude Cowork, which is enabled by default. The DMA choice screen is applicable only to gatekeepers, and Anthropic does not fall into that category. Nvidia is said to be in negotiations to acquire Hugging Face for $12.9 billion. Nvidia is said to be in negotiations to acquire Hugging Face for $12.9 billion. Nvidia has engaged in discussions to purchase Hugging Face, with a valuation exceeding $13 billion, three years after the open-model hub turned down its investment. JPMorgan heads a $5 billion debt arrangement for the expansion of Volta's AI data center. JPMorgan heads a $5 billion debt arrangement for the expansion of Volta's AI data center. JPMorgan is reaching out to lenders for a $5 billion package to finance Volta, which has its initial building located on a hydro-powered campus in Norway that is leased from a bitcoin mining operation.

The executive assistant of tomorrow: DonnaPro's method for human-AI teamwork.

DonnaPro provides training on AI tools to executive assistants prior to their start, and supports them with 2,500 pages of frameworks. Founder Filip Pesek contends that even the most effective AI tools require a human who understands how to think critically.