I've placed EAs for 20 years. Written hundreds of job ads. This one made me put down my matcha. Here's Why This isn't supporting another CEO who thinks they're changing the world from their corner office. This is the real thing. The kind of principal where NDAs have NDAs and "normal business" is an oxymoron. You'll spend 9 months a year in places most people can't pronounce, making decisions that actually matter, living a life that makes your current role look like an internship. The Non-Negotiables Discretion That Runs Deep We're talking about the kind of confidentiality where you forget conversations happened. Where you understand that some information moves markets, shapes industries, and changes outcomes. If you've ever handled truly sensitive information, you know the weight. This is heavier. Tech-Savvy and Then Some Forget "proficient in Microsoft Office." You'll be navigating systems that don't have help desks, security protocols that would make intelligence agencies nod, and technology that's often being built as you use it. You adapt or you're out. Solutions Before Problems Exist Your principal won't tell you what they need – you'll know before they do. When Plan A fails, you're already executing Plan D. When Google doesn't have answers, you become the search engine. EQ That Reads Between Lines You don't just read rooms – you predict them. Navigate a boardroom in Tokyo, a family dinner in Monaco, and a crisis call from New York, all before lunch. You know when silence speaks louder than words and when a raised eyebrow changes everything. Intensity as Standard Operating Procedure Some people need work-life balance. You need work-life intensity. Challenges energise you. Pressure clarifies your thinking. You've outgrown roles that let you coast. What's Really In It • £100,000 (but honestly, that's the boring part) • Every expense covered • The chance to operate at a level that ruins you for normal jobs You Should Apply If: • Your current role feels like you're playing with training wheels on • "Impossible" is your favourite type of request • You've supported people who genuinely matter (not just think they do) • 3-month trips to undisclosed locations sound like opportunities, not obstacles Don't Bother If: • You think "demanding" means working until 6:30pm • You need your own bed more than 100 nights a year • "That's not my job" has ever crossed your lips • You can't keep secrets that actually matter The Truth This role will change you. You'll see how decisions really get made. You'll understand why some people operate in a different reality. You'll never be satisfied with ordinary again. Your friends won't understand. Your family will worry. Your LinkedIn profile will get very vague. But you'll be doing work that matters, with someone who's actually shaping the world, not just talking about it. Ready? Send me your real CV (not the one designed to get past HR) and tell me why ordinary bores you. Show me you understand what exceptional really means. Because once you've operated at this level, everything else feels like playing pretend. And for the right person? That's the whole point.