How Nurole built flexible executive support without increasing fixed headcount

Business context

Nurole is a specialist board-level search and recruitment business, working with organisations across sectors to transform leadership and governance. Operating at a senior and highly confidential level, the business requires absolute precision, trust, and consistency in its day-to-day operations.

In 2021, as Nurole continued to grow, the team identified the need for experienced PA support, but the requirement was not straightforward. Workload varied significantly depending on recruitment cycles and project volume, meaning a traditional full-time hire did not feel like the right solution.

Nurole required:

• A high-calibre PA with strong judgment and discretion
• Consistency and continuity, rather than rotating support
• Confidence communicating with senior board-level stakeholders
• Flexibility to scale support during busy periods
• A trusted partner able to quickly understand complex processes.

The smart solution

SmartPA’s flexible service model allowed Nurole to introduce executive support without increasing fixed headcount. With support delivered on an hourly basis, Nurole could introduce executive assistance while maintaining full control over how the service scaled alongside the business.

Kate Skelton was matched to the client early in the partnership. Bringing extensive EA experience across several sectors, she quickly built strong relationships within the Nurole team and developed a deep understanding of the organisation’s processes and working style.

Initially engaged on a 20-hour monthly package, the support expanded over time as Kate became increasingly embedded in the business.

Her responsibilities included:

• Senior diary and inbox management
• Scheduling interviews for board-level recruitment processes
• Coordinating candidate and stakeholder communications
• Supporting recruitment administration and process management
• Drafting professional, brand-sensitive correspondence

Kate’s proactive working style and attention to detail meant she quickly became a trusted extension of the Nurole team. Alongside Kate’s dedicated support, SmartPA continued to provide additional resilience, cover and continuity with:

• Cover during holidays or periods of absence
• Additional capacity during peak recruitment activity
• Regular check-ins and account management to ensure the service continued to meet the client’s needs

Strategic benefits

The partnership has delivered clear operational and organisational benefits:

• Flexible executive support without the commitment of an immediate full-time hire
• Scalable capacity aligned with fluctuating recruitment cycles and workload
• Senior-level administrative expertise capable of working confidently with board and C-suite stakeholders
• Consistent, trusted support embedded within the Nurole team
• Additional resilience through SmartPA’s wider service model, ensuring continuity during peak periods or absence

By introducing executive support through a flexible and scalable model, Nurole was able to strengthen operational efficiency while enabling its leadership team to focus on delivering high-quality board search and governance recruitment.