Executive Support

Melba J. Duncan is the Founder and President of The Duncan Group, Inc., a retained search and consulting firm. Since 1985, the firm has been advising CEOs and other corporate leaders regarding specialized senior management support resources. The firm operates internationally and offers expertise in four practice areas: recruitment, organizational consulting, coaching and executive-level training for administrative staff, with a focus on C-suite strategic executive management assistants. Melba is also the Founder and CEO of the Duncan Leadership Institute, which offers a targeted curriculum solution for multiple tiers of administrative support staff. She has also authored numerous articles, including the now classic, “The Case for Executive Assistants,” featured in the May 2011 Issue of the Harvard Business Review (HBR), and interview “What Executive Assistants Know About Managing Up” was published in the Harvard Business Review in 2014. A highly sought-after public speaker, Melba travels globally to address diverse audiences with a focus on the professional executive assistant as an acknowledged strategic business partner, with management, leadership and strategic support skills as the foundation for this transformed role, on the path to Chief of Staff. She conducts extensive workshops worldwide on leadership and management for the professional executive assistant. An active participant in her field, Melba is member of The Seraphic Society and a Vice President of C-Suite Executive Support Professionals (C-SESP), a not-for-profit global organization that distinguishes the role of the C-suite executive support professional as a strategic business partner.