Executive Business Associate

Executive Business Associate
Office of the Chairperson & CEO | The Bennet & Bernard Company
ABOUT BENNET & BERNARD
Bennet & Bernard is a diversified international business group operating across luxury real estate and development, hospitality, gastronomy, technology, FMCG, agro-farming, manufacturing, and marine & port operations. Entrepreneurial and innovation-led, the Group continues to expand across markets and business verticals through strong execution, technology and international partnerships.
Websites: www.bennetandbernard.com | www.bnbcustomhomes.com | www.bennetandbernard.pt
CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS
Experience: 15+ years | Languages: English & Hindi mandatory; Portuguese, Spanish, French or Italian is advantageous
Travel: Domestic & international travel
Reporting to: Chairperson & CEO
ROLE OVERVIEW
We are seeking a commercially astute, globally experienced Executive Business Associate to work closely with the Chairperson and CEO. This is not a conventional administrative EA/PA role. The position combines executive support with business representation, negotiations, commercial and contract review, international travel and stakeholder management. The candidate must be articulate, tech-savvy, emotionally intelligent, street smart and able to grasp situations quickly, exercise judgement and take ownership. Strictly office-based EAs or PAs need not apply.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
· Partner with the Chairperson and CEO on strategic, commercial and operational matters; participate actively in meetings and drive agreed actions.
· Prepare executive briefs, presentations, research, recommendations and crucial correspondence.
· Coordinate priorities and schedules with the office administration team and ensure commitments are closed on time.
· Independently engage clients, partners, vendors, lawyers, consultants and other senior stakeholders.
· Travel independently for business propositions, negotiations, assessments and meetings when required.
· Review proposals, quotations, budgets and commercial terms; compare costs, deliverables and timelines and identify areas requiring negotiation.
· Review contracts and legal drafts from a business perspective, flagging key commercial issues for legal review.
· Assess the credibility, capability and commercial suitability of partners and vendors.
· Maintain vigilance over numbers, costs and business data and provide concise assessments and recommendations to leadership.
· Take ownership of both significant and routine assignments with equal urgency and follow-through.
In essence:
Understand. Assess. Own. Resolve. Deliver.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
Travel is a core requirement and may arise at short notice. The candidate must be willing to travel extensively across Europe, South-East Asia, Americas and other markets, and must already have meaningful international travel experience. A passport with strong visa access is required; valid Schengen / US / UK visas are a distinct advantage.
The individual must be comfortable travelling alone, operating in unfamiliar environments and representing the company in meetings, negotiations, partner/vendor discussions, project assessments and preliminary business evaluations. Confidence across different cultures and seniority levels is essential.
DIGITAL, AI & COMMUNICATION SKILLS
High digital proficiency is essential, including presentations, spreadsheets, email, calendars, cloud collaboration, online research and AI-assisted productivity tools. The candidate should use AI confidently for presentations, research, document review, summaries, proposal comparisons and business communication.
Exceptional written and verbal English and strong Hindi are mandatory. Portuguese, Spanish, French or German is advantageous. The candidate must communicate confidently with entrepreneurs, lawyers, senior executives, clients, vendors and professional advisers.
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE & PROFILE
· 15+ years of professional experience, preferably supporting senior executives, founders, business owners or multinational organisations.
· Strong exposure to commercial discussions, stakeholder management, negotiations and business decision-making.
· Extensive international travel experience and ability to work independently with limited supervision.
· Strong commercial and numerical awareness with the ability to critically review proposals, costs, contracts and data.
· Strong presentation and AI capability, discretion, confidentiality and consistent follow-through.
The candidate should possess broad general knowledge across business, technology, AI, economics, politics, geopolitics, geography, countries, finance and international markets. Specialist expertise is not expected; the ability to grasp unfamiliar subjects quickly, ask intelligent questions and understand their business relevance is essential.
CORE PERSONAL COMPETENCIES
High EQ: Reads people and situations well and adapts communication accordingly.
Street smart: Applies practical judgement and recognises when people, information or proposals need deeper scrutiny.
Agile: Adapts quickly to changing priorities, travel and business requirements.
Ambiguity Management: Comfortable with uncertainty, incomplete information and changing business scenarios or decisions.
Commercially & numerically alert: Understands value, cost and risk; notices discrepancies and questions figures.
Resourceful & ownership driven: Finds solutions, works independently and follows matters through to completion.
Discreet & confident: Handles sensitive information with integrity and represents the company professionally.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
The successful candidate will become a trusted go-to person for the Chairperson and CEO: able to receive an assignment, understand the objective, research and assess it, engage the right people and return with a clear recommendation or completed outcome. Assignments may range from reviewing a proposal or contract to analysing costs, coordinating with lawyers, meeting partners or travelling for negotiations.

Work arrangement
No