Ruth Ekama Essien

Behind-the-scenes operator with 10+ years turning executive chaos into order — anticipating needs before they're voiced, triaging competing priorities, and quietly closing gaps nobody else sees.

Built a career on extreme ownership: if it needs doing, it gets done, no task too big or too small. Comfortable working across time zones and cultures in fully remote, distributed organizations, with the discretion and professionalism to interface with senior leaders, board members, and high-profile stakeholders. Radically curious about AI — an active daily user of Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Make.com to automate workflows, sharpen judgment, and free up an executive's time for what matters most.

Ego-free, unflappable under pressure, and happiest making someone else's work look effortless. Based in Nigeria (WAT, UTC+1), with the flexibility to work across time zones to match the needs of the team.

Remote Operations & Executive Support Assistant at El-Davidson Services Ltd (2024-11 – Present)

• Serve as a trusted operator for leadership, triaging priorities and handling the unexpected without being asked twice.
• Spotted a recurring bottleneck in driver onboarding and independently designed the company's first SOP to fix it.
• Built Excel-based operational systems tracking truck movements, expenses, and receivables — turning scattered data into a single source of truth.
• Coordinate executive reports, documentation, and operational information, filling gaps before anyone notices they exist.
• Improved cross-department workflow efficiency through practical, self-initiated process improvements.

Virtual Executive Assistant (Volunteer) at Baltimore WIN Foundation (2026-06 – Present)

• Managed executive scheduling, correspondence, and meeting documentation for leadership.
• Built grant research trackers and sponsorship pipelines from the ground up.
• Tracked executive action items end-to-end to ensure follow-through and accountability.

Executive Administrator & Operations Coordinator at Mona Dance School (2018-12 – 2024-10)

• Coordinated payroll administration, executive correspondence, and day-to-day operations.
• Digitized administrative records and rebuilt documentation systems for reliability.
• Supported planning, scheduling, and shifting operational priorities.

Family Leave & Industry Transition (2017-11 – 2018-11)

Took intentional leave following the birth of my child, then used the transition to move from construction-sector administration into arts, education, and hospitality operations.

Confidential Secretary / Personal Assistant at MIFE Construction (2013-01 – 2017-10)

• Coordinated documentation that contributed to recovering over NGN 800 million in outstanding receivables.
• Managed highly confidential correspondence and executive documentation with discretion.
• Prepared reports and materials for executive-level meetings.
• Awarded Staff of the Year (2013).

Administrative Secretary at SLDTEK Expertise (2010-10 – 2012-07)

• Managed office records and provided executive administrative support.
• Awarded Staff of the Year (2011).

Bachelor of Public Administration in Public Administration – Ambrose Alli University

National Diploma in Secretarial Administration