Since 1985, The Duncan Group has helped CEOs and senior executives build the support teams that make exceptional leadership possible — Chiefs of Staff, world-class Executive Assistants, and the architects of administrative excellence.
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Founder Melba J. Duncan on the underestimated leverage of senior administrative talent — and what separates a transactional assistant from a true strategic partner.
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The Importance of the Other AI. By Melba J. Duncan and Dale G. Caldwell, Ed.D., with a foreword by The Hon. Peter G. Peterson.
Learn MoreWe operate globally, on a retained basis, across four interlocking practice areas — each shaped by forty years of working with the most demanding executives and the teams who serve them.
Identification and placement of Chiefs of Staff, Executive Assistants, and senior administrative leadership for CEOs and family offices worldwide.
Explore →One-to-one engagement for clients and candidates clarifying their goals, sharpening their credentials, and stepping into roles of greater responsibility.
Explore →Organizational and team-design advisory for firms building or restructuring their administrative leadership function.
Explore →The Duncan Leadership Institute — advanced curriculum for mid-to-senior assistants and chiefs of staff, refined over twenty-six years.
Explore →How we work with CEOs, senior executives, and family offices to recruit the right people for the most demanding seats.
Learn MoreOpportunities, coaching, and the Duncan Leadership Institute curriculum for the professionals who carry the work.
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Assistant to Peter G. Peterson — co-founder of The Blackstone Group, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and CEO of Lehman Brothers. Assistant to Sanford C. Bernstein. Keynote speaker at the American Management Association, the World Bank, and the EA & PA Congress across three continents.
Founder, in 1985, of the first retained search firm to recruit chiefs of staff and world-class assistants for C-suite executives.
Read the Full BiographyEvery engagement begins with a conversation about the role, the team, and the standard of fit you require.
Contact The Duncan GroupMelba J. Duncan on the craft of executive support — the judgment, discretion, and partnership that define the role. The newest episode features here; the full library lives on the podcast page.
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