Nan Kruzik
Project Manager & Senior Executive Assistant to the President
Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc.

Nan grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania and has resided in the Philadelphia vicinity for about 15 years. Nan studied visual arts & chemistry in her undergraduate program and moved to NYC in 1999 to attend the New York Academy of Art where she obtained her Masters of Fine Arts degree. In 2001, Nan landed her first big job as a Gallery Manager & Executive Assistant at an antique frame gallery on the upper east side of Manhattan and it was there where she discovered the world of administration and fell in love with the profession.

Over the past 17 years, Nan’s career has taken her from the art world to real estate and from a start-up setting to big pharma – all while supporting executives and their teams. Being an adaptive EA has allowed Nan to fulfill many functions within that role while also giving her the platform to tailor her role to evolve into the Project Management realm. Nan prides herself in being a flexible, quick learner and she have been fortunate to be paired with great executives, peers and leaders who she has learned from and grown with throughout her career.

Outside of her EA life, she spends lots of time with her husband and two children (5 & 7) and she enjoys painting portraits, travelling, laughing and spending time with her friends.

What is one thing you hope to learn or discuss with your peers at the ELS Forum?

As someone who found their way in the EA world in various markets, I am a believer in being adaptive within the role so that the role can adapt with you. Some people out their tend to diminish the words or labels of secretary, assistant, etc… while I tend to lift them up and am proud of being the support system that an executive needs behind the scenes – thinking of specific details that can make their productivity more efficient and focused and in turn make the company work. I am a promoter of the idea that EAs are project managers – on the whole given the nature of their scope of work and as a more niche group of PMs within their executive’s groups, reports, etc… we have the capacity and the soft skills to know the inner workings of all the players so often we become the first sounding board and counsel for ideas, timelines, strategy and implementation — then we make sure everyone does what they need to in order to succeed.

Tell us about a career accomplishment of which you’re particularly proud?

Throwing exceptional corporate parties…. Kidding (not really) but one of my most proud career accomplishments is being the 4th employee in a start-up company, being instrumental in helping it grow, seeing it through multiple milestones, acquisition and then staying on and adapting through 11+ years 

In your mind, what is one tool you can’t live without or find especially helpful in your position?

Soft skills.