Criselle Julian
Project Manager, PropulseVA
Criselle Julian is Project Manager at PropulseVA. Criselle manages client onboarding, project execution timelines, and virtual assistant performance support. Leveraging deep expertise in AI tools and agile project management, she ensures seamless daily operations between clients and their dedicated PropulseVA virtual assistants.
- Project Manager at PropulseVA
- Specialist in Client Onboarding & Project Execution
- Expert in Agile Workflow Tracking & AI Productivity
Athena (Athena Executive Assistants) positions itself not as a generic offshore Virtual Assistant agency, but as a premium 1:1 executive partnership provider for founders, C-suite executives, and investors. This research review examines Athena's published service structure, pricing model, rigorous applicant filtering, and executive onboarding playbooks.
Quick Decision Summary: Athena EA Service
Best For:High-earning executives, venture-backed founders, and business owners who need a full-time, highly trained Executive Assistant to handle complex inbox management, calendar wrangling, travel, and personal/family logistics.
Key Employer Considerations:Significantly higher price point ($3,000–$3,600/month) than operational VA providers, fixed full-time structure, and a focus on executive leverage rather than back-office operational task execution.
What Is Athena?
Athena recruits top remote talent in the Philippines, selecting candidates through multi-stage vetting (claiming to accept under 1% of applicants), providing intensive bootcamp training, equipping them with company-issued secured devices, and pairing them 1:1 with busy leaders.
Key components of Athena's model include:
- Full-Life Executive Delegation: Handling email, calendar, travel, personal errands, family logistics, and health/wellness scheduling.
- Playbook-Driven Delegation: Providing structured delegation frameworks and best-practice templates to help executives offload 15+ hours per week.
- Enterprise Security: Operating on SOC 2 Type II certified infrastructure with hardware monitoring and encrypted devices.
To compare executive support with operational virtual assistance, read our comparison on Executive Assistant vs Virtual Assistant roles.
Athena Pricing Structure & Commitments
Athena operates on a transparent, premium monthly retainer structure. Based on official published pricing:
| Plan Structure | Monthly Investment | Term / Commitment |
|---|
| Standard 12-Month Plan | $3,000 / month | 12-month contract commitment |
| Flexible Plan | $3,600 / month | Month-to-month commitment (after initial 90 days) |
Inclusions & Operational Overhead
Athena's flat fee includes candidate vetting, bootcamp training, laptop hardware provision, health benefits, payroll management, and ongoing coaching by an assigned Partnership Manager.
For alternative executive assistant choices at different investment tiers, explore our guide to top Athena alternatives and competitor models.
Strengths, Trade-Offs & Executive Fit
Athena Strengths
- High talent bar with native-level English written communication.
- Comprehensive full-life delegation support (business & personal).
- Secured, SOC 2 compliant enterprise hardware and data controls.
Executive Trade-Offs
- Substantial monthly cost ($36k–$43k annually) compared to general VA services.
- Designed for executive support rather than specialized tech/CRM execution.
- Requires strong executive commitment to delegate and build context.
When to Choose Athena vs Managed Operational Support
If your primary bottleneck is calendar chaos, inbox overload, travel coordination, and personal logistics, Athena is built for your needs. However, if your business requires specialized CRM operations, customer service, or workflow automation, a dedicated managed VA service may be a better operational fit.
Need Managed Virtual Assistant Operations?
Explore PropulseVA's managed virtual assistant services for operational, administrative, and marketing support scaled to your business.
