Executive Assistant & Special Projects Manager

DIANA BUCHMAN

EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ● SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER

718-***-**** ● ************@*****.***

Executive Administrative Assistant and Special Projects Manager with extensive experience supporting world-renowned scientific and legal leaders in managing complex operations. Adept at managing complex schedules, travel, grants, and lab/office operations in fast-paced, high-stakes environments. EXPERIENCE:

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Center for Cell Engineering New York, New York Executive Administrative Assistant/Assistant Lab Manager Oct 2016 - Mar 2026

● Served as primary liaison and gatekeeper for Nobel-level Principal Investigators, screening high-volume communications, prioritizing executive requests, and partnering with internal and external stakeholders to maximize leadership efficiency.

● Managed demanding and dynamic calendars for multiple senior leaders in a fast-paced environment, prioritizing investor meetings, seminars, stakeholder engagements, conference rooms, events, and urgent last-minute changes while maintaining critical follow-ups and deadlines.

● Provided 24/7 critical support, maintaining constant availability to manage real-time executive requests, phones, emails, and shifting deliverables. Worked with co-workers maintaining office needs and providing front desk coverage.

● Coordinated complex travel itineraries across international borders, expertly managing visas, Global Entry, TSA Precheck, and diverse personal preferences.

● Directed end-to-end recruitment and lifecycle logistics for all lab members, including intricate immigration and visa issues.

● Oversaw lab operations, including payroll processing, timesheet compliance, and task management for over 20 direct reports and industry partners.

● Conducted monthly audits in partnership with Research Finance and Technology Management to ensure precise tracking of allocations and expense reimbursements.

● Handled confidential materials, including sensitive legal documents, intellectual property records, and multi-currency banking transactions. File, organize and maintain records for compliance. Proofed documents for distribution as appropriate.

● Monitored regulatory requirements, updating lab protocols to guarantee strict compliance across all operational and administrative workflows.

● Provided full site and office support across IT, HR, Procurement, and Facilities, including supplies, floor access, conference room readiness, facilities maintenance, vendor coordination, new hire logistics, and on-site support for meetings and events.”

● Spearheaded office relocation, successfully executing a full-scale physical move without disrupting ongoing research functions. ‘

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Estate Planning and Benefits, New York, New York Administrative Assistant & Special Projects Coordinator June 2003 - Feb 2016

● Assisted Partners in one of the world’s largest law firms in the creation and maintenance of Insurance Trusts, ensuring IRS & probate compliance.

● Developed and maintained an Insurance Payment Calendar and associated documentation.

● Provided Partners and their spouses with comprehensive benefits portfolio reports, served as liaison with Benefits, Insurance Broker, Bankers and external vendors.

● Collaborated with Paralegals & Accountants to streamline insurance trust accounting processes and implement best practices.

● Led department upon Supervisor’s unexpected departure and trained incoming paralegal staff.

● Prepared personalized estate planning documents including Power of Attorney, Living Wills, HIPAA Waivers.

● Beta tester for CrummeyService.com, web based insurance trust database. New York Aquarium & Wildlife Conservation Society, Brooklyn, New York Researcher Assistant/Lab Manager, Laboratory of Comparative April 1996 - June 2003 Cognition, Olms Research Center

● Designed and managed research projects on behavioral issues in exhibit animals.; collaborated with trainers & keepers to identify concerns and propose actionable solutions.

● Collected, analyzed, and interpreted data for experimental and observational studies; presented findings to internal teams.

● Managed all research operations, including equipment inventory, procurement, documentation and archiving of results.

● Conducted extensive literature review on topics including numerical cognition, theory of mind, language acquisition, enrichment design, and cetacean neurology.

● Contributed to research on mirror self-recognition in dolphins, belugas, elephants, walruses, and sea lions.

● Developed and delivered educational curriculum in behavioral research for teen program.

● Supervised and trained volunteers and interns in data collection, analysis, and presentation.

● Researched, wrote and edited articles for Aquarium Newsletter.

● Designed and analyzed visitor satisfaction surveys and expectation surveys for grant proposals. Goldman Sachs New York, New York

Production Assistant Sept 1999 - Sept 2001

● Worked in document production for the Department of Investment Strategies preparing and editing client relations reports and presentations.

● Heavy use and training in Microsoft Office Suite and Visio.

● Concurrent with work at New York Aquarium and Masters research. Technical Skills:

● Advanced Microsoft Office Suite ( Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Teams & Outlook) and Google Workspace

● Visio, Adobe Creative Studio, Coupa, Concur, EndNote, Zoom, Workday

● PC and Macintosh systems

● Extensive knowledge of international travel and customs (e.g. visa coordination for American, French & Canadian citizens)

● Spanish (Fluent), French (Proficient), German, Portuguese, Italian (Conversational) EDUCATION:

Hunter College, New York, New York

M.S. Degree in Psychology; Certificate in Evolution of Human Cognition University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

B.S. Degrees in Anthropology, Zoology and Art History

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