Assistants from the North-West region of the UK were all recognised for their efforts in the industry last week, as PAs, EAs and VAs gathered together at a black-tie awards dinner gala.
Held inside the Manchester Cathedral, the ceremony was hosted in partnership with KPMG, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Pitman Training and Taylor Lynn Corporation Limited.
Now in its fifth year, the evening raised funds for local mental health charity Minds thanks to a raffle, where prizes included afternoon tea, a hotel stay and much more, while North-West native Sally Lindsay hosted the night.
PA Life’s editor Jade Burke got the opportunity to present two awards on the evening, including virtual assistant of the year – agency and virtual assistant of the year – in-house.
She said: “It was fantastic to support this event in the North-West region of the UK. The evening gave PAs, EAs and VAs the opportunity to showcase their skills and why assistants deserve recognition for all they do within their ever-changing roles.
“Assistants are the backbone to many companies and often forgotten about when it comes to recognising team members, making these award ceremonies even more imperative in the industry.”
Lucy Bisset, director of Robert Walters Manchester, added: “We are immensely proud of another successful year for the North West PA of the Year Awards. Often the unsung heroes of a team, this annual ceremony is welcome chance to celebrate the positive impact support staff have on both their respective company and the wider business community.
“We saw an exceptional number of high quality submissions this year and it has been hugely encouraging to see the passion and commitment come from the local professional community. A big well done to all of the shortlisted nominees and winners.”
Gareth Roberts-Tighe from TalkTalk Business & PA Life’s editor Jade Burke
2018’s winners were:
Rising star
Lawrence Adlum, KPMG
Financial services PA of the year – UK firm
Alexa Martinez, St James’ Place Wealth Management
Financial services PA of the year – international firm
Angela Duggan, Santander
Legal PA of the year – UK firm
Leah Taylor, Clarke Wilmott LLP
Legal PA of the year – international firm
Katie Homer, DWF
Not-for-profit PA of the year – Greater Manchester
Angela Downey, Manchester Metropolitan University
Not-for-profit PA of the year – Merseyside
Sandra Wainwright, Merseyside Fire Service
Media PA of the year
Sarah Muench, Sky
Property PA of the year
Andrea Rothwell, GVA
Manufacturing & engineering PA of the year
Rosie Thompson, AstraZeneca
Technology & digital PA of the year
Danielle Jennings, IRIS Software
Virtual assistant of the year – agency
Joanne Hawkins, Executive VPA
Virtual assistant of the year – in-house
Gareth Roberts-Tighe, TalkTalk Business
Private PA of the year
Lydia McKay, Pretty Little Thing
PA team of the year – UK firm
Hall Brown Family Law
PA team of the year – international firm
Chiesi Ltd
Manager of the year
Joanne Wilson, Hall Brown Family Law
Board level PA of the year – Greater Manchester
Hannah Batty, Whispering Smith Ltd
Board level PA of the year – North West
Farzana Khan, EG Group
