The much-awaited annual PA awards – The PA Life Star Awards 2023 – are nearly upon us. The finalists have now been selected by an expert panel of Assistant industry judges. The standard of nominations of PAs, EAs, VAs and Office Managers was extremely high once again this year and we are pleased to announce the finalists in each of our six categories.
- Photo: PA Star of the Year 2022 Mei Suen from Integrella, pictured with Liz Taylor, The Taylor Lynn Corporation.
Congratulations to all finalists! We will be celebrating you at the Awards Night and PA Life Christmas Party at Inca London on November 13th.
PA Life Star Awards 2023 Finalists: in alphabetical order
PA Star of the Year
- Lauren Penny, Close Brothers
- Lynne Duncan, Fitwise Management
- Rebecca Polson, Alzheimer’s Research UK
- Tina Walker, Liberty Executive Services
Virtual Assistant Star
- Emma Newburn, Virtual Assistant, Share The Load
- Jo Sedgwick, De Courcy Alexander
- Sarah Szekir-Papasavva, Apt Virtual Assistance
Rising Star
- Anina Stempor – Phoenix
- Kalliopi Krystalakou – Mangera Yvars Architects
- Milly Diment – The Health Matters Group
Commitment to CSR Star
- Caroline Rees Williams –The Valesco Group
- Eva Nabunya – NHS England
- Rebecca Polson – Alzheimer’s Research UK
Commitment to Wellbeing Star
- Candice Nielsen, Barclays
- Mei Suen, Integrella
- Sarah Miller – Marble
PA Life Club Member Star
- Azar Shariati – Persia International Bank plc
- Hannah Houston-Banks – Associated British Foods
- Natalie Richardson – London South Bank University
Our PA awards judges
- Suzy Sanders
- Kathy Soulsby
Suzy Sanders, Founder and Franchisor of Alchemy VA. Suzy has won awards for her noticeably different approach to running her successful VA business with collaboration and community as core. and has been featured on radio, TV and in leading industry publications, including the BBC, HuffPost and Go Daddy.
Kathy Soulsby, Founder and Director of Personally Virtual. After a varied career Restaurant Manager, Customer Relations, Sales and PA and EA roles in Management Consultancies, Recruitment and Executive Coaching Businesses Kathy set up Personally Virtual in 2014. Together with her team she provides services that you’d expect from a skilled Executive Assistant.
- Sarah Howson
- Abigail Jones
Sarah Howson, the founder of Strategic PA Recruitment and Strategic PA Network. Sarah is a former EA with over twenty years of C-Suite level experience. Sarah founded what is now Strategic PA Network back in 2015; she is a Business Support profession ambassador and is passionate about the role. Sarah’s talent for building relationships as well as her EA experience was a great foundation for launching Strategic PA Recruitment, a company focused on placing Business Support Professionals, into organisations.
Abigail Jones is a career Executive Assistant, currently working as an EA to a VP at Instagram. The winner of PA Life Club PA of the Year 2019 and Miss Jones PA of the Year 2018, shortlisted for Anderson Hoare PA of the Year 2019, Outstanding Achievement, EA of The Year 2018, London PA of the Year 2017, PA of the Year 2022 and 2016. She was featured on the cover of PA Life Magazine and is a regular contributor to it, and has also been featured on panel shows, key note speeches, articles, summits and workshops with the European Executive Assistant Conference, The Global PA Association, Practically Perfect, LCCI PA Club and SecsInTheCity. Abigail specialises in working at ‘C suite’ level, and is passionate about encouraging PA’s to get the most of out their careers, giving women and equal voice in the workplace, and developing skill sets to make the most of the role of Executive and Personal Assistant. She also provides professional coaching and mentoring to individual EAs and PAs and as well as corporate groups.
Marja-Leena Toseland, Editor, PA Life. Pa Life is all about supporting the Professional Assistant community with the informative and inspiring content in both our print and digital platforms, as well as through our vibrant PA Life Club activity. The Assistants are at the core of everything we do and Marja-Leena recognises the talent, hard work and determination required for succeeding in the role.
You can see the 2022 PA Life Christmas Party & Star Awards Night in photos here.
