EUMA goes international and becomes International Management Assistants

Member-led PA network European Management Assistants (EUMA) will become International Management Assistants (IMA) as of 1 February 2017.

The change will reflect the growing demand from PAs and management assistants from outside Europe, who have requested to join the association and benefit from the technological, economic and social benefits EUMA brings its members. EUMA members voted for the rebrand at their Annual General Meeting in October 2016.

Founded in 1974 by Sonia Vanular, EUMA’s focus has always been to support PAs with personal development opportunities and help them keep abreast of changes within their profession. Represented already in more than 25 countries, the move to an international association will open up EUMA’s benefits to thousands more members across the globe. This will also benefit existing members by providing networking and professional development opportunities from a far larger pool.

Chair of the UK branch of EUMA Elizabeth Wakeling says: “EUMA has been offering unrivalled professional development and international networking opportunities for those in the professional administration sector for over 40 years. Keeping one step ahead of industry developments has always been the key to EUMA’s success and we want to continue that by becoming International Management Assistants and welcoming members worldwide.

EUMA recognises that to stay ahead and be attractive to new generations now entering the business world, it needs to gain access to new industries and markets and widen its range of member benefits. In particular, embracing the digital age with social media and online platforms will be key for the association going forward.

“In today’s fast-paced, globalised business environment, every PA needs to stay on top of the latest developments, supporting their employer and giving them the edge. By opening up the association to other countries, we will be able to offer new personal development and lifelong learning to our members on a much wider scale.”

Else-Britt Lundgren, IMA European Chairman says: “This change is a historical moment for our network. It will help us to move forward into the future and be the number one international network for management support professionals.”

To coincide with the rebrand, the UK branch is also announcing the Sonia Vanular Award. This will be an annual award for the member who has contributed the most to support EUMA/IMA throughout the previous 12 months. Nominations for the inaugural 2017 Sonia Vanular Award will open soon and the winner will be announced at the national AGM in June. Keep an eye on the website for more information at uk.euma.org.