Eighteen months ago no-one could have foreseen the profound changes a global pandemic would inflict on our working and home lives. Orlaith O’Brien, EA to five executives at tech giant Endava, recounts how she has adapted… Tell us about your role. I work for a company called Endava, an information technology and services provider. My […]

Sarah Damani runs a successful Alchemy Virtual Assistance (VA) Hub where she supports multiple business owners with their PA, marketing and administration under the trusted and award-winning Alchemy brand. She became an Alchemy VA Hub Manager in December 2019 – three months before COVID hit – and rose above the challenges of the pandemic to […]

Editor of PA Life Hayley Somerscales spoke with Niamh Smithers, Senior Executive Assistant at ESW and PA Life Star Award finalist for PA of the Year 2020… During the interview Niamh shares how she became an Executive Assistant, her current responsibilities, personal development, having dyslexia in the workplace and her advice to others with dyslexia. […]

IQ-EQ recently announced the appointment of Caroline Bagshaw as its new Group Chief People Officer. Caroline’s HR career to date spans more than 26 years and a diverse range of industry sectors, including technology, pharma and financial services. She has 18 years’ experience in regional and global HR leadership roles, and PA Life spoke with […]

Take That’s former management assistant talks of how life after working for the band has inspired her to help a new generation of Virtual Assistants. Sarah-Jane Heath (known in the business as SJ) spent many years at the top of her profession, travelling the Globe with one of the UK’s most successful boybands, Take That, […]

How has the pandemic and lockdown changed the role of an EA? PA Life spoke to Orlaith O’Brien, EA at Endava… How did you get your current position? I was contacted by a lady in the recruitment department via LinkedIn. (In fact my previous position was via LinkedIn also!) I wasn’t actively looking at the […]

Karen is the PA to Andy Tookey, the Managing Partner of Baily Garner, a construction consultancy covering a majority of the UK with offices in both Eltham and Birmingham. PA Life spoke with Karen about how she secured her current position and her thoughts on PA Life Club… How did you get your current job? […]

At the PA Life Star Awards, Romy Ashmore was awarded Multi-Tasker of the Year 2020. Romy is an Executive Assistant at RM Results and in March 2019 was offered the opportunity to undertake training to become a mental health and well-being champion. PA Life spoke with Romy to find out more about her experience and how she felt […]

At the PA Life Star Awards, Jade Fearon was awarded Rising Star 2020. Jade is a Personal Assistant at DWF and adapted well into working from home. During lockdown she seamlessly transitioned into working for a new team, and remained a positive voice for other support staff during a very uncertain period. PA Life spoke […]

At the PA Life Star Awards, Kirsi Swinton was awarded PA of the Year 2020. Kirsi is an Executive Assistant and Assistants Network Lead at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. In 2020 Kirsi published her first article Who Decides the Value of an Assistant, followed shortly by a second article ‘The Problem with Politeness: Why straight-talking as […]

Natalie Reeves was awarded VA of the Year 2020 at the PA Life Christmas Party incorporating the Star Awards. Natalie is a Virtual Assistant who has managed to grow her business NJR Virtual PA during the pandemic. Natalie has done this whilst juggling a 4-year-old starting school and a 1-year-old who is with her full […]

Last week the PA Life Star Awards took place and Chris Holland was awarded PA Life Club Member of the Year 2020. Chris is currently an Executive Assistant at Nimrod Capital LLP, but has experience working for a variety of organisations such as the NHS and financial institutions. Having worked in a range of roles […]

How is the pandemic and lockdown affecting PAs, their professional situation and personal lives? PA Life spoke to Karen Crowley, PA at Baily Garner, Claudine Martin, PA at the Ministry of Defence and Lisa Neath, Executive PA at Sulzer… Are you still working from home? Karen Crowley: I have been working from home for the […]

Alicia Fairclough is EA to the CEO at Truphone and the Founder of the EA How To community initiative. She talks to PA Life about navigating the pandemic, working from home and pink gin… Tell us how you got to your current position at Truphone. I got my current role through a fantastic London recruiter, Morgan […]

As Executive Assistant to Lucy Brazier – the leading authority on Administrative Assistants – Matthew Want has a tough job managing his boss’s diary, as well as living up to the examples she sets to PAs around the world. He tells all to Lisa Carter… How did you begin your career as an Assistant? Before […]

Kerry Ferguson is EA to the Head of Finance & Administration at legal and professional services group Ince Gordon Dadds LLP. She tells Lisa Carter what she enjoys about her role, the challenges and how she’s coped with lockdown… How did you get your current job? I joined the firm 10 years ago as a […]

Training specialist Today’s PA was founded over 15 years ago by PAul Pennant. And that’s not a typo in his name – it demonstrates how committed he is to the PA and EA community and helping individuals achieve their potential. He speaks to Lisa Carter… Tell us about Today’s PA – the background to the […]

Suzy Sanders quit the 9-5 when she fell pregnant and wanted to spend more time at home. She became a Virtual Assistant, realised she could help others looking to do the same and then set up the Alchemy VA franchise. She tells all to PA Life…  Why did you choose to become a Virtual Assistant? […]