A team player with over 25 years of experience in business and private family offices, I am trusted with maintaining confidentiality, managing sensitive operations, and collaborating with colleagues at all levels, including C-Suite executives and business owners. I currently oversee all business support activities for the owners and Board of a pan-European risk management consultancy serving the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. Additionally, I contribute to company-wide training events, bringing together employees from multiple European locations. My expertise extends to leading the delivery of private and large-scale events, managing valuable private collections, and participating in internationally significant exhibitions.
Headline skillsets:
• Calendar management – successfully schedule international meeting for time-poor Executive level colleagues.
• Travel management – skilled in securing cost-effective travel and accommodation solutions while ensuring efficiency and comfort for business and personal travel.
• Events management - led delivery of various business, private and social functions and collaborated with sponsors to deliver on time and in-budget events.
• Multi-jurisdictional compliance – liaising with external advisors concerning tax structures and statutory filing requirements, payroll and benefits regulations.
• IT and software skills – Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, Powerpoint), Adobe Acrobat Pro, Zoho Books, Bamboo, Travelperk, ExpenseIn.
• Qualifications: 9 O’levels, 4 A’levels, BSc Hons (2:1), Postgraduate Certificate in Business Administration; part qualified ACCA accountancy technician. My postgraduate qualifications have equipped me with a solid basis in business administration supporting my ability to oversee complex projects.
As Special Projects Lead I manage the diaries and email communications of CEO and COO to align with business priorities and flexing as needed. I have worked with the Senior Management Team in the development of strategic business priorities, further cascading activities into operational teams. My own key strategic activities have revolved around multi-jurisdictional compliance, strategic tax planning, company structure and statutory filings. My experience also includes the establishment of business entities in other European countries, ensuring operational compliance with local regulations. I oversee all Executive travel, accommodation and visa requirements, and support employees in the use of our TMS platform. Other aspects of my role include event management, meeting planning, recruitment, statutory compliance and expense management. I routinely organise business functions and dining events when our teams are at home or overseas in both formal and informal contexts.
I have also been the Personal Assistant to two different UHNW individuals during my career. Both required international diary management, and function planning and delivery from private dining to large catered, celebratory events. I routinely performed private jet and helicopter reservations, undertook associated flight planning with pilots, liaised with Special Branch and Flight Control prior to flight departure, and pre-arranged advance passage through origin/destination handling agents and passport control. I also managed holiday and business travel arrangements for family and friends, through usual channels. In addition, my responsibilities have also included collections management, transportation, curation and exhibition that required project management skills and liaison with collections professionals and technicians. Delivering projects to scope, time and budget required sound financial control with associated expense and private banking management. I have also researched, implemented and subsequently maintained specialist insurance policies for valuable collections, properties, helicopters, aircraft and other assets. I have managed a small retinue of staff including chefs, cleaners, private instructors and gardeners, ensuring timeliness of meals, variety of menus, yoga, managing housekeeping and gardening chores respectively. Both of these roles and my current role require routine third-party management, involving due diligence prior to onboarding, reference/testimonial gathering, ensuring excellent execution of service deliverables and fulfilment of contractual obligations.
My collaboration style with colleagues is decisive but supportive, encouraging colleagues to accomplish tasks by offering guidance and understanding. I prefer alliance as a means to foster teamwork and cooperation where everyone works together to reach common goals and we all support each other in delivery.
I have lived in France for seven years, although I have had a home there for fourteen and my French reflects that. I am not fluent, but I have a working proficiency.
In my spare time, I enjoy gardening, dressmaking and quilting. I love spending time with my two Spanish podencos, Ravi and Peaches and a marmalade cat called Marvin.
For more about me, I would be delighted to provide a copy of my current CV.
