Member Article

London Executive Assistant Revealed as 2018 ‘PA of the Year’ by British Superbrand Pitman Training

Jennifer Smith from Aveley, Essex has been announced as the 2018 ‘PA of the Year’ as part of Pitman’s SuperAchievers awards, after hundreds of nominations from across the globe were submitted to the business superbrand.

The UK’s leading independent training provider, Pitman Training launched the SuperAchievers Awards to show anything is possible and to help reward people committed to driving their careers forward in a bid to inspire more of the British workforce to strive for more.

Jennifer is currently an Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive at ‘Teens and Toddlers’ based in London Bridge. She has been in this role since June 2017 but has been a PA since 2006. This award is to celebrate exceptional PAs who perfectly showcase the dedication required to achieve a high level of excellence in their field.

Jennifer was nominated by her CEO and Commercial Director, Joanne Hay who says; “Jennifer really understands how to add value to an organisation through the work she does and knows how to bring that to life. Setting a high bar from which others learn. Jennifer is a major team player and a joy to work with. Definitely a SuperAchiever!”

Jennifer knew her CEO, Joanne Hay, from when they both worked at the NSPCC. This is where Joanne got to see Jennifer’s capabilities first-hand, describing her as “incredibly impressive, managing a heavy workload and building great working relationships across the organisation.” Nearly three years later, Joanne was delighted when she applied to be her Executive Assistant at Teens and Toddlers.

Jennifer was very quick to make an impact on the organisation with Joanne saying that within the first month, Jennifer had reorganised senior management and board meetings, meaning they get more done as a result. Her positive influence didn’t stop there - she improved their e-training, took on the management of several complex and critical projects, and improved the HR function – all within 6 months. Joanne says she has no doubt the work Jennifer has done, helped achieve their 2017 organisational goals.

Winners of Pitman’s SuperAchievers are determined by a combined judges vote and the public vote. This year’s judging panel included Craig Harris, a previous SuperAchievers winner, currently working as a PA in the third sector; Craig says; “For me this has been the hardest category. All the assistants that were shortlisted were amazing, but for me, Jen stands out. She has not only built an amazingly successful career for herself, she also goes out of her way to educate and inspire other assistants! She is the ultimate EA!”

Also on the judging panel was Catherine Asta Labbett, a psychotherapist and founder of Girl Tribe Gang, a fast growth female networking community for women she says; “Jennifer’s ambition and commitment and drive to make a difference really stands out.”

The judging panel also included and Claire Young, entrepreneur, media specialist and government advisor who appeared on series four of BBC’s The Apprentice alongside Lord Alan Sugar, she says; “Jennifer sounds like the type of person who I would want to be my PA. She is proactive, a change maker and action orientated. Not only is she just doing her job, she appears to go above and beyond really making a different to the workplace. She lives and breathes the charity values and ethos.”

Claire Lister, Managing Director at Pitman Training Group, said: “We are honoured to be able to highlight such incredible stories, across a really varied set of professions and showcase those who are striving to achieve. Each year, I look at the entries submitted, and it inspires me to see what people are achieving in their careers through hard work and ambition.”

Pitman Training offers flexible, tailor-made courses and qualifications with one-on-one student support in subjects including Office, IT, Administration, Finance and Business, which are recognised by employers. The team also offer free career clinics and CV advice.

Pitman Training: Pitman Training is the UK’s most established, franchised training provider, helping the nation transform careers and change lives through self-paced vocational training. Leading the way for growth in development and efficiency within the workplace since Sir Isaac Pitman’s invention of shorthand in 1837. The business has continued to evolve, incorporating modern technologies and advances in order to arm students with the skills they need to get the jobs that they want. Specialists in Office, IT, Administration, Finance and Business skills training, with over 100 franchise partners in the UK, Republic of Ireland and international territories. Pitman Training Group, trains over 25,000 individuals each year, achieving unparalleled completion rate of 98% with an impressive 80% positive job outcome within 6 months of training.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Becky Hayles .