EA PROFILE
“ No matter how long you ’ ve been in ‘ the game ’, the moment you stop learning or say there ’ s nothing left for you to learn is the moment you ’ ll be left behind ”
Executive PA Media award winner , runner up and finalist , Natalie Kennefick shares her career journey and top tips for fellow admin professionals
Please tell us a little about your career journey so far … I ’ ve had a very traditional admin journey . I started sitting on the floor of my mum ’ s office after school and doing the office filing … Unpaid ! As an adult , I did a traineeship in Business Administration and worked on reception , my path was then a steady rise from administration to team assistant , administrator , admin manager , office manager then , finally , EA !
Now , what are your main responsibilities ? I ’ ve only just started in this role so there ’ s lots of room for development and growth . While I do the traditional EA duties of diary and email management , as well as some office management , my main responsibilities revolve around helping the CEO and ELT drive performance and meet company goals . I ’ m also involved in projects over all three business groups ( I work for a business made up of three businesses ). Previously , I have looked after multiple teams and managers , and been able to bring my passion for events and culture into the role by implementing team engagement initiatives .
What is the working environment like ? Many businesses claim that they have a great culture and that they ’ re all friendly and diverse / inclusive – but when you turn up to work it ’ s anything but ! I can honestly say that ’ s not the case with my new company . They definitely walk the walk ! Everyone is so welcoming to each other each day , and there ’ s so much cross-functionality that people will always be helping each other out .
What about perks , flexibility and communication ? We have a hybrid workplace and people really use their days in the office to build and cultivate their relationships . There is so much respect and flexibility in people ’ s work choices . Our CEO actively walks the floor daily , and an abundance of comms keep us informed about what ’ s happening . There is a genuine concern for employee wellbeing from the leadership team , and they ’ re very active on our online recognition platform . They also do weekly check ins with their team members . We have great benefits , and it truly is a great environment from the CEO down . People openly say they love their job and coming to work , and there ’ s only sincerity when they say it . It ’ s honestly exciting to come to work each day !
Have your EA achievements been recognised formally ? Yes , I was fortunate enough to be a finalist for Best Organised Event 2018 and runner up for the same award in 2019 , as well as winning the 2018 Up and Coming EA / PA of the Year Award – all at the Executive PA Media awards . Being a finalist was exciting but to be a runner up and winner is beyond words because there are so many talented and deserving EAs and PAs in our industry .
Did you feel different as a result of your accolades ? It validated my contributions and position within my team and business . Administrators are often overlooked because we don ’ t have a quantifiable dollar amount for our work , so the fact that there are awards recognising our work and worth means a lot to me personally . It gave me a greater appreciation for our industry , and I developed a passion for helping to support EAs and admin professionals .
50 Executive PA | Summer Issue 2023