The greater good
If you flicked to the back of the magazine first , you ’ d have seen that our columnist Jo Jones has secured a new role as EA to the CEO at TM Forum , working between her home and the office in London . Here ’ s how it ’ s going
Please tell us a little about your career journey and motivations . My motivation has and will always be contributing to the greater good of my organisation . I love knowing whatever task I ’ m focussing on will add value to my company . Thinking back to where I started , I always wanted to support and work closely with the leaders of the organisation . Over the years , I have slowly and steadily worked hard and worked up from basic administrative support to strategic support and I just love it .
What about highlights over the years ? There are a few ! I led a team that executed a full administration review , which took consideration and realignment of 48 administrative roles . I led and executed 25 celebratory events in aid of the Wellcome Sanger Institute ’ s 25th birthday . I implemented a successful realignment of roles and responsibilities with the executive leadership team ( ELT ) and the senior leadership team ( SLT ) where the ELT was elevated and empowered to use its meeting time to review the ‘ big picture ’, leaving the SLT to focus on the operational side of the business . Finally , I embedded a new values campaign and one year in survey results showed 97 % of colleagues resonated with the values .
What are your main responsibilities ? There ’ s one – simply to make my CEO ’ s life easier ; to take away the day-to-day minutiae before he has a chance to think about it . My CEO has to focus on the bigger picture and I play my part in that by strategically managing his time . That doesn ’ t mean accepting every meeting or request ; he has to have time to think , to reflect , to plan – and even grab lunch or have a comfort break . It ’ s about making all requests and visitors feel warm , welcomed and listened to – while potentially saying ‘ no ’ to the asks .
How have you been recognised formally ? I ’ ve had two wonderful awards in my time , which I ’ m very proud of . My most precious memory is being awarded PA of the Year for the UK in 2017 by Executive PA Media . These are the oldest and most established awards for administration professionals with nominations accepted from over 140 countries . In 2021 , I was recognised at the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries ( IFoA )’ s President ’ s Awards by the then President , Tan Suee Chieh who I supported in my first year at IFoA . We worked so well together and I was delighted when he presented me with one of his awards .
How did you feel winning ? Did someone nominate you or was it a surprise ? The Executive PA Media award was a total surprise to me , I had no idea ! My dear colleague and friend Sophie Palmer nominated me . I was also nominated for the best event award . I felt very lucky and very humbled by the nominations . This , for me , put professional administration on the map in my organisation at the time and I will forever dine out on the experiences that followed .
What ’ s happened since ? I ’ ve had many job offers and spoken at several administration conferences . I ’ ve also shared my time and experiences with like-minded people , becoming mentor to some fantastic PAs and EAs .
What is your ultimate career goal ? I started this interview by stating my motivation is to contribute to the greater good . Albeit early days where I am now , I feel I ’ m in the right organisation for me . And boy , do I want to contribute to it ! I can ’ t wait to see how me , being a small cog in a very large machine , will make a difference and contribute to the overall success of the business .
So , tell us about the organisation . TM Forum is an alliance of 800 + global companies working together to break down technology and cultural barriers between digital service providers , technology suppliers , consultancies and systems integrators .
What makes your boss stand out ? As I say it ’ s early days but the CEO is driven and ambitious . He certainly knows what he wants and how he likes things to be . I like working with people like that – direct and to the point – as I know where I stand and my expectations are fully managed .
How do you find the work / life balance ? It ’ s spot on . It ’ s a hybrid role and I only need to be in the physical office when the CEO is there . That ’ s averaging two days per week . It ’ s the perfect blend !
28 Executive PA | Summer Issue 2025