Executive Assistant & Office Manager to HM Ambassador
British Embassy Abu Dhabi
مجموع سنوات الخبرة :28 years, 4 أشهر
Executive Assistant & Office Manager to HM Ambassador - British Embassy Abu Dhabi, UAE
I work closely with the Ambassador providing secretarial support, management of the private office and Residence housekeeping team. My role requires interaction on a regular basis with VIP visitors, leaders of industry and high-level officials in both the UK & UAE Governments. My responsibilities are wide ranging and include:
• Coordinating the Ambassador's busy diary and program of appointments, continuously prioritising a heavy workload to meet tight and variable deadlines.
• Screening the Ambassador's phone calls, prioritise incoming and outgoing correspondence and managing the Ambassador's emails.
• Self correspond on all matters of a routine nature. Draft inter-government notes for the Ambassador's signature.
• Help facilitate VIP and senior government officials' visits to the UAE, working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Royal Protocol Offices, ensuring that all matters are dealt with confidentially and in line with protocol requirements.
• Meet and greet visitors to the Ambassador's Office.
• Manage all of the Ambassador's international and domestic travel bookings, ensuring best value for money and efficient use of the Ambassador's time.
• Research and prepare briefing papers and speech notes.
• Manage sensitive and classified material with integrity and discretion.
• Organise and minute meetings.
• Ensure that the Ambassador's Political, Trade, Consular and Visa Support Teams are coordinated to support the Ambassador's professional activities.
• Liaise with and maintain contacts within government, diplomatic and business communities in both the UK and the UAE to support good working relationships.
• Manage the Political Support Team and Residence Staff, providing leadership, guidance and support. Ensuring that staff have access to opportunities for personal development.
• Oversee and assist with organisation of business and social functions that are held at the Residence, including the annual Queen's Birthday Party; an annual garden party hosting approximately 600 guests.
• Oversee the operation of the Ambassador's Residence, ensuring that procedures are in place to replenish stocks and ensure that external caterers and users comply with the Ambassador's requirements.
• Manage the Residence daily operating and entertainment budget.
• Participate in the Embassy's planning for and response to emergencies / crisis.
(6 month temporary position)
Executive Assistant to the UK Border Agency Regional Director & Senior Management Team - British Embassy Abu Dhabi, UAE
As the Executive Assistant to the Regional Director and six Senior Managers across the Middle East, working in a highly pressurised environment my responsibilities included:
• Maintain diaries for the Regional Director and six Senior Managers.
• Dealing with incoming mail, identifying the appropriate recipient/s and distributing. Responding directly to routine correspondence, emails, telephone calls and requests.
• Manage incoming visits. Meet and greet visitors, preparation of programmes and briefing packs, arrangement of hotel accommodation, conferences and catering as appropriate.
• Facilitate each Senior Manager's travel and hotel arrangements and assist with visa applications.
• Collate information and updates from each Senior Manager to form the basis of the Regional Director's weekly report to the Chief Executive of UKBA and the Minister for Immigration in London.
• Responsible for the collation of various visa / immigration statistics and maintenance of associated spreadsheets.
• Responsible for the distribution of UKBA corporate communications throughout the region.
• Ensure that routine Visa Application Centre (VACs) inspections / audits were conducted to programme and that associated reports were submitted to a strict deadline.
• Collate regional monthly and quarterly Business Assurance Checks.
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• Preparation of contract documents.
• Maintenance of technical documents, drawing registers etc.
• Arrangement of REA's travel bookings.
• Management of reference library's key documents.
• Day-to-day running of the office in the frequent absence of the REA.
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• Management of the Office Support Team (Receptionist, Office Facilitator and Driver)
• Diary management.
• Self-correspondence.
• Discreet management of commercially sensitive information.
• Screening of incoming calls and visitors.
• Day-to-day bookkeeping.
• Preparation of monthly and annual internal management accounts.
• Management of computer based filing system.
• Organisation of MD's extensive travel arrangements.
• Arrangement of regional conferences.
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Working within the Hospital's Maintenance Department operating the computer based Works Information Management System (WIMS) . I was responsible for the day to day running of the Hospital Building Maintenance Help Desk where I liaised between customers and service providers. Receiving customers' requests, allocating works to engineers, monitoring progress and seeking customer feedback on completion.
Sept 1982 - June 1984 Highbury College, Portsmouth, UK Diploma in Speech and Drama.
1978 - 1982 St. Luke's Secondary School, Portsmouth, UK 'O' levels - Seven (including Math & English) 'RSA' - Secretarial Grades 1 & 2.