PA of the year finalists announced

The four finalists in the inaugural Smart Secretary/PA of the Year Award, organised by the Smart Group and sponsored by leading staffing specialists Kelly Services, have been announced. The four finalists (alphabetically)
are:

Mel Joseph from Bristol - PA to the Head of Performance, Reward & Management Information Strategy at Lloyds TSB Julie Lever from Sutton - PA to the Chief Executive of Reed Business Information Jackie Mead from Birmingham - PA to the General Manager of Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK Ltd Susan Pritchett from Enfield - PA to the Country Head, UK, of HVB Group

The finalists now go through to an event on Friday 1st October where they will be put through a series of tests by a distinguished judging panel, before the overall UK winner is selected.

The winner of the Smart Secretary/PA of the Year Award 2004 will enjoy the recognition of being the best secretary/PA in the country, a fantastic holiday for two in a five-star hotel in Cyprus, a luxury spa break at Champneys, a hamper from Harrods, as well as other prizes.

The competition is aimed at raising the profile of secretaries and PAs who play a key role in any office but are very often an under-appreciated asset.

To get to this stage all the finalists had to provide a 250 words nomination from their bosses and also had to complete a series of questions.

Clare Francis, Kelly Services Head of Communications said: The traditional role of a secretary and PA - taking dictation, shorthand and answering the telephone - has changed dramatically and even though they are still key skills of the role, broader skills such as proficient use of computer applications and strong interpersonal and communication skills are also essential in progressing your career. Modern secretaries and PAs have to be real multi-taskers and qualities such as integrity, confidentiality and commitment are considered very important. We wish the finalists the best of luck for their big day on 1st October.