Patrick Jephson

For eight years Patrick was Princess Diana’s private secretary (chief of staff), responsible for every aspect of her public life and private organization.  He travelled with the Princess to five continents, working with officials up to head of state and encountering unforgettable figures in politics, philanthropy and the arts such as Hillary Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, Mother Teresa and Luciano Pavarotti.  Under relentless media scrutiny, his tenure covered the period of Princess Diana’s greatest popularity as well as the constitutional controversy of her separation from Prince Charles.

He is now a consultant, journalist, broadcaster and New York Times bestselling author, based in Washington DC.  His byline has appeared in every UK national newspaper and international titles as varied as TIME magazine, Vanity Fair, People and Paris Match.
A published authority on corporate and personal branding, Patrick equally enjoys coaching C-suite executives, advising UHNWIs on reputation management and addressing PR conferences worldwide. Having worked for an internationally high-profile woman, he feels a special affinity for cross-cultural, protocol, gender and communications issues.

He also writes, presents and advises on factual and drama TV programs, appearing on every major US network.  He is currently an expert consultant to the award-winning Netflix series The Crown.

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Karen Nussbaum

Karen Nussbaum has been an organizer for more than 50 years.  She was a co-founder of 9to5, the national organization of working women; the president of District 925, SEIU; and the founding director of Working America, the community organizing arm of the AFL-CIO.

Karen served as the director of the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau, the highest seat in the federal government devoted to women.  She is the co-author of two books and writes about women, labor, politics and culture.  Nussbaum is a member of the board of Working America.

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Ayanna Castro

Ayanna Castro is an international speaker, life coach and author with expertise in helping others see their potential and overcome self-imposed obstacles in pursuit of their goals.  As the Founder and Chief Maven of Work Your Package™, her mission is to educate, encourage, and equip others to enhance what they already have to become the “total package” and be extraordinary.

Known for her perfect balance of guidance, support and hard truths, she is the “go-to” person for those embarking on new ventures or have lost clarity on their goals. As a speaker, Ayanna delights and engages audiences with her inspiring and transparent message of perseverance and “working their package.” Her clients include the International Association of Administrative Professionals, Executive Secretary LIVE, Office Dynamics International, United States Department of the Navy, AARP and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

Ayanna has degrees in Deviant Behavior and Social Control and Business Administration. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Government Meeting Professional (CGMP), and certified Master Life Coach with over 25 years of experience in city government, law, public relations, private equity and media. She currently works for the one of the country’s largest water utilities as the Employee Engagement Coordinator and is responsible for enterprise-wide programs to include recognition, celebration and diversity and inclusion. She has also authored two books, “Lessons from Wednesday” and “Work Your Package – A Guide to Being the Total Package”.

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Michelle Bowditch

Michelle Bowditch is the founder of Door20a, a tech consulting agency supporting Women in Business and Executive Assistants to accelerate their careers to the next level. Through strategic coaching, she helps professionals amplify their workplace presence, master influence, and road map their ambitions into existence.

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Dinah Liversidge

Dinah Liversidge helps people go from “thinking outside the box”, to “no-box thinking”.

Her total belief that “there is no box” has allowed Dinah to overcome several, serious, health challenges, not least a road accident which resulted in eleven years in a wheelchair, and major heart surgery in 2013. Today, walking again, and delivering talks and training internationally, she is living proof of the power of thinking yourself out of a box, and has created a life and a future she was told were not on her horizon.

Her background in Corporate started at SmithKline Beecham as a PA to the Marketing Manager for Anti-infectives, which was to lead to 14 amazing years of opportunity, travel and event management.

Dinah and her husband have been entrepreneurs since 2004, setting up and running three successful businesses in diverse sectors, they now live a ‘portfolio lifestyle’ pursuing several of their passions.

Dinah lives in Carmarthenshire in South-West Wales with her husband, John.   She coaches people who are ready to change their mind-set stories and create new, positive habits for life and business. She speaks and delivers training internationally and works as and trains Celebrants in the local community.

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Lizebeth Koloko-Green

Lizebeth Koloko-Green is the CEO & Founder of ANWOW (Adopt New Ways of Working). She is also an Executive Assistant at Nutanix France and has over 20 years of experience working in international corporate environments, including Symantec France and Areda Computer Systems. She holds a degree in Office Management from the University of Paris Créteil and is certified as a Microsoft Office Specialist in Outlook, OneNote, PowerPoint, and Word, and is bilingual in French and English.

Lizebeth is very passionate about learning and teaching Information Technology Software and often trains Executives, Sales Reps, and Administrative Professionals on Microsoft OneNote, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft PowerPoint, and other Office 365 Apps, as well as lecturing and speaking at conferences and events. She is a proud member of IMA France (International Management Assistants Network), IAAP (International Association of Administrative Professionals) and PANSA (Platinum Assistant Network – South Africa).

Lizebeth was selected to represent France in the 2018 World Administrators Summit in Frankfurt and the 2021 World Administrators Summit in Wellington, New Zealand.

Lizebeth grew up in Fremont, California, but was born in Paris, France, where she currently resides with her eight-year-old daughter, Aaliyah. In her spare time, she loves studying and learning foreign languages and new information technologies. She is currently studying German and Mandarin Chinese.

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Corinne Hoisington

Corinne Hoisington is a full-time Professor of Information Systems Technology at Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg, VA training our future Executive Assistants, Personal Assistants, and Admins. Corinne also travels over 200,000 miles a year providing keynote motivational topics and training to corporations, small businesses, admin conferences in over 70 worldwide cities this year for such customers as the Microsoft Corporation, Executive Secretary Live London/Johannesburg/Sydney/Wellington, Prague World Economic Forum, Cengage Learning, the international South by Southwest event, APC Conference, Capital One World Admins day, and many others. Professor Hoisington is the recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional in Business and Computing. Corinne presently has authored over thirty textbooks with Cengage Learning/National Geographic such as the Microsoft Outlook 365, Office 365, Windows 10, Technology Now, and Visual Basic with App Development.

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Gregg Brown

Bio

Gregg has spoken to executive professionals and CEOs, associations, governments, Fortune 500 companies and audiences from the UN, NATO, World Bank, and the IMF – even prisoners and nuns!  But Gregg has often had the MOST fun at the numerous Administrative Professionals conferences he has spoken at.

What does this diverse group all have in common?

Organizations and people that feel passionate about increasing their impact, creating positive change and making a difference in the world.

Prior to COVID-19, Gregg was often found on a plane heading to speak to diverse audiences on our beautiful planet.

Gregg is featured nationally and internationally in media such as Entrepreneur, Thrive Global and a wide range of publications. Gregg is called “The Fixer” I Heart Radio, and has shared his expertise on Global News and CTV’s The Social.

Gregg holds a Master’s degree from the University of Leicester in the UK, with a focus on organizational psychology, leadership and performance, is an Associate Member of the American Psychological Association.

Gregg believes in giving back to the community, and currently mentors young entrepreneurs with businesses that create social change. Gregg is the author of Ready, Set, Change AGAIN!  and The Top 10 Change Hacks.

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Peggy Vasquez

Peggy is an inspirational speaker, a best-selling author, and an empowerment coach. She began her career as a receptionist and worked her way up to a Chief Executive Assistant. Her passion is to empower others to succeed. Peggy offers a way to help you achieve the level of success you are striving for by providing keynotes and 1:1 coaching.

Her experience working in the C-Suite for decades informs her teaching. She draws on real-world examples, including successes and lessons learned by hard-won battles and failed attempts. Peggy will help you navigate your career by providing tools to increase your collaboration and productivity and increase your understanding of the value that you bring to your organization. Peggy is a certified trainer and leadership award winner.

Her most successful accomplishment is being married to her husband for over 30 years and raising four children, and spoiling their grandchildren together.

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Paula Moio

Paula Moio is a self-made, multi-award winner, future-focused professional, who truly embraces her passion, advocating for a change of perceptions and the recognition of the PA/EA role.

Works tirelessly alongside a like-minded global network of professionals who are determined to break barriers, to raise the profile of the Admin Profession in today’s demanding and ever-changing job market.

Bestowed with a BBC News Award for her outstanding contribution to BBC News/ BBC World Service, where she worked as PA at Executive/Board level for 15 years.

Paula currently works as a C-Suite Bilingual-Concierge EA, at an international company in the Finance industry, where she had been headhunted on LinkedIn and has been successfully working since January 2016.

In 2020 she becomes the Founder of Moyoeno Lusofonando – a not-for-profit project -, working alongside five extraordinary professional women training and empowering EAs and PAs in the Lusophone Africa to become the best version of themselves.

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Nicky Pasquier

Nicky bootstrapped her business with zero experience and funding, having quit her job as a senior legal PA in Civil Litigation eight years ago.  Nicky used organic marketing strategies, specifically visual and email marketing to increase brand awareness online, attract a target audience and grow her business.

Having listened carefully to what successful entrepreneurs were saying about the importance of growing an email list, Nicky enrolled in an in-depth email marketing course with HubSpot in 2018.

“Until that point I’d felt slightly intimidated by email marketing jargon such as ‘segments’ and ‘drip campaigns’.  Since I had no background in marketing I didn’t feel I’d really understand it. 

 However, I realised that email marketing is a skill that needs to be learnt step-by-step from the basics upwards.  I’m kicking myself that I didn’t get to grips with it sooner because I now understand how easy it is and how powerful, particularly for startups and small businesses”.

Nicky is now determined to remove the fear and confusion surrounding email marketing by teaching other small businesses on how to use Mailchimp.

“Don’t waste any more money on social media ads; learn how to use email to market your business!”

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Heather Baker

After over 20 years working as a secretary and then PA, Heather established Baker Thompson Associates in 2000 to enable Office Professionals to achieve their potential for their career development and the success of their organisation.

All her sessions are very much discussion based to ensure relevance to attendees’ specific needs. The training is informal and relaxed and is aimed at building delegates’ confidence and appreciation of their value, as well as enhancing their skills. Courses are endorsed by the Institute of Administrative Management and CPD Certified, whether face to face or online.

She now travels around the world meeting PAs, EAs and administrators of all levels and from all types of companies.

She is the author of 4 Amazon top ten selling books and the creator of the BakerWrite speedwriting system. She is also an NLP Practitioner, TAP.cert trainer and 3 years winner of the North West Enterprise Awards Best Administrative Staff Training Provider. She is also nominated for a National Business Women’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Heather is proud to be a Prince’s Trust Business Mentor and a supporter of Isipho Admin in South Africa.

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Chrissy Scivicque PMP, PCM

Chrissy Scivicque (pronounced “Civic”) believes that work can be a nourishing, enriching life experience – and she loves helping professionals discover exactly what that means for them and how to achieve it. Her popular website, EatYourCareer.com, is devoted to this mission. As an award-winning writer, certified career coach and experienced corporate trainer, Chrissy brings a unique perspective to the world of professional development.

As a proud former executive assistant, Chrissy also has a deep appreciation for the world of admin, its unique challenges and equally unique rewards. Chrissy has developed and delivered training programs for admin teams at some of the world’s most recognized organizations including Microsoft, Northrop Grumman, Capital One, GoDaddy, Ball Aerospace and more.

Chrissy is a published author and contributing career expert for U.S. News & World Report. She lives in Denver, CO and is a frequent guest on the morning show Good Day Colorado where she answers career-related questions from TV viewers. An in-demand presenter, Chrissy is known for engaging, entertaining, educating and empowering audiences of all sizes. She would love to work with you to create a memorable training event.

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Skevi Constantinou

Skevi Constantinou is an EA with a wealth of experience across various sectors, predominately Corporate Finance. She is a huge advocate for the industry, evoking change by encouraging assistants to be heard as one voice.

Having created and launched the popular assistant lifestyle platform, The PA Way, Skevi’s mission is to ensure that Assistants are valued, nurtured and listened to – by staging events and learning to enable them to “live like a boss!”

Skevi’s aim is to take assistants out of their bosses’ shadow and to own their own light. With a goal of ensuring that assistants become so powerful, that people do not know who the boss is, The PA Way is a fresh, fun and informative platform to allow assistants to “level up” by learning, development and events. Members are called Loyal Royals and are connected all around the world.

Skevi has spoken at various in-house training and virtual conferences such as the Houses of Parliament, 4^th EA Conference in Prague, The PA Show and many more.

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Melissa Esquibel

While it’s true that if you don’t know where you’re headed, it doesn’t matter how you get there; not asking in the first place is the sure road to disaster when it comes to significant technology infrastructure changes. Ask any business unit executive who can’t do today what she did yesterday but keeps being told that the organization is now “in a better place,” technologically speaking.

Melissa Esquibel was in the thick of early business technology innovation when hardware and systems were kept in a virtual black box, and IT gatekeepers doled out functionality within a rigid systems architecture. Now, in the present, where end-users know how to access the power of technology independently and according to the agile timelines they need, this push and pull has created quite a mess in many organizations.

With her unique experience as the conduit between the gate-keepers and the gatestormers, she offers her unique perspective as “bridge builder” to you. Her sense of humor and commonsense approach will engage your team and produce results you can take to the bank in real world time savings and effective use of your organization’s resources. She brings out the best in people, coaxing out meaningful collaboration and impactful solutions.

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Liz Van Vliet

Liz Van Vliet is the founder and trainer behind My EA Career and hosts the Being Indispensable podcast.

Liz works with executive assistants and admin professionals to equip them with the skills and confidence they need to influence more effectively and demonstrate the leadership and interpersonal skills to make them a ‘linchpin’ to their boss and organisation.

Many EAs and administrative professionals have excellent hard skills. But these same EAs lack the POWER Skills that take them from being an order-taker to being a Linchpin Assistant.

In 2013, during her recovery from aggressive breast cancer, Liz knew returning to her demanding career in senior sales and marketing was impossible. Instead, Liz became an executive assistant, a role that she now admits she had badly misunderstood and underestimated.

Having walked in your shoes, Liz is now fully aware of the incredible contribution EAs make to their boss and organisation. But she also knows that EAs are often under-valued, under-utilised and more often than not, under-appreciated.

Liz is a certified Executive Coach and Trainer equipping executive and administrative assistants with career-boosting confidence and POWER Skills so that they can be what she describes as “the little hinges that swing big doors”.

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Jason Liem

In 2000, Jason Liem established MINDtalk and has helped people in a broad range of industries and professions to think about their thinking to build confidence, certainty and clarity. As a sparring partner, coach and facilitator Jason works with individuals and teams to utilise the science of brain-based skills to continually improve their ability as leaders, communicators and enablers. In addition, he designs and delivers practical brain-based leadership and personal resilience programs to improve people’s ability to manage themselves, others and situations.

In 2012, Jason was asked to speak at TEDx Oslo about how people can adapt in times of change with the emphasis on shifting mindsets by utilising the science of the brain. His talk was titled At the Crossroads: Where the Brain Meets the Mind. He is also a contributing writer for Executive Secretary Magazine. His articles focus on personal development in regards to the mind, the brain, thinking and everything in-between.

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Kemetia Foley

Kemetia MK Foley is a humorist, storyteller, writer, and trainer. She is fierce, funny and phenomenal – energetically delivering outstanding professional development courses since 2007. Kemetia has written, developed, and taught several sections of the Administrative Assistant certificate course for Northern Virginia Community College Workforce Development Division, presented more than 100 training sessions, and traveled internationally providing thoughtful perspectives and approaches to customer service, storytelling, and marketing. Students and delegates frequently comment how much they love her genuine and humorous teaching approach, sharing stories from her own experiences in the workplace.

Kemetia earned her Bachelor of Science, Business Administration from the University of Mary Washington, and holds the Certified Administrative Professional^® designation from the International Association of Administrative Professionals. She will gladly profess to anyone her love of coffee, sports, marching bands, and Twitter.

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Helen Monument

Helen Monument inspires and encourages Assistants to be the best they can be, by sharing 30 years of experience as a management support professional. Helen has worked at international companies including Dow Chemical, Progress Software and Shell. Her career has taken her through many stages, from Secretary to Office Manager and Business Support Team Leader, so she understands the profession inside out.

During her time at Dow Chemical, Helen led the Secretary Quality Circle, implementing more effective and efficient work process according to the philosophy of W. Edwards Deming.  Whilst at Shell, Helen was an active member of the Shell Women’s Network and developed a Mentoring Circle giving groups of Assistants the opportunity to share and learn from each other.

A former Executive Chairman of IMA (International Management Assistants) Helen is passionate about giving something back to the profession that created so many wonderful opportunities for her to grow and develop by ‘paying it forward’ all over the world by helping others to become Monumental Assistants. She offers a variety of services in English and in Dutch, all of which can be tailor-made to suit an individual, a team, an event or organization

British-born Helen lives in The Netherlands and spends her free time reading, walking and enjoying culinary delights served up by her husband Robert.

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Adam Hergenrother and Hallie Warner

Adam Hergenrother

Adam Hergenrother has built a $1B organization in less than ten years by creating a culture where personal growth and work-life integration come first.

Adam thrives on taking on physical challenges including Bikram yoga, hiking, Ironman races, white-water rafting, skiing, and more. He fuels his mind and spirit with 40 minutes a day of meditation, and spends as much time as possible outdoors with his family and friends.

He believes all of this is simple, but not easy. Life is hard. Business building is hard. There are daily struggles to overcome. It’s about finding the gift in all of life’s experiences and understanding that you have the power to unleash joy!

Adam lives in South Burlington, Vermont, with his wife, Sarah, and three children, Sienna, Asher, and Madelyn.

Hallie Warner

Hallie Warner serves as Chief of Staff to the Founder and CEO of Adam Hergenrother Companies. She is also the co-author of The Founder & The Force Multiplier: How Entrepreneurs and Executive Assistants Achieve More Together.

Hallie has worked side-by-side with Adam Hergenrother for over nine years, ensuring that Adams vision is clarified, communicated, and executed. Hallie also provides strategic counsel to key leaders within the organization and leads special projects focused on the growth of the organization.

In her free time, Hallie pursues her hobbies: reading, blogging, kayaking, and traveling, preferably to the beach. She lives in Williston, Vermont with her husband, Bill, and their dog, Karma.

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Caitlin Limmer

In 2004, Caitlin Limmer’s husband was told she had just 40 minutes to live. This illness and an additional rare blood cancer, MDS, has made Caitlin grab every opportunity life has thrown her way since – and she is passionate about encouraging others to do the same.

Over the past 15 years, Caitlin’s run 17 marathons, – including one in a 7-foot heavy beer bottle outfit – swum ultra-marathons, cycled the Prudential 100 Ride London on a heavy tandem, raised thousands of pounds for a blood cancer charity which she has subsequently been made the Patron of. She set up a huge, thriving community running club, been awarded Richmond Council Community award for sport and charity, won the Prime Minister’s Point of Light Award and been praised by former PM David Cameron for her “tireless dedication.” And that barely scratches the surface.

Caitlin’s drive to improve people’s lives through exercise and community spirit is a serious one. The races she has directed, and the BeaRCat running club she founded, go way beyond physical fitness. Caitlin has continuously helped people with mental illnesses find confidence, and challenged others to be more open-minded and cultivate new friendships – from all ages, abilities and disabilities. 

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Joan Burge

Known as the pioneer of the administrative training industry, Joan Burge is an accomplished author, professional speaker, consultant, and experienced corporate trainer. Identifying an untapped niche, she founded Office Dynamics International (ODI) in 1990, inspiring excellence in the administrative profession. Since then, ODI has grown into a global industry leader, offering a broad range of training and coaching solutions for administrative assistants and their executives. Joan’s never-ending quest to provide top-notch educational programs earned the respect of premier clients like Walt Disney World, Procter & Gamble, Cisco, Humana, Huntington Bank, and Nationwide.

Joan is the creator and host of the Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence™ (started in 1993). She developed robust certification courses such as World Class Assistant™, conducted more than 300 customized workshops and seminars, and produced 400+ educational videos for administrative and executive assistants across the globe.

Her five books, including the Amazon bestseller Who Took My Pen…Again? and her other popular works of reference continue to be favorites among administrative professionals worldwide.

Joan Burge is a member of the American Society for Training & Development, Society for Human Resource Management, and Vistage International.

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Andy McMenemy

Before starting his Consultancy and Therapy Clinic Andy McMenemy held a successful 22-year Sales and Management career where he enjoyed the responsibility of managing £17million pound divisions in £500 million and £1.3 Billion-pound organisations.

Andy came to public knowledge in 2011, upon setting out to complete a World Record bid in an epic challenge to run 66 Ultra Marathons in 66 consecutive days in the 66 official cities of the UK.

Despite crippling injuries, including a damaged Achilles tendon on day 2(!) and very firm medical advice to abandon his attempt, he dug deep into his resilience, and persistence and carried on running – succeeding, against the odds.

Trusted and valued as an Inspirational Speaker by clients such as: ASDA, ARLA Foods, The NHS, The British Dental Association, Leeds Beckett University, Huddersfield University, and Mercedes Benz, amongst many others, he inspires, guides, and develops their leadership and management teams during challenging times of change.

Honoured to be the recipient of True Englishman of the Year Award, he joins an eminent list of previous recipients including: Sir Stephen Redgrave CBE, Sir Roger Bannister CBE MSC, Sir Ian Botham OBE, Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE, Lawrence Dallaglio and many more.

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Nina Aunula

Nina Aunula was elected Executive Chairman of IMA – International Management Assistants in October 2019, and was the Chairman of the Finnish National Committee 2012 – 2016.

She has a background of 30 years working as an Executive Assistant or in similar positions. In addition she was a regular lecturer for Bachelors of Business Admin students at the University of Applied Sciences for 6 years. Her passion is to raise the awareness and the regard of the Management Support Professionals.

Today she works together with the Corporate General Counsel at a global listed company in Finland. She also assists the Board of Directors and the Leadership Team, and is particularly interested in Insider Management and Corporate Governance. (Which was a surprise both to herself and those who know her…)

She loves to run, to read and to travel as well as being active in peer support groups. She gets inspired, over and over again, by the Phantom of the Opera, Nelson Mandela and Charles Dickens, to name a few.

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Abigail Barnes

Abigail Barnes is the founder of Success by Design Training, an award-winning entrepreneur, author, speaker, and corporate trainer on time management and productivity. She is a qualified coach and creator of the renowned 888 Formula.

Success by Design Training is on a mission is to share The 888 Formula with 1 million people by 2025, to help them create a more balanced life and reclaim an hour a day.

Prior to starting her business Abigail worked in Financial Services Marketing for over 10 years. Working in Investment Management, Asset Management and Hedge Funds.

She holds a BA Hons Degree in Business & Marketing Management and a Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing, DipM ACIM, and is a qualified coach.

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Nick Ginsburg

Nick Ginsburg is a passionate and innovative Executive Assistant, Speaker and Coach. He is the Executive Assistant to the Provost and Senior Vice-President at Monash University and helps administrative professionals smash their goals through his coaching sessions.

Nick thrives off helping people by bringing them together to share their knowledge and grow in their careers. You can find out more information about Nick at nickginsburg.com.

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Pepita Soler

Pepita Soler is the CEO of Pepita Consultoria, which provides human and organizational development programs to customers in the public, private and educational sectors across North America, Latin America and Europe.

She is also the Founder and President of Pepitas Secretaries Club, the largest educational club for Executive Assistants in Brazil and Latin America, designed to develop people skills, creativity, leadership, multicultural and business skills.

Pepitas Secretaries Club has delivered numerous training programs, innovation events and international immersion programs, as well as master classes and certifications that have impacted and transformed thousands of Executive Assistants in Brazil and around the world.

Pepita graduated in organizational psychology and corporate education – specializing in creativity and innovation. She is also a mentor, coach and speaker with international certifications in positive psychology, biocentric education, appreciative conversations, emotional intelligence, leadership development and high-performing teams. Pepita is also a member of the Executive Secretary Magazine Editorial Board.

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Sophie Pittaway

Sophie Pittaway is the Founder and Creator of KICK Lifestyle, a 360-degree holistic experience for mental and physical wellbeing. Sophie helps people change their lives 4 minutes at a time with her revolutionary KICK Method, “the KICK 4-minute round workout”, so you can balance your body and calm your mind.

She is a former World KICK boxing Association Champion and a health and wellness innovator with a 30-year proven track record of helping people fall in love with training.

Sophie’s focus is supporting business leaders to implement simple, scaleable health and wellness communities that deliver results for you and your boss.

Become a champion of your own life 4 minutes at a time. Sophie will be showcasing her KICK Lifestyle app, where you will learn how to boost your energy and focus your mindset for your business and your life.

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Carol Schulte

Carol has been educating, empowering, and entertaining audiences internationally for almost a decade. She is committed to getting you out of your comfort zone and into your B.R.A.V.E. Zone ~ where you get into action long before you feel ready.

She holds a BFA in Theatre Performance, an MA in Communication, two postgraduate certificates in coaching and mentoring, and has worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies, International Associations, and thousands of individuals to get their brave on. Whether it be asking for a raise or promotion, nailing a presentation, or climbing Africa’s highest peak, her clients attribute her insights and inspiration to achieving what they never thought possible.

Carol is a published author, been featured in numerous magazines and podcasts, and is a returning guest expert on Rogers TV in Canada. Having lived and worked in 16 countries including Ashrams in India and vans in New Zealand, rocked dreadlocks in Thailand and shaved her head for breast cancer, she certainly walks her talk. When she’s not traveling or speaking on stage, you can find her volunteering as a bereavement facilitator, training for her next triathlon, or practicing her serious carpool karaoke game.

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Jackie Ludwig and Sean Magennis

Jackie Ludwig

Jackie Ludwig was appointed CEO of LUMINI Network in July 2020.  She brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge of the intangibles required to be a high-performing administrative professional for the C-suite.  These attributes are the “x-factors” which differentiate “good” from “great” not only of the administrative position itself but particularly of the person occupying the role.

She built the foundation of a successful career and developed her skills working for top executives in major industries.  Her extensive resume features prominent global brands in industries such as luxury retail (Rolex), talent management (Korn Ferry), transportation logistics (Exel Logistics, Inc.), technology (Agilysys) and health care (Solis Women’s Health).

Most recently, Jackie was the Executive Assistant to the President and Chief Operating Officer of YPO (Young Presidents Organization) which is the world’s premier peer network of chief executives and business leaders with over 30,000 members.  It was at YPO where Jackie dramatically advanced her career in preparation for the vault from Executive Assistant to the leadership role of Executive and into the office of Chief Executive Officer at LUMINI.

Jackie is all about passion and purpose with a penchant for developing administrative talent which is the mission of LUMINI.  Her intense focus will be on the customer experience of LUMINI members to actualize a level of excellence, relevance and value never fully recognized before in the administrative role of a business.

Sean Magennis

Sean Magennis is the Chief Executive Officer of Capital 54. He contributes 30 years of experience to entrepreneurs in growing professional services businesses domestically and globally through growth strategies, turnarounds, acquisitions, and financings. Sean supports the Capital 54 portfolio company CEOs, the investment sourcing, screening, and due diligence, and the implementation of our proven proprietary growth and exit process.

Prior to Capital 54 Sean led a global and diverse team, serving over 30,000 CEOs in 138 countries with combined annual revenues of US$9 trillion and a 96% annual retention rate, as the Global President and COO of YPO, an organization with an enviable history. Sean began his business career in management at Dow Chemicals Ltd. He ran a professional services firm for 14 years focused on organizational development consulting, people assessment and executive search, which grew to encompass operations in Canada, the USA and Mexico, serving several thousand clients. He has experience with real estate platforms, electricity infrastructure development and financial services. Sean is a past Global President of EO, Entrepreneurs Organization, and an active YPO member.

Sean is the Chairman of LUMINI Network, a membership organization specifically designed to support extraordinary administrative professionals.

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Marie Herman

When it comes to career and professional development, Marie Herman knows how to take you from where you are, to where you want to be.

As the owner of MRH Enterprises LLC, Marie helps office professionals to advance their careers through certification and education.

Marie, an author, mentor and subject matter expert, holds multiple certifications and can help you become better trained as well.

She turned her more than two decades of experience as an administrative professional and efficiency consultant into a thriving virtual training business. She is a regular contributor to Executive Secretary Magazine and also facilitates Organizational Management cohorts for IAAP.

Marie teaches webinars and seminars on various technology and professional development topics and also provides highly respected online certification study groups for the Microsoft Office Specialist, Google G Suite, and Certified Administrative Professional certification exams.

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Dr Monica Seeley and Melissa Esquibel

Dr Monica Seeley

Dr Monica Seeley, founder of Mesmo Consultancy, is an international authority on effective ways to use email and digital communications to enhance both personal and business performance.  She works all over the world helping individuals and organisations apply best practice to improve their productivity and well-being.

Her fifth book 100 Tips to Super Charge your Productivity, co-authored with Melissa Esquibel, covers key ways to manage digital communications and especially email more effectively. Her other books include Taking Control of Your Inbox and Brilliant Email.

Through her one-to one coaching, workshops and strategic consultancy, those who work with her are able to save time and dramatically reduce information overload, of which email overload has become one of the major drains on people’s productivity. Her clients are drawn from a wide range of organisations of all sizes from the public, private and not-for-profit sector.

Monica has been a Visiting Fellow at Sir John Cass Business School, City University and Bournemouth University Business School. Her research includes the future of email, managing email addiction, alleviating the stress caused by email overload and reducing the level of carbon emissions caused by digital devices.

Melissa Esquibel

While it’s true that if you don’t know where you’re headed, it doesn’t matter how you get there; not asking in the first place is the sure road to disaster when it comes to significant technology infrastructure changes. Ask any business unit executive who can’t do today what she did yesterday but keeps being told that the organization is now “in a better place,” technologically speaking.

Melissa Esquibel was in the thick of early business technology innovation when hardware and systems were kept in a virtual black box, and IT gatekeepers doled out functionality within a rigid systems architecture. Now, in the present, where end-users know how to access the power of technology independently and according to the agile timelines they need, this push and pull has created quite a mess in many organizations.

With her unique experience as the conduit between the gatekeepers and the gatestormers, she offers her unique perspective as “bridge builder” to you. Her sense of humor and commonsense approach will engage your team and produce results you can take to the bank in real world time savings and effective use of your organization’s resources. She brings out the best in people, coaxing out meaningful collaboration and impactful solutions.

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Sarah Richson

Sarah Richson (MBA, MCIPD, AOEC, MIHRM) started her career as an Executive Personal Assistant but transformed her career path through her passion for people, to become one of the world’s top human development thought leaders.

Her passion for developing grass root talent and unleashing hidden potential in others is the driving force in her life. She is an award-winning speaker and trainer who advocates for empowering lives of local communities with inspirational mentorship programs.

Sarah’s career is multi-dimensional and includes years as a leadership professional trainer and HR Consultant working on European, Asian and African projects.

She is a wife and working mother of 5 and claims that her success is underpinned by having a warm supportive family. Sarah works with Assistants on topics such as emotional intelligence and personal branding, that inspire and build the Assistant as a professional and as a holistic individual.

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Shelagh Donnelly

Authentic, informed and engaging, Shelagh (pronounced “Sheila”) Donnelly delivers training internationally. She knows what she’s talking about, having walked the walk for almost three decades and continuing to invest in her own learning. Shelagh was a direct report to four CEOs and accountable to four board chairs, and wrapped up her office career in 2018 after a decade in governance.

She understands that, just as the career evolves, so too do the’ priorities of those who make this a career. Shelagh also understands how to navigate, survive and thrive in times of uncertainty and change. Her successful career spanned a corporate merger, economic recessions, the dissolution of one institution, and helping establish the culture of its successor.

The founder of Exceptional EA and a strong contributor to multiple professional associations, Shelagh’s been a mentor and a mentee. She’s launched and co-launched internal networks, and served as Chair of a national board of directors. Now, Shelagh inspires and educates assistants who want to perform at a high level. She presents at conferences, facilitates retreats, and has her own webinar series. Shelagh also delivers training for government, higher education, governance and business audiences, including corporations such as the NBA.

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Marion Lowrence

Marion is a multi-award winning former Executive Assistant, winning Yorkshire PA of the Year in 2011 and Pitman Super Achievers International PA of the Year in 2012. Marion has worked for over 35 years in various administration and management roles including the Civil Service, NHS and Yorkshire Universities.

Marion was the Founder of Yorkshire Universities Internal PA Network which led her to set up The PA Hub with her husband Jon Lowrence. The PA Hub run networks in Yorkshire and Merseyside and launched a digital network in 2020 opening up the membership globally offering over 40 events a year both digitally and in-person including networking meetings, training and development sessions, conferences, showcases, support groups and PA awards and will launch in Manchester soon.

Marion has spoken at various events in the UK and overseas and loves to network both in person and through social media.

Alongside running the business Marion is the Events Director for Executive Secretary LIVE having run events internationally in London, Johannesburg, Auckland, Wellington, Sydney, Washington DC, Silicon Valley & Atlanta & is currently the Executive Secretary Office Manager in Spain.

Marion was the lead delegate representing the UK at the World Administrative Summit in Frankfurt in October 2018 and continues to support and promote the profession internationally.

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Helen Rees

Helen Rees is passionate about bringing people together. Whether she’s leading learning & development programmes or virtual collaborations, Helen’s ability to put people at their ease inspires confidence, enabling them to find their voice, nurture meaningful connections and shine bright.

An award-winning Executive Assistant, Helen was a Finalist in Executive PA Magazine’s ‘PA of the Year’ Awards 2015, going on to win SecsInTheCity’s Social Media PA Award later the same year, and in 2019 a ‘We are The City’ Rising Star Award. Since 2011 Helen has been Executive Assistant at Marwell Wildlife, a UK conservation charity and zoo, and founded the South Hampshire PA Network in 2015.

A lifelong musician and singer, with a degree in Music, Helen’s career began in the arts. In 2002 she launched one of the UK’s first lottery-funded Youth Music Action Zones, providing music initiatives for disadvantaged young people.

Helen has led the #OneProfessionOneVoice Choir for Executive Secretary Magazine and ExecSecLIVE since 2016, and runs singing for wellbeing programmes for businesses & community groups. During times of crisis, singing brings people together and helps them feel connected, even if they are physically remote from each other; offering a sense of belonging, confidence, positivity and relief from stress, even if you have never sung before.

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Paula Harding

Paula Harding is an Executive Assistant at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) managing Professor Phil Padfield, Dean of Education.

Paula is an ambassador of the EA/PA profession and is an active member of many business networking groups around the UK.  Paula is passionate about encouraging assistants to collaborate to increase their business acumen, gain credibility and raise the profile of the profession.

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Anna Read

Anna Read is the co-founder of Empowered Assistants Empowering Assistants (EAEA) and an Asana Certified Pro. She currently serves as the Executive Assistant to the CEO of YWCA Central Alabama. This organization is a non-profit whose mission is to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, dignity, and freedom for all.

Anna is an energetic and informational trainer and has worked with non-profits and companies around the country to streamline their processes, identify time-wasters and create solutions for everyday efficiencies. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Communications Management and has worked with C-Suite executives for over 9 years.

In addition to working for the YWCA, Anna has taught at several different administrative conferences and been a guest host for webinars of admin communities such as Join the Officials, an admin HQ based in London.

Her favorite title though, is Aunt Anna. When not working, she can be found spending time with her extended family, gardening, or hanging out with her husband and their Maltese, Tuppy Tebow.

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Sophie Ahmed and Emma Hilditch

Sophie Ahmed

Sophie Ahmed has 20+ years of experience in media and events; including exhibitions, conferences, awards and training across multiple industry sectors.  She has launched and led successful global industry-leading events.

Her experience was gained on leading brands within global media, intelligence and events companies, including Reed Elsevier, Informa and Ascential.

Emma Hilditch

An innovative and experienced content producer for events, Emma has researched and developed over 200 original programmes for conferences, training, summits, workshops, exhibitions, breakfast briefings and outdoor challenges.  She has become hard-wired to create content that is uniquely tailored to each target market and her enthusiasm, coupled with penetrating research skills, deliver astute and commercially successful events time and again. Emma’s has worked on events across the world from Europe to Asia and the USA.

She has worked for some of the largest events companies in the world including Informa, UBM, IIR and Reed, as well as a host of other event, publishing and association clients.

Emma will now be using her expertise for VEI; ensuring that each course offered answers a real market need, is highly innovative and creative in format and delivers a practical learning experience for all our certified graduates.

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Lucy Chamberlain

Passionate, fun and straight-talking, Lucy has become one of the business world’s popular motivational speakers. Lucy’s business journey as a Founder has seen her work as a TV presenter, awards judge and leading coach.

With a 20-year career tracking the industry’s leading recruitment companies, Lucy founded C&C Search to redefine and elevate client and candidates’ recruitment experience.

Coming through a challenging personal time as a single mum, Lucy set out to re-align her career to her purpose-driven perspective, building a multi-million-pound business that allows her rapidly expanding team to fulfil their own career goals.

Lucy and the C&C team actively collaborate with other female-led businesses. A mentor to her team, Lucy believes encouraging teams holistically, and nurturing happy, engaged, market-leading talent has the most impact on a company’s success.  With a focus on social consciousness and legacy, it’s this foundation that serves to empower, captivate and delight C&C’s clients as they grow their own businesses.

Recently awarded “Most Engaging Speaker” at the Female Speakers Conference & Awards 2019, Lucy wishes to use her platform to encourage others to use their own voice. As a speaker, Lucy leaves an audience motivated, empowered and armed with tools to support a life and career that serves the individual better.

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