Unsung heroes celebrated in style at TurnstoneHR Awards

On Friday 28 February 2014 we hosted first ever TurnstoneHR PA/Secretary of the Year Awards, held at The Castle Green Hotel in Kendal. The Awards aimed to recognise the unsung heroes of the local economy – those people who work closely with business owners and managers to help keep things running smoothly.

With nominations from across Cumbria and the North West, from both the public and private sector, the judging panel had a difficult decision to make, but in the end it was Karen Johnson of Furness College that came away with the top prize of being named PA/Secretary of the Year.

Of the winner, the judging panel said:

“Karen’s mix of organisational flair, enthusiasm, extensive knowledge, inter-personal skills, and discretion facilitated her team’s success in a highly positive way. Karen has showed an in-depth knowledge of her sector of employment and a high level of organisation in dealing with varied tasks and people within the company.

“She has used her experience and judgment to accurately assess situations and demonstratesd utmost discretion in all of their work. Karen has taken on additional responsibility when required and widens both her contacts and her skill set outside her own specific area of responsibility to add value to the business.”

Julie Cottam from BAE Systems received the Runner Up Award – with the panel stating that:

“Julie has demonstrated tremendous empathy and care with the young people she works with within the organisation and has increased her own workload and responsibility by taking on additional duties within the business. Her organisational skills are exemplary and she has been able to manage to tight timescales not only of her own but also of her colleagues.

“Julie is a real team player and regularly supports activities outside of the normal working week.”

The winner of the Best Event Organised by a PA/Secretary was Eileen Jukes from Ulverston-based GSK. The judges said:

“Eileen has shown commitment, efficiency and professionalism over many years. She organised many events during 2013 for several areas of the business. However, the stand-out event involved liaising with senior management from sites around the world and the coordination of travel, venues and budget for what was a hugely important shop-window event for the organisation.”

To recognise that the role of the PA or secretary in larger firms is different to that in smaller businesses – the former being more structured and traditional, and the latter being more varied around the needs of the business at any given time – the judges decided to introduce an additional award for Best PA/Secretary in a Small Business. This was won by Becky Rodgers of The Bay, of whom the judges said:

“Becky works in a fast-paced environment and has demonstrated the skills required to organise and support both the Managing Director and the Management Team. She also looks after more general administrative areas such as HR and payroll, as well as providing budget analysis and preparation support for the MD. She has also organised a number of key events through the year and has demonstrated her value as key all-rounder.”

Phil Collier, Managing Director, said: “The Awards ceremony was a wonderful event – and so firstly it is only fitting that I say ‘thank you’ to my own PA, Claire Jarvis, for her efforts in organising such a great event.

“What was really brilliant was that we received nominations from the public and private sectors; from big companies and small businesses; and from throughout our main catchment area of Cumbria and North Lancashire. Indeed, a look at the variety of organisations that attended the event on Friday shows that the idea of recognising these unsung heroes of business really does appear to have captured the imagination.

“I would also like to thank Anne Attwood, Principal at Furness College, for taking time out of her very busy schedule to deliver a very witty but pertinent Keynote Speech, which really captured the true essence of our PAs and secretaries.

“Although only four PAs walked away with trophies, all of the nominees present at the event were winners, providing tremendous value to their respective bosses.”

To pre-register your interest for the 2015 PA/Secretary of the Year Awards please email rob.cairns@turnstonehr.com.

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TurnstoneHR celebrate the unsung heroes of business.

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