Agenda

Dimitra is a passionate award-winning Executive Assistant, keynote speaker, and facilitator.  She is one of the most senior and accomplished executive assistants in the business who demonstrates great authority and leadership in supporting the business and its senior leaders in a range of industries with national and international portfolios. During her 20 years in the field of Executive Support, Dimitra has worked alongside a number of high profile senior executives. She has extensive experience in corporate boardrooms and has worked in a number of industries.

In recognition to her passion and commitment to the EA role, Dimitra was awarded 2^nd at the Executive PA Magazine 2010 Awards, won both the Page Personnel EA of the Year Award 2014 and Australia’s Top EA of the Year at The CEO Magazine’s Executive Awards 2015, which is one the most important and prestigious events on the business calendar. Dimitra was for a number of years on the Advisory Board in Melbourne for the Executive Assistant Network, is involved in many local and global networks and is a member of The EA Circle, an exclusive circle of influence of senior EA’s.

• Cultivate a productive relationship with your executive
• Taking the next step in your career by understanding your executive and company
• Anticipate your executive’s needs before they do
• Build up the rapport to boost your productivity (and your executive’s too!)

Lizzie Wagner is an acclaimed business coach with over 30 years of experience providing practical professional development training for major private and government organizations in Australia and internationally.

Her expertise in business, corporate training, coaching, and staff management has been recognized with international and national accolades such as being a finalist for the Telstra Business Women’s Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, the International MAXI Awards and BOMA Australia awards.

Having a reputation for providing excellent practical solutions to businesses through her trainings, she is regularly featured in radio interviews and television programs such as Australian Broadcasting Commission, The Canberra Times, The Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald, Channel 10, Channel 9.

The CEO Perspective: What Sets a Great EA Apart From the Rest and How to Improve Professional Relationship with Your Boss

• What executives really want from their EAs/PAs
• Tips for achieving excellence
• How to get people to do what you want them to do
• How to read other people accurately
• How to influence anyone
• Gaining control over what goes on in your own head
• Establishing an air of authority and standing out from the crowd
• Motivational words and phrases for improved delivery

With 13 years’ experience as an Executive Assistant, Amanda’s primary focus is developing Executive Assistants, Personal Assistants and Admin Professionals globally who are looking at career progression and career development.

This looks like building leadership capability, elevating communication, building strong partnerships between Executives and their Assistants, challenging Assistants to learn more about the business concerns and transforming Executive Assistants to Organisational Business Partners who have greater responsibilities and in return have greater fulfillment in their career and life.

Whether it be as a consultant creating powerful partnerships between Executives and their Assistants or as a coach and trainer developing Admin Professionals to be true business partners, In both contexts the particular perspective she operates from is enabling people to see something different, or new, that they hadn’t seen before that opens up different actions for them to take which produce the desired results.

Amanda is a life-long learner who continually strives to keep learning in order to provide value to her clients. Her ongoing research includes areas on Neuroscience, Human Behaviour and Psychology of Emotion. She continues to study and research the Patterns of Thinking/Mindset and Behaviour.

• Making the most of opportunities to grow your skill set and expand your role
• The importance of moving and adapting to the ever-changing working environment
• Recognizing how your skills as an assistant can be applied to other roles that benefit others

Commencing her career with GE in 2012 as an Executive Assistant, in late 2014 Ruth took on the additional role as Project Manager for an internal GE project initiative, called PowerHouse. Utilising existing business relationships to engage key business stakeholders, she has driven the PowerHouse initiative from initial concept, design, and structure, to leading the continual implementation of varied and complex business improvement projects. This role involves constant interaction with the CEO, GE business leaders and customers and managing numerous project teams.

In addition to her EA and Project Manager roles, Ruth also mentors GE employees in graduate Engineering, IT and Finance roles and also runs workshops open to all GE Australia employees, around time and email management.

• Developing skills in self-management, self-awareness and social awareness
• Understanding differences to build relationships and drive performance
• Influencing others positively to achieve great outcomes
• Become an empathetic business connector with people, and pick up skills to get things done

Anna-Lucia is the best-selling author of “The Four Mindsets – How to Influence, Motivate and Lead a High-Performance Team” and a Moderator for Harvard Business School in the areas of Leadership, Influence, People, and Performance.

Anna-Lucia was educated in the United Kingdom, Middle East, and Australia, in the fields of Business Management and Adult Education and holds accreditations in emotional intelligence and neuroscience.

Over the last 20 years she has consulted to numerous corporations globally and in 2012 was recognized for her work – as a finalist in the top category for the National Telstra Business Women’s Awards.

Today she is an international speaker, Managing Director for HCM Global and serves as a board member for several organizations.

• Best practice approaches to handling workplace change – Knowing when to let go or take control
• Train your brain to stay cool, calm, and collected in stressful situations
• Managing attitudes in stressful times
• The importance of positive psychology in the workplace
• Develop a positive mindset to increase mental toughness

Finding Your Voice to Handle Challenging Situations

• Discover professional communication techniques
• Explore neuroscience – understand how your brain works to achieve excellence
• Be self-aware and master the art of assumptions
• Know when to have a private conversation, the language we use, and how it affects colleagues and clients
• Questioning & listening skills
• The science of powerful brain efficiency

• How you are judged in the workplace (and elsewhere) based on your personal presentation
• How making small changes to your grooming, habits, dressing, and presentation can make a big difference
• The secrets of those stylish people you know, who make it all look so easy
• Tips and tricks that you can implement immediately for maximum impact

Denise Dalgliesh, C-Suite EA, and Personal Stylist started her career in office administration roles, having completed a secretarial course straight out of high school. After joining Myer as EA to the GM of the Women’s Apparel Buying Office, she decided to pursue a long-held love of fashion and study part-time whilst working as an EA in a fashion environment.

Her roles at Myer included her first EA to the GM of Buying role, EA to the GM of the Myer Fashion Studio (which is Myer’s fashion forecasting service) and a stint as a junior buyer. Upon graduation from her studies in Fashion Design and Technology, she left Myer, started a family and ran her own fashion studio for a period of ten years, creating made-to-measure bridal and formal wear. She subsequently re-entered the mainstream workforce and has more than 15 years of experience as a Senior EA, (8 of those at CEO level) in mainly fashion, retail and FMCG related environments.

With a foot firmly in both camps, Denise is still passionate about the EA profession while also pursuing her ‘side gig’ of fashion styling and wardrobe consultation, giving her unique insight into what aspirational personal presentation in the workplace looks like and how to achieve it.

• Discover your boss’ need, and what makes an outstanding EA/PA
• Discuss how EAs/PAs can add value for their executives and the organization as a whole
• Practical ways of forging good communication and positive engagement between Executive and EA/PA
• The key challenges and successes experienced through partnership
• Effective ways of managing your boss – a manager’s view!

Carla Fisher
Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer
BMW Group

Carla Fisher is the Executive Assistant to the CEO at BMW Group Australia. She has over 15 years’ experience working for Senior Executives across different organizations, mainly in the Banking and Finance sector.

She joined BMW Group Australia in 2016 as the Executive Assistant to the CFO and was promoted after 12 months. Since commencing at BMW Group Australia she has managed small projects to simplify and streamline operational processes and formalized the Board meeting structures.

Carla serves as the key strategic liaison between the CEO and his high profile relationships that he holds. Ensuring the smooth running of the CEO’s office and that the business leaders are focussed on the CEOs strategic direction.

Carla is passionate about redefining herself with each role and acting as a business manager to her Executives.

Carla continues to mentor other Executive Assistants.

Champagne Networking Session

Enjoy a glass of champagne whilst networking with other like-minded individuals on topics that are of most interest to you and fellow delegates.

Kirsty is a national television and radio guest who is regularly asked to share her expert opinion on first impressions, personal branding, dressing for career advancement and even what politicians should wear to connect with and influence voters.

As well as Media training and Board Readiness training, Kirsty teaches her clients to be purposeful about the way they are perceived by others. She profiles their perfect style for business and pleasure, tames unruly wardrobes and teaches her clients to shop more ethically and sustainably. Clients work with Kirsty to raise their profile, increase profits and even find love.

Based in Melbourne, Kirsty juggles keynote speaking with media appearances, running her Personal Branding & Styling Business ‘Kirsty Milligan – Stylist’ and being a wife to her insanely supportive husband and mum to two-year-old twins Leo & Lilly.

She pulls no punches, is honest and authentic. She is your secret weapon to a powerful presence.

• Keeping up to date with the latest technological trends and advances, the practical use within EA’s/PA’s role
• Utilize smartphones and tablets in and out with the office to enhance productivity: essential tips and tricks on time management, email management, prioritizing workload, etc
• Hands-on advice on how to wrangle the multitude of new and existing technologies

Technologically savvy and an advocate for innovation, Megan Green is the Executive Assistant to the Executive Director Information Development, eTQC Program Director and Chief Medical Information Officer at Alfred Health. Megan provides every aspect of the day-to-day administrative EA office-management duties and is secretary to six Governance Committees and two Executive Committees. She is also heavily involved in recruitment; event-management and corporate leadership.

With more than 10 years’ experience behind her, Megan has the unique ability to remain excited and determined to be the very best in her field, proving just that when she recently won Australia’s Best EA of the Year award 2016.

As an early adopter of the ‘paperless office’, Megan has championed the opportunity to embrace technology for the Executive Assistant. In addition to her technical and administrative expertise, Megan’s strengths lie in developing and maintaining business relationships, innovation, strategic planning, and communication.

• Your Brand: The precious commodity which can enhance your career prospects and earning potential
• Who are YOU? How to use your Brand to stand out from the rest
• Key strategies to enhance your reputation in your current role and maximize opportunities for the future
• Personal Branding: How your executive’s presence can make or break you

Attitude / Aptitude

• It’s All about Attitude
• Developing a Positive Mental Attitude
• The Importance of a Business Mindset
• Key Characteristics of a Client-Focused EA, PA or VA
• The Importance of Lifelong Learning Resources – Positive Mental Attitude Building Exercise

For over 30 years, Ingrid has worked across many industries including, Photography, IT, Entertainment, Stockbroking, Legal, Real Estate, and Medical.

In 2008, Ingrid started operating as a Virtual Assistant from her home office in regional New South Wales, Australia. Within two years, she had grown her business to include managing and overseeing a team of VAs.

Her sound knowledge of business administration, together with her ability to think outside the square, facilitate conversations around ‘possibility’, and then move forward to implement winning processes and ideas ensures her clients’ success.

Ingrid now devotes her time to working strategically with the Australian VA Industry and its stakeholders and specializing in working with EAs and PAs from around Australia, and around the world, in making the transition to becoming a successful VA.

Ingrid’s passion and life purpose is to make a tangible difference in the lives of VAs and their clients by uncovering and exposing the ‘elephant in the room’; that is, identifying the missing ingredients in the VA toolbox in a way that empowers, transforms and inspires the VA Industry and its stakeholders to be the best, expect the best, and deliver the best beyond mere technical skills.

How do you gain the competitive edge in your next Presentation? With the perfect mix of Storytelling, Visual Communication, and Presentation Skills. Emma Bannister’s innovative approach to integrating story and visual design transforms lacklustre presentations into engaging, powerful and successful communication tools. Learn:

• Insight into market leaders’ communication strategies
• Essential components of presentations
• How to ensure your audience remember, understand and act
• Practical ways to persuade, differentiate and stand out

** Group work session at the end of each topic according to the Guest Speaker’s relevance

With over two decades of Visual Design experience and ten years as founder and CEO at Presentation Studio, Bannister’s view is radically different. Passionate that powerful presentations consist of more than just visual design – she teaches a new way of thinking – Visual ThinkingTM.

Visual Thinking is a method for integrating the essence of a presentation’s message into a visual representation. In Bannister’s workshops and speaking engagements, she teaches audiences how to apply Visual ThinkingTM along with insights into communication and industry trends. Sharing her knowledge in an approachable, entertaining way, Bannister gives audiences practical tools for transforming their presentations – and their careers.

Companies including Telstra, Westfield, Microsoft, Qantas, Yahoo, NAB, CommBank, and Pepsico have hired Bannister and her team to create powerful presentations, gaining the competitive edge to win high-stakes, multi-million dollar pitches.

• Learn the 3 elements of being a business partner
• What is expected of you at the Board and Leadership level
• How to build and maintain successful working relationships
• Identifying the skills and qualities of a highly efficient and successful assistant
• Understand the impact you have on organizational goals and vision
• How to motivate yourself and others
• Top tips on Crisis Management
• How to remain calm, flexible and professional at all times

• Building a career journey & a process and knowing yourself “Who You Are”
• Develop your leadership style and analysis different causes of conflicts and problems
• Delegation and decision making for maximum results
• Practicing win-win negotiation
• Successful techniques for managing your manage

Narrelle Matthey-Aickin
Executive Assistant to the Group General Manager Brand & Marketing
ANZ Banking Group

• Understand what working in partnership alongside with your executive entails
• Discuss how to deal with a modern corporate life, distractions, competing priorities, and interests

Dimitra is a passionate award-winning Executive Assistant, keynote speaker, and facilitator.  She is one of the most senior and accomplished executive assistants in the business who demonstrates great authority and leadership in supporting the business and its senior leaders in a range of industries with national and international portfolios. During her 20 years in the field of Executive Support, Dimitra has worked alongside a number of high profile senior executives. She has extensive experience in corporate boardrooms and has worked in a number of industries.

In recognition to her passion and commitment to the EA role, Dimitra was awarded 2^nd at the Executive PA Magazine 2010 Awards, won both the Page Personnel EA of the Year Award 2014 and Australia’s Top EA of the Year at The CEO Magazine’s Executive Awards 2015, which is one the most important and prestigious events on the business calendar. Dimitra was for a number of years on the Advisory Board in Melbourne for the Executive Assistant Network, is involved in many local and global networks and is a member of The EA Circle, an exclusive circle of influence of senior EA’s.

• Cultivate a productive relationship with your executive
• Taking the next step in your career by understanding your executive and company
• Anticipate your executive’s needs before they do
• Build up the rapport to boost your productivity (and your executive’s too!)

• Soft skills that are essential for the 21^st century EA/PA
• Using technology and shortcuts effectively in your role
• How mentoring can help

• Making the most of opportunities to grow your skill set and expand your role
• The importance of moving and adapting to the ever-changing working environment
• Recognizing how your skills as an assistant can be applied to other roles that benefit others

Ruth is the Executive Assistant to the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Information Officer for GE Australia, New Zealand & Papua New Guinea. She is responsible for organizing the professional lives of both executives, managing their teams, projects and numerous events for each function.

Commencing her career with GE in 2012 as an Executive Assistant, in late 2014 Ruth took on the additional role as Project Manager for an internal GE project initiative, called PowerHouse. Utilising existing business relationships to engage key business stakeholders, she has driven the PowerHouse initiative from initial concept, design, and structure, to leading the continual implementation of varied and complex business improvement projects. This role involves constant interaction with the CEO, GE business leaders and customers and managing numerous project teams.

In addition to her EA and Project Manager roles, Ruth also mentors GE employees in graduate Engineering, IT and Finance roles and also runs workshops open to all GE Australia employees, around time and email management.

• Developing skills in self-management, self-awareness and social awareness
• Understanding differences to build relationships and drive performance
• Influencing others positively to achieve great outcomes
• Become an empathetic business connector with people, and pick up skills to get things done

Anna-Lucia is the best-selling author of “The Four Mindsets – How to Influence, Motivate and Lead a High-Performance Team” and a Moderator for Harvard Business School in the areas of Leadership, Influence, People, and Performance.

Anna-Lucia was educated in the United Kingdom, Middle East, and Australia, in the fields of Business Management and Adult Education and holds accreditations in emotional intelligence and neuroscience.

Over the last 20 years she has consulted to numerous corporations globally and in 2012 was recognized for her work – as a finalist in the top category for the National Telstra Business Women’s Awards.

Today she is an international speaker, Managing Director for HCM Global and serves as a board member for several organizations.

• Best practice approaches to handling workplace change – Knowing when to let go or take control
• Train your brain to stay cool, calm, and collected in stressful situations
• Managing attitudes in stressful times
• The importance of positive psychology in the workplace
• Develop a positive mindset to increase mental toughness

Dominic Siow
EQ Strategist, People Empowerment Solutions
Institute of Management

Dominic is an author and international transformation coach and speaker on the topics of emotional intelligence, leadership, culture transformation and resilience.

In 2006, he co-founded EQ Strategist with a mission to help create workplaces that inspire people to realize their highest potential.

Since then, his work has touched the lives of thousands of people across more than 100 organizations and 11 countries in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East regions.

Prior to his present vocation, Dominic was a senior operations manager for IBM Australia and VP of Product Development at grapevine Technologies. He is happily married and a proud father of 3 children he considers his greatest teachers.

Finding Your Voice to Handle Challenging Situations

• Discover professional communication techniques
• Explore neuroscience – understand how your brain works to achieve excellence
• Be self-aware and master the art of assumptions
• Know when to have a private conversation, the language we use, and how it affects colleagues and clients
• Questioning & listening skills
• The science of powerful brain efficiency

• Essential nutrition and wellbeing habits to help you de-stress and get great sleep
• Tap into the power of nutrition food to boost your performance effectively
• Understand what kind of food can keep you happy and boost your body’s immunity
• Innovative ways you can engage not only for yourself but also your colleagues, in healthy eating and good self-care habits
• Practising wellness strategies at work

Kylie’s number one passion in life has always been Health and Fitness and in earlier years of her career working as a Personal Trainer, Pilates Instructor, Weight Loss Consultant and Dance Instructor.

In 2017 Kylie Founded WALK WITH ME Fitness focused group designed to encourage her local community to exercise and create healthy connections. For her voluntary contribution to the Community, she was nominated and awarded the LOCAL SUPERHERO award.

Kylie is a strong advocate for White Ribbon actively participating in fundraising events for both White Ribbon and Cancer NSW.

Her personal motto for 2018 – It is what I create!

Minute taking is a much sought after skill in organizations. Many EA/PAs are self-taught so if you’re wondering whether you are on track, this is the session for you.

• Identify the number one skill required to be an effective minute taker
• Discover the secret to minute taking
• Learn the three proven techniques to make minute taking easier

Robyn Bennett
Director
Team Link Training Ltd

Over the past 13 years, Robyn has led in excess of 500 plus minute taking courses to over 1,000 participants.

Robyn has developed systems and processes in the best way to write minutes and is passionate about sharing these with others who strive to be excellent minute takers. In 2017 she launched her book Minute Taking Madness.

She runs the popular The Art of Minute Taking course at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand where it was the top Professional and Executive Development course for 2015 and 2016.

Robyn is a member of the Administrative Professionals of New Zealand Inc and is a previous National President.

• Discover your boss’ need, and what makes an outstanding EA/PA
• Discuss how EAs/PAs can add value for their executives and the organization as a whole
• Practical ways of forging good communication and positive engagement between Executive and EA/PA
• The key challenges and successes experienced through partnership
• Effective ways of managing your boss – a manager’s view!

Champagne Networking Session

Enjoy a glass of champagne whilst networking with other like-minded individuals on topics that are of most interest to you and fellow delegates.

Leigh has supported the people in charge for 18 years. From manufacturing and construction to financial services, events management and five years traveling the world on super yachts, Leigh emphasizes the importance of relationships, integrity, and adaptability. As a trusted advisor and change agent at The Ethics Centre, Leigh is a strategic support for the not-for-profit’s aim to put ethics at the center of everyday life through innovative programs, services, and experiences. She works daily with one of AFR’s True Leaders of the 21st Century, Dr. Simon Longstaff AO and experienced director, Ed St John.

Leigh is also a soul ignition mentor, magic maker, yoga teacher and influencer of influencers, living to honor the beauty in others to enable transformation from the inside out. As a truth speaker and lover of connection, Leigh is driven by the values and principles of freedom, authenticity, and respect.

As a soul ignition mentor, magic maker and yoga teacher, Leigh creates safe, supportive spaces to enable leaders to step into their full power, by bridging the gap between power and leadership, to live a fully expressed, meaningful and authentic, balanced life.

Paul Di Michiel
Career Coach (Author of “Fire to Hired, The Guide to Effective Job Search for the Over 40’s”)
The Career Medic

Paul is an experienced Human Resources professional who has held senior HR roles in his native Australia as well as in Singapore and the United Kingdom for organisations including FedEx, Orange Business Services and George Weston Foods.

Having experienced job loss himself on 3 occasions during his corporate career, Paul decided on a career change into the career coaching space around 5 years ago. Paul consults to large outplacement organisations such as Lee Hecht Harrison and runs his own coaching business, The Career Medic.

Paul is also the author of ‘Fired to Hired, The Guide to Effective Job Search for the Over 40’s’ and regularly appears in print media on job search related topics. He has also appeared on Sydney radio station 2GB on several occasions as an expert on job search and careers.

Married with four adult children (and an old Burmese cat called Jigsaw), Paul lives in the northern suburbs of Sydney and is an avid photographer (favouring action photography) and has been fortunate to have had many of his photographs appear in magazines and websites.

• What executives really want from their EAs/PAs
• Tips for achieving excellence
• How to be a POSITIVE ENERGISER/INFLUENCER MANAGING YOUR MINDSET
• Establishing an air of authority and standing out from the crowd

• Keeping up to date with the latest technological trends and advances, the practical use within EA’s/PA’s role
• Utilize smartphones and tablets in and out with the office to enhance productivity: essential tips and tricks on time management, email management, prioritizing workload, etc
• Hands-on advice on how to wrangle the multitude of new and existing technologies

Technologically savvy and an advocate for innovation, Megan Green is the Executive Assistant to the Executive Director Information Development, eTQC Program Director and Chief Medical Information Officer at Alfred Health. Megan provides every aspect of the day-to-day administrative EA office-management duties and is secretary to six Governance Committees and two Executive Committees. She is also heavily involved in recruitment; event-management and corporate leadership.

With more than 10 years’ experience behind her, Megan has the unique ability to remain excited and determined to be the very best in her field, proving just that when she recently won Australia’s Best EA of the Year award 2016.

As an early adopter of the ‘paperless office’, Megan has championed the opportunity to embrace technology for the Executive Assistant. In addition to her technical and administrative expertise, Megan’s strengths lie in developing and maintaining business relationships, innovation, strategic planning, and communication.

Attitude / Aptitude

• It’s All about Attitude
• Developing a Positive Mental Attitude
• The Importance of a Business Mindset
• Key Characteristics of a Client-Focused EA, PA or VA
• The Importance of Lifelong Learning Resources – Positive Mental Attitude Building Exercise

For over 30 years, Ingrid has worked across many industries including, Photography, IT, Entertainment, Stockbroking, Legal, Real Estate, and Medical.

In 2008, Ingrid started operating as a Virtual Assistant from her home office in regional New South Wales, Australia. Within two years, she had grown her business to include managing and overseeing a team of VAs.

Her sound knowledge of business administration, together with her ability to think outside the square, facilitate conversations around ‘possibility’, and then move forward to implement winning processes and ideas ensures her clients’ success.

Ingrid now devotes her time to working strategically with the Australian VA Industry and its stakeholders and specializing in working with EAs and PAs from around Australia, and around the world, in making the transition to becoming a successful VA.

Ingrid’s passion and life purpose is to make a tangible difference in the lives of VAs and their clients by uncovering and exposing the ‘elephant in the room’; that is, identifying the missing ingredients in the VA toolbox in a way that empowers, transforms and inspires the VA Industry and its stakeholders to be the best, expect the best, and deliver the best beyond mere technical skills.

How do you gain the competitive edge in your next Presentation? With the perfect mix of Storytelling, Visual Communication, and Presentation Skills. Emma Bannister’s innovative approach to integrating story and visual design transforms lacklustre presentations into engaging, powerful and successful communication tools. Learn:

• Insight into market leaders’ communication strategies
• Essential components of presentations
• How to ensure your audience remember, understand and act
• Practical ways to persuade, differentiate and stand out

** Group work session at the end of each topic according to the Guest Speaker’s relevance

With over two decades of Visual Design experience and ten years as founder and CEO at Presentation Studio, Bannister’s view is radically different. Passionate that powerful presentations consist of more than just visual design – she teaches a new way of thinking – Visual ThinkingTM.

Visual Thinking is a method for integrating the essence of a presentation’s message into a visual representation. In Bannister’s workshops and speaking engagements, she teaches audiences how to apply Visual ThinkingTM along with insights into communication and industry trends. Sharing her knowledge in an approachable, entertaining way, Bannister gives audiences practical tools for transforming their presentations – and their careers.

Companies including Telstra, Westfield, Microsoft, Qantas, Yahoo, NAB, CommBank, and Pepsico have hired Bannister and her team to create powerful presentations, gaining the competitive edge to win high-stakes, multi-million dollar pitches.

• Your Brand: The valuable commodity which can enhance your career prospects and earning potential
• Who are YOU? How to use your Brand to stand out from others
• Key strategies to enhance your reputation in your current role and maximise opportunities for the future
• Personal Branding: How your Executive Presence can make or break you

• Building a career journey & a process and knowing yourself “Who You Are”
• Develop your leadership style and analysis different causes of conflicts and problems
• Delegation and decision making for maximum results
• Practicing win-win negotiation
• Successful techniques for managing your manage

Lizzie Wagner is an acclaimed business coach with over 30 years of experience providing practical professional development training for major private and government organizations in Australia and internationally.

Her expertise in business, corporate training, coaching, and staff management has been recognized with international and national accolades such as being a finalist for the Telstra Business Women’s Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, the International MAXI Awards and BOMA Australia awards.

Having a reputation for providing excellent practical solutions to businesses through her trainings, she is regularly featured in radio interviews and television programs such as Australian Broadcasting Commission, The Canberra Times, The Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald, Channel 10, Channel 9.

• Understand what working in partnership alongside with your executive entails
• Discuss how to deal with a modern corporate life, distractions, competing priorities, and interests

Susan Lochrin
EA to CFO
GPT Group

Currently Executive Assistant to the Chief Financial Officer at The GPT Group, Susan has previously worked in banking, insurance and education and has more than 10 years’ experience across a range of business functions including executive support, marketing, communications, investor relations, HR, events and research.

Ross is an MBA level educator, requested mentor and executive coach.

With over 20 years of marketing & sales management experience across digitally transformed sectors of media, telecommunications, contact centers and entertainment, Ross confidently imparts his knowledge on how to create healthy self-directed teams. Drawing on his wealth of knowledge Ross incorporates colorful analogies and humor to make his presentations memorable and engaging.

Ross challenges fixed mindsets and ineffective workplace practices; daring participants to stretch their thinking for the 21st Century and beyond. Ross is results orientated and is strongly focused on the transference of learning and creating an environment where attendees can embed new behaviors and practices in the workplace.

Ross is described as an articulate and intelligent individual with a high level of business acumen and integrity. Dedicated and passionate about working with organizations to generate long-lasting solutions. Ross is consistently referred to as an excellent mentor, coach & trainer.

• Cultivate a productive relationship with your executive
• Taking the next step in your career by understanding your executive and company
• Anticipate your executive’s needs before they do
• Build up the rapport to boost your productivity (and your executive’s too!)

From EAs/PAs to a Global Leadership: How to Become a Great Influencer

• Building a career journey & a process and knowing yourself “Who You Are”
• Develop your leadership style and analysis different causes of conflicts and problems
• Delegation and decision making for maximum results
• Practicing win-win negotiation
• Successful techniques for managing your manage

Lizzie Wagner is an acclaimed business coach with over 30 years of experience providing practical professional development training for major private and government organizations in Australia and internationally.

Her expertise in business, corporate training, coaching, and staff management has been recognized with international and national accolades such as being a finalist for the Telstra Business Women’s Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, the International MAXI Awards and BOMA Australia awards.

Having a reputation for providing excellent practical solutions to businesses through her trainings, she is regularly featured in radio interviews and television programs such as Australian Broadcasting Commission, The Canberra Times, The Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald, Channel 10, Channel 9.

• Making the most of opportunities to grow your skill set and expand your role
• The importance of moving and adapting to the ever-changing working environment
• Recognizing how your skills as an assistant can be applied to other roles that benefit others

Ruth is the Executive Assistant to the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Information Officer for GE Australia, New Zealand & Papua New Guinea. She is responsible for organizing the professional lives of both executives, managing their teams, projects and numerous events for each function.

Commencing her career with GE in 2012 as an Executive Assistant, in late 2014 Ruth took on the additional role as Project Manager for an internal GE project initiative, called PowerHouse. Utilising existing business relationships to engage key business stakeholders, she has driven the PowerHouse initiative from initial concept, design, and structure, to leading the continual implementation of varied and complex business improvement projects. This role involves constant interaction with the CEO, GE business leaders and customers and managing numerous project teams.

In addition to her EA and Project Manager roles, Ruth also mentors GE employees in graduate Engineering, IT and Finance roles and also runs workshops open to all GE Australia employees, around time and email management.

• Developing skills in self-management, self-awareness and social awareness
• Understanding differences to build relationships and drive performance
• Influencing others positively to achieve great outcomes
• Become an empathetic business connector with people, and pick up skills to get things done

Anna-Lucia is the best-selling author of “The Four Mindsets – How to Influence, Motivate and Lead a High-Performance Team” and a Moderator for Harvard Business School in the areas of Leadership, Influence, People, and Performance.

Anna-Lucia was educated in the United Kingdom, Middle East, and Australia, in the fields of Business Management and Adult Education and holds accreditations in emotional intelligence and neuroscience.

Over the last 20 years she has consulted to numerous corporations globally and in 2012 was recognized for her work – as a finalist in the top category for the National Telstra Business Women’s Awards.

Today she is an international speaker, Managing Director for HCM Global and serves as a board member for several organizations.

Finding Your Voice to Handle Challenging Situations

• Discover professional communication techniques
• Explore neuroscience – understand how your brain works to achieve excellence
• Be self-aware and master the art of assumptions
• Know when to have a private conversation, the language we use, and how it affects colleagues and clients
• Questioning & listening skills
• The science of powerful brain efficiency

• Essential nutrition and wellbeing habits to help you de-stress and get great sleep
• Tap into the power of nutrition food to boost your performance effectively
• Understand what kind of food can keep you happy and boost your body’s immunity
• Innovative ways you can engage not only for yourself but also your colleagues, in healthy eating and good self-care habits
• Practising wellness strategies at work

Minute taking is a much sought after skill in organizations. Many EAs/PAs are self-taught so if you’re wondering whether you are on track, this is the session for you.

• Identify the number one skill required to be an effective minute taker
• Discover the secret to minute taking
• Learn the three proven techniques to make minute taking easier

Over the past 13 years, Robyn has led in excess of 500 plus minute taking courses to over 1,000 participants.

Robyn has developed systems and processes in the best way to write minutes and is passionate about sharing these with others who strive to be excellent minute takers. In 2017 she launched her book Minute Taking Madness.

She runs the popular The Art of Minute Taking course at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand where it was the top Professional and Executive Development course for 2015 and 2016.

Robyn is a member of the Administrative Professionals of New Zealand Inc and is a previous National President.

• Discover your boss’ need, and what makes an outstanding EA/PA
• Discuss how EAs/PAs can add value for their executives and the organization as a whole
• Practical ways of forging good communication and positive engagement between Executive and EA/PA
• The key challenges and successes experienced through partnership
• Effective ways of managing your boss – a manager’s view!

Champagne Networking Session

Enjoy a glass of champagne whilst networking with other like-minded individuals on topics that are of most interest to you and fellow delegates.

As Executive Assistant to the Chief Digital Officer, Katie is closely involved with the digital transformation of Aurecon. She is also required to manage a wider global digital group within the company. Having worked with Aurecon for over 8 years, she brings extensive knowledge of the company to her work.

Katie works in an ever-changing, dynamic environment, and outside of her core role is heavily involved in event management, project management, finance, H.R., I.T., travel, and marketing.

Katie is a strong believer that Executive Assistants are most effective working as part of a team and alongside their Executive. Building open, honest and strong working relationships will not only benefit your Executive, but it also makes your role as Executive Assistant so much more enjoyable.

• Keeping up to date with the latest technological trends and advances, the practical use within EA’s/PA’s role
• Utilize smartphones and tablets in and out with the office to enhance productivity: essential tips and tricks on time management, email management, prioritizing workload, etc
• Hands-on advice on how to wrangle the multitude of new and existing technologies

Technologically savvy and an advocate for innovation, Megan Green is the Executive Assistant to the Executive Director Information Development, eTQC Program Director and Chief Medical Information Officer at Alfred Health. Megan provides every aspect of the day-to-day administrative EA office-management duties and is secretary to six Governance Committees and two Executive Committees. She is also heavily involved in recruitment; event-management and corporate leadership.

With more than 10 years’ experience behind her, Megan has the unique ability to remain excited and determined to be the very best in her field, proving just that when she recently won Australia’s Best EA of the Year award 2016.

As an early adopter of the ‘paperless office’, Megan has championed the opportunity to embrace technology for the Executive Assistant. In addition to her technical and administrative expertise, Megan’s strengths lie in developing and maintaining business relationships, innovation, strategic planning, and communication.

Attitude / Aptitude

• It’s All about Attitude
• Developing a Positive Mental Attitude
• The Importance of a Business Mindset
• Key Characteristics of a Client-Focused EA, PA or VA
• The Importance of Lifelong Learning Resources – Positive Mental Attitude Building Exercise

Ingrid Bayer is a thought leader, transformational thinker, and one of the brightest minds in the VA Industry today.

For over 30 years, Ingrid has worked across many industries including, Photography, IT, Entertainment, Stockbroking, Legal, Real Estate, and Medical.

In 2008, Ingrid started operating as a Virtual Assistant from her home office in regional New South Wales, Australia. Within two years, she had grown her business to include managing and overseeing a team of VAs.

Her sound knowledge of business administration, together with her ability to think outside the square, facilitate conversations around ‘possibility’, and then move forward to implement winning processes and ideas ensures her clients’ success.

Ingrid now devotes her time to working strategically with the Australian VA Industry and its stakeholders and specializing in working with EAs and PAs from around Australia, and around the world, in making the transition to becoming a successful VA.

Ingrid’s passion and life purpose is to make a tangible difference in the lives of VAs and their clients by uncovering and exposing the ‘elephant in the room’; that is, identifying the missing ingredients in the VA toolbox in a way that empowers, transforms and inspires the VA Industry and its stakeholders to be the best, expect the best, and deliver the best beyond mere technical skills.

• Learn the 3 elements of being a business partner
• What is expected of you at the Board and Leadership level
• How to build and maintain successful working relationships
• Identifying the skills and qualities of a highly efficient and successful assistant
• Understand the impact you have on organizational goals and vision
• How to motivate yourself and others
• Top tips on Crisis Management
• How to remain calm, flexible and professional at all times

Audrey ensures that operational and administrative services throughout the business and different projects are maintained, managed and reported on effectively and efficiently. Her major focus is to provide strategic partnering and highly sensitive management support to senior management.

How do you gain the competitive edge in your next Presentation? With the perfect mix of Storytelling, Visual Communication, and Presentation Skills. Emma Bannister’s innovative approach to integrating story and visual design transforms lacklustre presentations into engaging, powerful and successful communication tools. Learn:

• Insight into market leaders’ communication strategies
• Essential components of presentations
• How to ensure your audience remember, understand and act
• Practical ways to persuade, differentiate and stand out

** Group work session at the end of each topic according to the Guest Speaker’s relevance

With over two decades of Visual Design experience and ten years as founder and CEO at Presentation Studio, Bannister’s view is radically different. Passionate that powerful presentations consist of more than just visual design – she teaches a new way of thinking – Visual ThinkingTM.

Visual Thinking is a method for integrating the essence of a presentation’s message into a visual representation. In Bannister’s workshops and speaking engagements, she teaches audiences how to apply Visual ThinkingTM along with insights into communication and industry trends. Sharing her knowledge in an approachable, entertaining way, Bannister gives audiences practical tools for transforming their presentations – and their careers.

Companies including Telstra, Westfield, Microsoft, Qantas, Yahoo, NAB, CommBank, and Pepsico have hired Bannister and her team to create powerful presentations, gaining the competitive edge to win high-stakes, multi-million dollar pitches.

• Your Brand: The precious commodity which can enhance your career prospects and earning potential
• Who are YOU? How to use your Brand to stand out from the rest
• Key strategies to enhance your reputation in your current role and maximize opportunities for the future
• Personal Branding: How your executive’s presence can make or break you

With 15 years’ experience in administration and Executive Assistant roles, Edwina Graham is EA to the Director of Digital and Financial Services at Coles Supermarkets, Australia’s best food retailer. With a love of writing and a keen interest in mentoring and training, Edwina has combined her two passions in life with her very honest and candid blog, Who’s the Real Boss? designed to help and support EAs and administration professionals alike.

• Discuss the importance of effective time management in dealing with time-wasters and constant interruptions
• Learn how to effectively manage your energy (open body and conscious breathing), more on eye contact, listening in genuinely, speaking to right audience and clear about issues

• Understand what working in partnership alongside with your executive entails
• Discuss how to deal with a modern corporate life, distractions, competing priorities, and interests