Written on 16^th January 2019

5 minutes with...

We took five minutes to speak to the EA to the CEO at one of London’s biggest Private Equity firms about life as an EA…

1. How did you get into your role as an EA?
I joined the business as a temp following graduating from uni and after a gap year travelling. I did a ski season in France which really taught me how to work under pressure, work as a team and keep calm at the same time. The business I work for is really supportive and great at promoting from within. I guess I was in the right place at the right time when I offered to help out the CEO when her PA was off-sick. When that PA left the business, I was asked to fill the position and I jumped at the opportunity! 
 
2. What is a typical day in the life of an EA?
There is no typical day! One minute I can be booking a hair appointment, the next taking minutes for a board meeting, the next arranging a complex multi-stop trip around the United States! 
 
3. What is your advice to effectively manage corporate travel requirements?
Have a good TMC that you can trust! I don’t know where I would be without the guys at TAG. I rely on them to help me manage the volume and complexity of the bookings I must deal with. Because my own role is so varied, if I leave travel until the end of the day because other things get in the way, the prices of flights can have doubled by then. Having TAG there for me means I can ping over the request from my boss and get on with other things, knowing it will all be sorted for me when I am done. 

4. What advice would you give to anyone new to the role of and EA/PA?
Network. There are so many amazing PA networking groups out there, and I have found the PA/EA industry to be very inclusive. People are always wanting to help each other out. There are so many experienced EAs out there willing to give their time. You just have to go and ask for it. PA Life is a great resource and I’m really glad I became a member. 
 
5. Tell us something interesting about yourself?
I regularly compete in triathlons. I don’t know where I find the time to train to be honest, but I find that regular exercise is vital for me to keep a clear head and stay focused in my job. I find that like with many other people, I need a goal to focus on to ensure I keep up the training so competing in triathlons provides that for me. I’d recommend it to anyone, it’s really exhilarating. 

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