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Curriculum vitae Penny Cooke
- 1. PENNY COOKE 58 Pebble Drive Didcot Oxfordshire OX11 9RE 01235 813129 & 07818 652705 penny.cooke@hotmail.co.uk With over 20 years experience in corporate and educational environments, Penny has an excellent track record of providing professional support to successful businessmen, businesswomen, entrepreneurs, company executives and senior management teams, and running teams comprising a variety of levels of personnel. Fully flexible in her approach to whatever level of PA services you require, Penny more than manages your expectations. She is a problem solver and prides herself on her reputation as a first class 'fixer' and firefighter. "I understand how difficult it is to get good quality personal assistance; clients often express frustration at the lack of flexibility when looking for a PA who will do what is needed without any fuss, and will bring you solutions, not problems." St Antonys College, University of Oxford March 2006 present Personal Assistant to the Warden (Head of College). Duties include: Providing support including complex diary and travel arrangements for the Head of College, who is also a very successful author; Preparing letters for signature; preparing contracts to appoint Governing Body Fellows; Administering the search for ad hoc Fellowships; Proof-reading as necessary complex Memoranda of Understanding and other contracts, and College newsletters; Prioritising incoming mail and other requests; Administering the twice-weekly High Table formal dinners with often-complicated (and complex) seating arrangements. Sophos Plc July 2002 March 2006 Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive Officers. Duties included: Providing administrative support to the Chief Executives, and to the Chief Technical Officer and Sales & Marketing Directors in both work and non-work related matters; Carrying out a variety of information assignments for the Chief Executives and Directors to support the management process; Screening all mail, calls, visits and requests to the Chief Executives, drafting responses and redirecting as appropriate to ensure the best use of the Chief Executives time; Providing a full and complex travel and itinerary arrangement service to the Chief Executives and the Directors to optimise the best use of their time, including both UK and overseas engagements; Providing a travel arrangement service to all UK-based staff (360); Arranging accommodation for incoming members of staff; Organisation of all company social events, some conferences, identifying venues and negotiating rates In January/February 2004, I had responsibility for a visit by HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh to open new HQ. This involved: Liaising with HMs Private Secretarys office and the Palace Press office; Liaising with the Lord Lieutenants office; Liaising with local police, Metropolitan Police and Special Branch; Co-ordinating both VIPs and staff guest lists 250 in total; Arranging champagne reception for guests and staff 600 in total. Various temporary assignments, including: November 2001 June 2002 Setting up the administrative procedures of a rapidly expanding Computer Services company based in Swindon; A two month assignment as Acting Personnel Manager and Personal Assistant to the Finance Director at HR Wallingford, a Hydraulics Civil Engineering Company with 200 staff. Integra-Net UK Ltd August 2000 November 2001 Personal Assistant to the Managing Director, Finance Director & Operations Director. Duties included: Diary management, dealing with correspondence, fielding calls and acting on behalf of the Directors in their absence; Travel arrangements for all staff. Office Manager across two locations, comprising 120 staff. This was by far the larger of the two roles, and duties included: Organisation of all company social events, and company-wide quarterly briefings and conferences, identifying venues and negotiating rates. Day to day running of these locations, including: Responsibility for a refurbishment programme for the office on Milton Park, and relocation of staff to the data centre. For both projects I was the key liaison with the telephone and computer cabling suppliers; Overseeing the building maintenance and liaising with the Facilities Support Companies; Purchase of stationery and other office supplies. A state-of-the-art data centre opened in Reading in January 2001 and I was responsible for: The design layout and purchasing of new furniture (for 48 staff) for this location within budget. Selection and purchase of the telephone systems for both locations. As Office Manager, I had two Receptionists reporting to me. Integra was making staff redundant as I left.
- 2. Science & Spirit Resources, Inc. October 1999 August 2000 Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer, Office Manager for a company of six. Duties were many and varied because of the dual role of the CEO, as Publisher & President of an American based magazine who is also a doctoral supervisor of graduate students at an American university and included: Acting on behalf of the CEO, including all correspondence and all business and administration matters for the UK office of this small publishing company; Travel arrangements to North America, South Africa and Australasia; Diary management; Office management, including the ordering of stationery and other office supplies; Maintaining up-to-date office accounts. Science & Spirit Resources closed its United Kingdom office in August 2000. Up until its closure, I was arranging a North American publicity and speaking tour for the President of the company. Oxford University Press 1995 1999 Personal Assistant to the Producer & Publishing Manager of Oxford English Video, Office Manager for a department of 10. Duties included: Dealing with confidential matters for the Publishing Manager, including all correspondence and personnel records, and all administration matters for the Department; Liaising with other departments within the English Language Teaching Division, and with the Directors of the Division in the absence of and on behalf of the Publishing Manager; Liaising with outside contacts on behalf of the Publishing Manager; Screening incoming calls to the Publishing Manager, ensuring the best use of his time; Maintaining up-to-date diary information for the Publishing Manager and other key members of OEV; Supervising the Department Secretary, ensuring that: OEV was provided with the necessary secretarial and administrative support both as a publishing department and as a film production unit; On-going training of the Department Secretary in specific routines relating to video productions and office procedures. At the same time, I was also Production Co-ordinator for Oxford English Video. Duties for this role involved: The hiring of cast, crew equipment and production facilities for video productions, and producing contracts for same; Organising hotel accommodation for the film cast and crew both in the UK and overseas, according to set schedules and budgets; Producing budgets for video productions, including: Managing the processing of invoices relating to video productions in order to achieve efficient payment and the maintenance of accurate records; Providing a reliable point of contact while filming took place on location. Oxford University Press 1990 1995 Personal Assistant to the Producer & Publishing Manager, and Group Administrator to the Oxford English Video Department consisting of Producer, Associate Producer, Assistant Producer and Script Editor. Duties included: Providing full secretarial and administrative support. During preproduction and filming: Providing a production office service; Liaising with freelancers and agencies to ensure the smooth running of the production from initial concept to completion of the master tapes; Preparation of draft and final scripts requiring a high degree of accuracy. Education Didcot Girls Grammar School (later Didcot Girls School) GCE O Levels - English Language - English Literature - History - French - Art - Mathematics - Biology - Religious Education CSE - Typing Grade 1 Pitmans - Typing Elementary & Intermediate RSA - Typing I & II RSA - Teeline Shorthand (Abingdon College) Software packages include: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); Microsoft Project; WordPerfect 5.2 for Windows; MovieMagic for Windows film budgeting. Courses attended: SAP General Enquiry & Reporting; Managing and Appraising Performance (RheMA Human Resource Development) Hobbies Classical Music, Opera Reading Cookery Photography Travel