Cathy Harris - Selection Specialist and Advisor
Founder Director Platinum Assistant Network SA | South African PA of the Year 2006 | WA-Alliance Member | Isipho Bursary Mentor | Author | Trainer | Internal Networks | Dip. Bookkeeping
As an Executive PA to the CEO of a forward thinking and innovative organization for over 20 years, and a wealth of knowledge and experience based purely on a passion for my profession, and am constantly striving to be exceptional in every facet of my role as both an Executive Management Assistant, an advocator for our profession, an enforcer of the Creating an Internal Assistant Network, and continue to inspire my peers to rediscover their true value. Moving from ordinary into extraordinary!
Along this extraordinary secretarial journey, I have learned and gained so much; I have been given opportunities that I seized. Let me share some of my milestones with you. I was nominated as South Africa’s National PA of the Year for 2006/2007 where, since then, I continue to be involved with various Secretarial mentorship programs, training initiatives globally, facilitating workshops, chairing conferences and being invited as a keynote speaker at various initiatives around the world, including participating and facilitating a workshop on Internal Networks for the highly acclaimed Executive Secretary Live events hosted in London, Australia and New Zealand. This International PA event showcases the world’s top administrative trainers, sharing the stage with Ronald Reagan’s PA Peggy Grande, Bonnie Low-Kramen, one of the worlds most respected voices in the profession, Vickie Sokol Evans a world class Microsoft Trainer and Lucy Brazier OBE, the host, CEO and publisher of the Executive Support Magazine, to name but a few. Please do visit them at www.executivesupport.com
In 2016 I felt the time had arrived for a new kind of Assistant Network and my dream was realized in founding THE PLATINUM ASSISTANT NETWORK SA. Of course, it would not be as successful as it is today without having the phenomenal Susan Engelbrecht aboard as co-founder and Director. Her drive and passion for our profession is par excellence!
It was in 2015 that I initiated the reformation of my organization’s in-house internal network, the Discovery PA Centre of Excellence, where I share the management role with a dear friend and colleague, Susan Engelbrecht. Internal Networks is one of my initiatives that I am hugely passionate about, to the extent that I have been instrumental in assisting PAs set up their own Internal Networks both at a national and International level. I have also authored the book “The Executive Secretary Guide to create and Internal Assistant Network, publish by Marcham publishers and available on Amazon. My very first internal network initiative took place over 40 years ago while working for Tek Electronics (Pty) Ltd.
In conjunction with all these amazing adventures, I was also the Chairperson of the Office Professionals of South Africa (OPSA), created the Accreditation Assignments for both Certified Office Professional (COP) and Certified Management Office Professional (CMOP) which is currently the only recognized and registered SETA approved certification for our profession. I encourage all Management Assistants to go through the certification process. http://www.opsa.org.za/ I headed up the OPSA’s Annual National Awards for over 10 years, and am now proud to include the initiation of the Platinum Assistant Network South Africa’s Awards to this, which was celebrated in 2021/2022 where we awarded in 5 categories.
One of the most humbling opportunities was being invited to participate in the Isipho Admin Bursary, heading up their bursary assessment team and being a mentor to new students. Founders and Directors, Anel Martin, Lucy Brazier and Teri Wells put in place a dream they had to give back to society by uplifting impoverished communities in South Africa and provide entry to the PA for previously disadvantaged young people. For more on Isipho and how you can assist too, go to www.isiphoadmin.org.za
Other initiatives I have been honored to be part of over the years, include my first authored book Mobi Jane: Self Development and Innovation (available on Amazon), setting up the Mauritius PA Association, administrating the first ever Mauritius PA of the Year Award, being invited to be a member of the World Administrative Alliance, and many other wonderful opportunities and initiative to grow awareness and raise the bar for our profession globally. At every opportunity I also look to elevate Management Assistants to help them create their own unique brand and become ambassadors for our profession.
Along this extraordinary secretarial journey, I have learned and gained so much; I have been given opportunities that I seized. Let me share some of my milestones with you. I was nominated as South Africa’s National PA of the Year for 2006/2007 where, since then, I continue to be involved with various Secretarial mentorship programs, training initiatives globally, facilitating workshops, chairing conferences and being invited as a keynote speaker at various initiatives around the world, including participating and facilitating a workshop on Internal Networks for the highly acclaimed Executive Secretary Live events hosted in London, Australia and New Zealand. This International PA event showcases the world’s top administrative trainers, sharing the stage with Ronald Reagan’s PA Peggy Grande, Bonnie Low-Kramen, one of the worlds most respected voices in the profession, Vickie Sokol Evans a world class Microsoft Trainer and Lucy Brazier OBE, the host, CEO and publisher of the Executive Support Magazine, to name but a few. Please do visit them at www.executivesupport.com
In 2016 I felt the time had arrived for a new kind of Assistant Network and my dream was realized in founding THE PLATINUM ASSISTANT NETWORK SA. Of course, it would not be as successful as it is today without having the phenomenal Susan Engelbrecht aboard as co-founder and Director. Her drive and passion for our profession is par excellence!
It was in 2015 that I initiated the reformation of my organization’s in-house internal network, the Discovery PA Centre of Excellence, where I share the management role with a dear friend and colleague, Susan Engelbrecht. Internal Networks is one of my initiatives that I am hugely passionate about, to the extent that I have been instrumental in assisting PAs set up their own Internal Networks both at a national and International level. I have also authored the book “The Executive Secretary Guide to create and Internal Assistant Network, publish by Marcham publishers and available on Amazon. My very first internal network initiative took place over 40 years ago while working for Tek Electronics (Pty) Ltd.
In conjunction with all these amazing adventures, I was also the Chairperson of the Office Professionals of South Africa (OPSA), created the Accreditation Assignments for both Certified Office Professional (COP) and Certified Management Office Professional (CMOP) which is currently the only recognized and registered SETA approved certification for our profession. I encourage all Management Assistants to go through the certification process. http://www.opsa.org.za/ I headed up the OPSA’s Annual National Awards for over 10 years, and am now proud to include the initiation of the Platinum Assistant Network South Africa’s Awards to this, which was celebrated in 2021/2022 where we awarded in 5 categories.
One of the most humbling opportunities was being invited to participate in the Isipho Admin Bursary, heading up their bursary assessment team and being a mentor to new students. Founders and Directors, Anel Martin, Lucy Brazier and Teri Wells put in place a dream they had to give back to society by uplifting impoverished communities in South Africa and provide entry to the PA for previously disadvantaged young people. For more on Isipho and how you can assist too, go to www.isiphoadmin.org.za
Other initiatives I have been honored to be part of over the years, include my first authored book Mobi Jane: Self Development and Innovation (available on Amazon), setting up the Mauritius PA Association, administrating the first ever Mauritius PA of the Year Award, being invited to be a member of the World Administrative Alliance, and many other wonderful opportunities and initiative to grow awareness and raise the bar for our profession globally. At every opportunity I also look to elevate Management Assistants to help them create their own unique brand and become ambassadors for our profession.
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