ES Tech 2023

Abigail Barnes

Award-winning Entrepreneur| Author | Speaker | Corporate Trainer

Abigail Barnes is the Founder and CEO of Success by Design Training, an award-winning entrepreneur, author, speaker, and corporate trainer on time management and productive wellbeing. She is a qualified coach and creator of the renowned 888 Formula.

In February 2012 at the age of 32 Abigail had a stroke on a work business trip to Boston USA. This was her wakeup call; time is precious, and we don’t have any to waste!

Success by Design Training is on a mission to share the 888 Formula with one million people by 2025.

 As a speaker and trainer Abigail teaches her audiences and clients how to:

• Prioritise tasks not time
• Maximise resources to improve efficiency
• Focus on activities that move the needle

Abigail understands human motivation and uses her own near-death experience as a catalyst for change, to inspire, empower and teach others how to maximise their time.

She will leave your audience excited, energised, time confident and ready to take action!

Unlocking the Potential of Social Media: Maximising Your Time and Results

Did you know that 2 hours of social media scrolling every day = 30 Days a Year?  

Yes, you read that right: a MONTH of time! 

During this fast-paced session, Abigail Barnes will share 8 ways Executive Support professionals can unlock the potential of social media to benefit their organisation, career and life. Learn how to navigate the noise, avoid the drama and make the most of this incredible opportunity. 

 You will leave this interactive session with practical, actionable tips, tools and strategies you can use in your organisation, departments, career and life to improve your personal productivity & work/life balance.  

Learning Outcomes:

• Social media: how we got here 
• 8 ways you can unlock the potential of social media
• Focus management and maximising your time online 

Abigail Rudner

An accomplished, dynamic designer and educator with 25 years of industry experience, Abigail Rudner demystifies the design process for people. 

Video-training author for LinkedIn Learning, and adjunct professor at UC Berkeley, in both the Multimedia Design and the International Custom Programs departments, Abigail develops curriculum, leads workshops, and teaches internationally with great love and enthusiasm. 

Using her special synthesis of design methodology, visual thinking, problem solving and digital graphics tools, she infuses individuals with creative thinking strategies needed to increase productivity and satisfaction in their work. 

Devoted to spreading the gospel of design success, she thrives on fostering environments where innovation, communication, and critical thinking flourish. Deep intuition and innate ability to see the “big picture“ allows her to empower others to tackle design projects confidently. 

When not mentoring and training, Abigail works closely with top administrative professionals, and producers to bring high quality media design – including works for print, interactive, animation and video to life. 

Abigail holds a BFA from Parsons School of Design, and a Masters in Art Education from School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is certified trainer (via Comp TIA), and an Adobe Certified Expert for InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Animate, Dreamweaver, and XD. 

The Art of Visual Storytelling with Abigail Rudner

Learn what It takes to build high-quality persuasive presentations, videos and more for clients, internal stakeholders or anyone else.

Learning Outcomes:

• Create well-structured presentations
• Design visually pleasing presentations
• Ensure clarity in presentations.
• Make presentations easy to follow.
• Develop presentations with insightful content.

Ali Pasha

Ali Pasha is a product specialist at Expensify, based in London, UK. He helps to onboard hundreds of new businesses onto Expensify, ranging from small start-ups up to global multi-subsidiaries. Ali believes that better technology adoption can streamline the services that accountants offer their clients or companies, freeing up more of their time to focus on high-value, strategic consultation.

Managing Receipts for Multi-Subsidiary Companies

Being an assistant often means handling expenses for your team. This can be a nightmare when you’re chasing receipts, handling paper forms and categorising expenses. Expensify can automate this entire process from receipt capture all the way to categorizing, approving expenses, and passing them onto the Finance team to check and export to accounting systems.  

In this session we will run though: 

• SmartScan receipts (and auto-merge) 
• Scheduled Submit 
• Auto-Categorisation 
• Approvals and Audit 
• Corporate Card reconciliation 

Learning Outcomes:

• Determine how to manage employee expenses and reimburse employees across multiple locations or entities (where there are different currencies and bank accounts) 
• Identify how to easily automate corporate card reconciliation (and receipt matching) across different card programs 
• Give examples of how to support tax tracking across multiple jurisdictions (and multiple mileage rates and VAT on mileage) 

Ann Hiatt

Ann Hiatt is a best-selling author, executive consultant, speaker, and investor. She is a Silicon Valley veteran with 15 years of experience reporting directly to CEOs Jeff Bezos (Amazon) and Eric Schmidt (Google/Alphabet). She was the first-ever Chief of Staff at Google; inventing the role and its gold standard which is now pervasive in the tech world and beyond. 
 
Ann consults with CEOs and trains their teams across the globe on leadership, innovation and C-suite optimization. She has worked with executives and their support teams at organizations such as Netflix, Starbucks, AWS, Google, Amazon, Prudential, Lockheed Martin, Siemens and more. 
 
Ann has also been a featured speaker at major conferences such as SXSW in Austin, The Growth Faculty in Sydney, The Emirates Festival of Literature in Dubai and the Valencia Digital Summit in Spain. 
 
Ann has written articles for publications such as Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and CNBC. She has also contributed to articles in The New York Times, Economic Times, The Financial Times and Forbes. Her bestselling book, Bet On Yourself, was published by HarperCollins in 2021. 

Innovation for Intrapreneurs

In this presentation, Ann Hiatt shares the keys to injecting passion, energy and accelerated growth into any career. Ann draws from lessons she learned working for the CEOs at Amazon and Google for 15 years during periods of hypergrowth, pivots and rapid change. She shares how using the win-win-win model aligns and empowers individual contributors to what their teams and organizations need from them most for mutual growth and advancement. Attendees will walk away with an actionable playbook for career advancement which you won’t hear anywhere else! 

Learning Outcomes:

• the keys to giving and receiving meaningful feedback 
• setting effective growth goals even when your to-do list feels outside of your control 
• assembling a team of mentors and sponsors to empower the desired growth 

Callum Fowler

Callum Fowler is a product specialist at Expensify, based in Preston, UK. He helps to onboard hundreds of new businesses onto Expensify, ranging from small startups up to global multi-subsidiaries. He is a strong believer that most challenges faced by accountants and their clients can be resolved with technology, which in turn can help to save time and resources.

Managing Receipts for Multi-Subsidiary Companies

Being an assistant often means handling expenses for your team. This can be a nightmare when you’re chasing receipts, handling paper forms and categorising expenses. Expensify can automate this entire process from receipt capture all the way to categorizing, approving expenses, and passing them onto the Finance team to check and export to accounting systems.  

In this session we will run though: 

• SmartScan receipts (and auto-merge) 
• Scheduled Submit 
• Auto-Categorisation 
• Approvals and Audit 
• Corporate Card reconciliation 

Learning Outcomes:

• Determine how to manage employee expenses and reimburse employees across multiple locations or entities (where there are different currencies and bank accounts) 
• Identify how to easily automate corporate card reconciliation (and receipt matching) across different card programs 
• Give examples of how to support tax tracking across multiple jurisdictions (and multiple mileage rates and VAT on mileage)

Carole Spiers

Carole Spiers is an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker who shapes attitudes and alters mindsets. An industry expert on stress in the UK and the Middle East for senior Executives who need to perform well under pressure, Carole shows leaders how to communicate effectively; build resilience and reduce stress, so that they and their teams can respond successfully to the everyday challenges of management.

As CEO of an international Stress and Wellbeing consultancy, Carole is author of Show Stress Who’s Boss! and Tolley’s Managing Stress in the Workplace, commissioned by Lexis-Nexis. As a popular BBC guest-broadcaster, she is the media’s first choice for comment on work-related stress.

Carole’s focus is on developing a healthy workplace culture through the successful management of stress and organisational change – all of which is underpinned by a compelling philosophy reinforced by her own experience as an Expert Witness before the UK Courts.

Carole is a Fellow and Past President of the Professional Speaking Association, London. She is currently Chair of International Stress Management Association (ISMA)UK, (a charity and professional association) and founder of National Stress Awareness Day. The objectives of ISMA is to reduce the stigma associated with stress and mental health.

Carole is UK-based, but is regularly contracted to speak in the Middle East and Europe.

Taking the Stress Out of Technology

Does tech increase your stress levels? 

Is life without tech less stressful for you? 

Are there times when you just wish tech would just go away? 

 If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then this presentation from Carole Spiers is just right for you. 

 Tech is an amazing tool but what happens when it goes wrong? 

 You feel out of your depth and then you are dependent on others to help you out of the situation you find yourself in.  And all of this takes control away from you! 

 And what about email overload? The constant interruptions from the phone, email and your watches! So many ways that people can get hold of you – email, phone, social media, WhatsApp, messenger et al.  Help! 

 And then there is too much screen time which is no good for your eyes! 

 But the good news is that tech can help you to relax and help you to count your steps while you are going out walking. 

 It is all down to discipline and control.  Easier said than done I hear you say.  And of course, you are right. 

 So, hear some tips from Carole as she takes you on a journey to help you take the stress out of technology. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Recognise when you are feeling out of control due to tech 
• Discover tips to help you reduce your stress levels  
• Learn how to become more disciplined in managing your tech time 
• Think about whether you are really addicted to your phone! 

Don Harms

Founder / CEO Emmre

Don Harms is the founder and CEO of Emmre, a software platform designed to help executives and executive assistants build more strategic partnerships.

After experiencing first-hand the life-changing role an executive assistant can have on an executive’s life, Don became passionate about helping more executives have this same experience.

“With the help of my EA, not only was I a better leader, but I was also a better father, husband, and friend.”

Leveraging the unique lessons he learned building his own strategic partnership, Don created the Emmre software platform and blogs at “One Job Two People” where he shares lessons he’s learned, problems he designed Emmre to solve, best practices he developed with his EA, and what the One Job Two People mindset is all about.

Don’s hope is these resources help executives and assistants build better, more strategic partnerships.

Don has been a guest on Joan Burge’s webinar, Jeremy Burrow’s Leader Assistant Podcast and the Exceptional Admins Podcast.

After living in Africa for 3 years, Don now lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, 5 teenagers (including 2 sets of twins), and any additional children that join them through foster care.

An Executive’s View on Improving their Strategic Partnership with Their EA Using Emmre

Join us for an enlightening webinar as Don Harms, CEO of Emmre, engages in a conversation with Kristie Webber, Executive Assistant at the Space Foundation, and Tom Zelibor, the recently retired CEO of the Space Foundation. Explore their real-life experiences with Emmre, a software that has transformed the way they work together. 

Hear how Tom Zelibor’s perception of an Executive Assistant’s role shifted with the game-changing impact of Emmre. Tom shares how, “Emmre changed the dynamic of how I used an Executive Assistant,” giving a glimpse of the profound changes it brought to their partnership. 

During this session, we’ll delve into the core features of Emmre, understanding how it played a pivotal role in streamlining communication, optimizing productivity, and enhancing collaboration between Tom and Kristie.  

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn from their success stories and discover how Emmre can foster better collaboration and productivity in your professional relationships.

Learning Outcomes:

• Elevate Your Executive and EA Partnership: Learn from Kristie and Tom’s experience to uncover the transformative potential of Emmre as a powerful tool that can propel your executive-executive assistant partnership to unparalleled heights.
• Mastering Emmre’s Productivity Power: Gain a comprehensive understanding of Emmre’s core features and functionalities, unlocking its true potential to revolutionize your workflow. Discover how Emmre optimizes communication, time management, and decision-making, enabling you to supercharge productivity and streamline operations like never before. 
• Beyond Software: Nurturing Strategic Partnerships: Dive into the secrets of Tom and Kristie’s strategic partnership, both within and beyond Emmre. Explore the strategies they employed to foster a cohesive and high-performing team, transcending the digital realm. Gather practical tips on building trust, effective communication, and aligning goals for success, leaving a lasting impact on your working relationships. 

Fiona Walsh

With 25 years in corporate, Fiona Walsh has seen her fair share of bad slides. As an IT Manager/Trainer, she became the primary go-to person for help with anything PowerPoint related.

Fiona set up her business in 2019 to provide bespoke PowerPoint training to organisations. She loves it when a client gets an ‘aha’ moment as they realise there’s a more innovative way to do something, and it will save them time. Fiona is passionate about teaching people how to create slides that are fit for purpose and engaging. She also focuses on presenting confidently, including best practices in the boardroom, at a conference and online, for example, with MS Teams.

Fiona is a certified Microsoft Master Trainer and became Director of Education for the Presentation Guild (a global organisation for presentation professionals) in January 2023

Advanced PowerPoint Techniques: Pro Tips for Polishing Your Presentations and Wow-ing Your Audience

In this session, you will learn how to use PowerPoint to take your slides to the next level.

• Discover top tips for working with images, including recolouring, extending and advanced cropping options.
• Learn how to use the morph transition, an animation tool for creating fantastic motion in your presentation.
• Learn how to create sections of slides, giving you the flexibility to choose which set of slides to present while you are presenting.
• Finally, we’ll cover how to inspect your document to ensure it has no hidden data or personal information, which is very important when sending a file outside your organisation.

Learning Outcomes:

• Working with images
• Advanced cropping options
• Morph transitions
• PowerPoint Zoom
• Removing hidden data
• Removing personal information

Jessica McBride

Jessica McBride, founder of Tech Savvy Assistant, is a trailblazer in the world of administrative professionals, with a unique focus on integrating cutting-edge AI technology like ChatGPT to foster a softer, more relaxed working environment.  

Guided by a passion for innovation, Jessica’s speaking events and educational presentations have reached audiences across the United States, Canada, Australia, and the UK. Through these platforms, she shares her insights on leveraging technology to enhance efficiency and enrich the professional lives of Executive Assistants, Administrative Assistants, those in Operations, and freelance virtual assistants. Her commitment to improving working conditions in the industry is underscored by her hands-on approach, which encompasses creating engaging videos and offering downloadable books and guides tailored to the needs and aspirations of admins in the workforce.  

Jessica’s vision is not only to revolutionize her industry but to promote personal growth and empowerment, making technology a tool for individual advancement. With a refreshing blend of expertise and empathy, Jessica is dedicated to her goal of enriching the lives of those in her field and aspires to not only inspire change but also achieve personal success. 

The Great AI Debate: Jessica McBride and Melissa Esquibel Debate the Impact of AI on the Administrative Profession

The debate will be structured around two primary themes: the positive enhancements AI can bring to administrative tasks and the potential concerns and challenges it may pose.  

From automating routine processes to personalizing support, we’ll delve into how AI can revolutionize efficiency and accuracy. Conversely, we’ll also address the fears surrounding job displacement, privacy issues, and the loss of human touch.  

Whether you’re an Executive Assistant, Administrative Assistant, or involved in the admin industry, this debate will equip you with a balanced view of AI’s role in your work. Join us to discover how AI can be harnessed while also understanding the potential pitfalls and how to navigate them. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Understanding AI’s Role in Efficiency and Innovation: Gain insights into how AI can automate routine tasks, enhance data analysis, and optimize resources, allowing professionals to focus on strategic activities.
• Recognizing Potential Challenges and Risks: Learn about the concerns related to job displacement, privacy, and over-reliance on AI, and explore strategies to mitigate these risks.

• Balancing Technology with Human Interaction: Develop an understanding of how to integrate AI without losing the essential human touch, ensuring that technology complements rather than replaces personal interactions in the workplace. 

Jonathan Bennett

Jonathan Bennett (John) is one of iBabs’s favourite solution experts. He will guide you through the nooks and crannies of the iBabs meeting management platform.

Power through agendas and documents, make more informed decisions and conduct meetings faster. iBabs not only captures the entire decision-making process and improves governance – it takes all the paperwork out of meetings.

iBabs: A Meeting Management Portal Designed to Save You as Much Time and Effort as Possible!

Jonathan Bennett will show you exactly how the iBabs board portal works. He will talk through a very practical approach to implementing a digital board portal and will walk you through the special features of iBabs. 

• Simplify the organisation of your board meetings. 
• Save hours preparing agendas and board packs.
• Collaborate easily with annotations, voting and meeting summaries.  
• On any device, anywhere. 

If you are just starting your journey to paperless board meetings, or are not happy with your current solution, then this is the session for you! 

Learning Outcomes:

• A real-life example of how to best introduce a new paperless board meeting solution to your board 
• How to get even the most anti-digital users to love and embrace a paperless solution 
• A rundown of iBabs, our board portal solution 

Julia Leibowitz

Julia Leibowitz is the Co-Founder and CEO of Cabinet, a scheduling platform created to solve for the unique complexities and challenges of EAs and Admins. Julia spent her early career as an executive assistant where she grew tired of constant scheduling requests and the tedious, time-consuming steps it took to offer availability and track meetings that haven’t yet landed. She is proud to support EAs and Admins in her job today where Cabinet customers have seen meetings land 3 days sooner, reduction in errors, such as time-zone miscalculations and forgotten holds, and an increase in band-width to take more tasks off their Execs’ plate. When she is not working with Cabinet colleagues, she loves spending time in nature with her family in Denver, Colorado.  

Cabinet: Technology to Save You Hours a Week on Scheduling

It is 2023 and we do not need to do things as they were done in 1999. That goes for scheduling too.  

Cabinet is a scheduling platform created to solve the unique complexities and challenges of EAs and Admins. It integrates with Outlook and leads to a 50% reduction in time and mistakes spent scheduling. Some of the features that enable these benefits include individual and group scheduling automation, shadow holds, meetings tracking and instant calendar audits.  

Cabinet’s CEO and Co-Founder, Julia Leibowitz, is a former Executive Assistant. She will walk you through how to quickly start benefiting from massive time savings with your free trial of Cabinet. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Meetings land 3 days sooner 
• Reduction in errors, such as time-zone miscalculations and forgotten holds 
• Increase in EA bandwidth to take more tasks off their Executives’ plate 
• Collaboration and transparency within teams yielding better results 

Kristie Webber

Kristie Webber is the Chief Executive Assistant to the CEO and Board of Directors at Space Foundation.
She is an accomplished administrative professional with a passion for efficiency, organization, and growth. At Space Foundation she leads a team of administrative professionals and the ’Culture Crew’ employee resource group.

She serves on the advisory board for Emmre, a software platform designed to help executives and executive assistants build more strategic partnerships. 

Kristie is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and has her Masters in Business Administration (MBA). She recently completed service in the Colorado Air National Guard. 

Kristie resides in Colorado Springs with her husband and two dogs (lab and golden retriever). 

An Executive’s View on Improving their Strategic Partnership with Their EA Using Emmre

Join us for an enlightening webinar as Don Harms, CEO of Emmre, engages in a conversation with Kristie Webber, Executive Assistant at the Space Foundation, and Tom Zelibor, the recently retired CEO of the Space Foundation. Explore their real-life experiences with Emmre, a software that has transformed the way they work together. 

Hear how Tom Zelibor’s perception of an Executive Assistant’s role shifted with the game-changing impact of Emmre. Tom shares how, “Emmre changed the dynamic of how I used an Executive Assistant,” giving a glimpse of the profound changes it brought to their partnership. 

During this session, we’ll delve into the core features of Emmre, understanding how it played a pivotal role in streamlining communication, optimizing productivity, and enhancing collaboration between Tom and Kristie.  

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn from their success stories and discover how Emmre can foster better collaboration and productivity in your professional relationships.

Learning Outcomes:

• Elevate Your Executive and EA Partnership: Learn from Kristie and Tom’s experience to uncover the transformative potential of Emmre as a powerful tool that can propel your executive-executive assistant partnership to unparalleled heights.
• Mastering Emmre’s Productivity Power: Gain a comprehensive understanding of Emmre’s core features and functionalities, unlocking its true potential to revolutionize your workflow. Discover how Emmre optimizes communication, time management, and decision-making, enabling you to supercharge productivity and streamline operations like never before. 
• Beyond Software: Nurturing Strategic Partnerships: Dive into the secrets of Tom and Kristie’s strategic partnership, both within and beyond Emmre. Explore the strategies they employed to foster a cohesive and high-performing team, transcending the digital realm. Gather practical tips on building trust, effective communication, and aligning goals for success, leaving a lasting impact on your working relationships. 

Lea White

Lea White has an absolute passion for making a difference and she loves sharing her knowledge to help others. She has a commitment to learning and self-development and is currently working towards a Bachelor of Business degree majoring in Business Analytics with an Accounting minor. Outside of this, Lea is actively learning about data analytics and how it could complement her existing skillset.  

She is the executive assistant to the CEO at SSS – IT Security Specialists and a member of the senior leadership team. Lea contributes to the SSS company strategy and takes ownership of several key strategic initiatives to help drive meaningful outcomes. Her role allows her opportunities to get involved in many different aspects of the organisation, which she enjoys.  

Lea has been involved with event management, HR, finance reporting, data analytics, and marketing.  

Originally from South Africa, Lea lives in New Zealand on a small farm with her partner, daughter, and cat named Oscar. In her spare time, she likes playing card and board games such as Dominion. 

Automate and Save Time with PowerQuery

Many of us deal with data on a regular basis – whether that is to produce a regular report. These could be expenses, overtime, timesheets, finance, sales, HR, or survey responses. There are many different use cases where PowerQuery could help you work faster, smarter, and in a more automated way. 

One of the regular reports that Lea produces in her role would typically take around five hours to prepare each time. Using PowerQuery, she has reduced that time to five minutes each time! 

In this session you will be introduced to PowerQuery and how it can help you significantly reduce the time you spend on preparing your data. You will learn how you can set it up so that it will automatically update any future data you add. The session will be a step-by-step demonstration and by the end of the session, you will be equipped with tangible information you could apply straight away.

Learning Outcomes:

• You will be introduced to PowerQuery and explore some of the functionality. 
• You will learn how to prepare your data for regular updates or reporting in a way that is automated and will save you time. 
• You will learn how to set up a basic dashboard in Excel that will automatically update each time you add data and allow you to explore the information using available filters. 

Lizebeth Koloko-Green

Lizebeth Koloko-Green is the CEO & Founder of ANWOW (Adopt New Ways of Working). She is also an Executive Assistant at Nutanix France and has over 20 years of experience working in international corporate environments, including Symantec France and Areda Computer Systems. She holds a Master’s Degree in Management from ESSEC Business School and a Degree in Office Management from the Academie de Versailles. She is certified as a Microsoft Office Specialist Expert in Outlook, OneNote, PowerPoint, and Word. She is bilingual in French and English. 

Lizebeth is very passionate about learning and teaching information technology software and often trains Executives, Sales Teams, and Administrative Professionals on Microsoft applications and lecturing and speaking about information technology at administrative conferences and other events.  

She is a proud member of IMA France (International Management Assistants Network), IAAP (International Association of Administrative Professionals), and PANSA (Platinum Assistant Network – South Africa). Lizebeth was selected to represent France in the 2018, 2021, and 2022 World Administrators Summit. 

Lizebeth grew up in Fremont, California, but was born in Paris, France, where she resides with her daughter, Aaliyah. She loves studying and learning foreign languages and new information technologies in her spare time. She is currently studying German and Mandarin Chinese. 

Harnessing ChatGPT: Unleash Your Potential and Redefine Administrative Excellence

Join Lizebeth Koloko-Green, CEO and founder of ANWOW (Adopt New Ways of Working) in a groundbreaking session designed to redefine the landscape of administrative work. This session will introduce you to ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI that is set to become an indispensable tool in your administrative arsenal. 

Administrative Professionals are the cornerstone of every organization, skillfully managing diverse tasks and projects. By harnessing the power of ChatGPT, you can unlock extraordinary levels of productivity and efficiency, catapulting your administrative capabilities to new heights. 

In this immersive and enlightening session, Lizebeth will guide you through how ChatGPT can be integrated into your daily tasks. With practical tips and real-world examples, you will learn how to use ChatGPT to enhance productivity, streamline communications, and boost efficiency across all administrative responsibilities. 

This is your opportunity to learn from an industry leader and pioneer new ways of working that will enhance your career and position you at the cutting edge of the administrative profession.

Learning Outcomes:

• Gain a comprehensive understanding of ChatGPT, its capabilities, and its transformative potential for the administrative profession.
• Uncover effective strategies for integrating ChatGPT into your daily tasks to supercharge your productivity and efficiency.
• Learn how to use ChatGPT for various tasks, including drafting emails, managing calendars, coordinating events, conducting research, and more.
• Understand the potential challenges and limitations of ChatGPT and learn best practices for mitigating risks and ensuring data privacy and security in the workplace.

Experience the game-changing impact of this advanced technology on your productivity and overall work experience. Don’t miss this opportunity to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving world of administrative work. 

Liz Hardwick

Liz Hardwick helps business owners, professionals and their teams, reclaim their time, energy and focus, with tried-and-tested productivity methods and digital tools, to achieve that iconic four-day working week.

She is regularly booked as a keynote speaker, business speaker, panelist and moderator host, at events across the world and online, on topics such as digital productivity, focus and time management, digital technology and her own email management system, ZenForInbox.

Liz is a digital productivity specialist, professional speaker, trainer and tech founder, and has been sharing her expertise and experiences of “harnessing digital for human benefit”, for over 15 years through engaging talks, trainings, virtual seminars, and via The Productivity Club, for a range of clients including BBC, Arts Council, UNI Global, NHS England, and more.

Described as a forever-smiling, down to earth, and approachable expert, she is known for advocating a strong work life balance, using digital to solve human problems, and loves to demystify technology so everyone can be digitally included.

Liz has been recognised for her achievements in the TechWomen100, TechWorld’s Top 111 UK Women in Tech Speakers, BC’s 101 Female Founders in Tech, and the Digital Leaders UK 100

The Top Digital Productivity Tools to Reclaim your Time, Energy and Focus

In this super-productive session, we will work together on Liz Hardwick’s new “Wheel of Productivity Tool”, and she will share her top digital productivity tools to help you to reclaim your time, energy and focus. Liz will also share her favourite mobile apps to get stuff DONE! and harness digital to work for you… and not become a distraction!

Learning Outcomes:

In this session, Liz will share…

• 3 top productivity tips with a productivity process, supporting app, and power user tip for each
• Reflection prompts to quickly and easily check in on your productivity and goals throughout your working day/week
• How to use her brand-new tool, The Digital Productivity Wheel – enabling you to go deeper with your digital productivity journey and focus on what matters to you

Lisa Gareau

Lisa Gareau is a lifelong event planner and has been a Connection Strategy Coach for over a decade.  

When founding Candy Event Consulting in 2008, she began her life’s work to help in-house and do-it-yourself event planners embrace their brilliance, activate their experience, and cultivate meaningful connections that would last through the events they plan.  

Lisa knows that events can become energized “connecting points” where communities can gather and grow, and she helps make this happen by offering high-level strategy sessions and deep-dive coaching guidance for everyday event planners and their teams.  

Her heart for community and passion for connection shines through as a speaker, facilitator, coach, and the constant creator of learning and connection opportunities for planners including Candy Academy of Event Planning + Promotion, Moments Magazine – Event Planning Ideas + Inspiration, The Connection Architect Program, The Connector Next Door Podcast for Planners, and now Candy’s online mastermind for everyday event planners called The REDI Room!  

Lisa loves living and working from her home base in Calgary, Alberta just a stone’s throw from the Canadian Rockies – a favourite family playground. 

Setting the Stage for Your Event Story with Sound and Light

Stories have power. Stories convey passion. Stories move people to action. 

When we consider the power of a story, we must consider the potential influence of those who tell them.  

If a story can awaken emotion and move people to action, how we use this power becomes ever more important. 

Whether you are aware of it or not, your meeting, event, gathering, or gala is telling a story and you – my event planning friend – are the storyteller.  

You have the power. You have the passion. You can move people to positive action!  

By mastering the use of sound and light your event stories can be delivered with creativity and confidence, knowing your guests will be right there with you from beginning to end. 

Yes, it’s the work of seasoned producers, stage managers, facility staff, and tech teams to put us at ease by managing the sound and light for our events.  

But when we embrace the role of storyteller, we become co-creators with our production teams, setting the stage for our event stories to be truly seen, heard, and experienced!

Learning Outcomes:

• Align your “event story” with your event purpose. 
• Engage your guests with a compelling event story. 
• Tell your event story with immersive sound and light. 
• Empower your guests to interact with your event story!

Lindsay Robinson

Lindsay Robinson has always been of service to others. Starting her career while still in college at Montclair State University in New Jersey, USA, she commuted to New York each day serving as an Assistant to a technology venture capitalist. She learned very early in her career,that being proactive, resourceful, and personable would get her quite far, fast. 

Coordinating events, managing office politics, and of course keeping this busy executive efficiently organized, made her sought after in the entertainment industry. With 10-year tenures at the National Basketball Association and experiential marketing agency, Team Epiphany, Lindsay was seeking a more traditional assistant role.  

In 2018, she found her way back to the tech industry as an Executive Assistant to the Online Sales Organization at LinkedIn. Her daily role is in support of the Vice President as well as a Senior Director in this business vertical. With 600 employees globally, Lindsay’s days are full of varied requests requiring high efficiency and execution. One of the joys is being able to help people understand the benefits of the platform as an Ambassador for the Rock Your Profile program. 

In her spare time, Lindsay is an avid fitness enthusiast. She completed 40 races in a calendar year as a celebration of her 40th birthday in 2017, following that goal by running the New York Marathon in 2018. 

Interview: Tech-Driven Evolution – A Senior Executive Assistant’s Journey

Join us for this compelling interview with LinkedIn’s Lindsay Robinson, one of the world’s most influential EAs.  Lindsay explains the intersections of technology and administrative excellence, uncovering invaluable insights that can shape your own success. 

Gain inspiration from our speaker’s personal journey – from their Executive Assistant beginnings to their current impactful role. Discover the pivotal moments that shaped their trajectory. 

Uncover the diverse array of responsibilities a Senior Executive Assistant manages. From strategic coordination to confidential communications, explore the facets that define their role and how technology shapes them. 

Learn how technology has revolutionized the landscape of senior Executive Assistance. Discover firsthand how digital tools have streamlined workflows, enhanced productivity, and expanded impact. 

Hear about real challenges encountered while embracing new technologies. Discover strategies for overcoming obstacles and ensuring seamless integration.

Learning Outcomes:

• Receive actionable advice from one of America’s most influential Senior Executive Assistant on leveraging technology for your own success. Uncover tips, tricks, and strategies for harnessing digital tools effectively. 
• Explore how the integration of technology is redefining the very essence of the Executive Assistant profession. Discover trends and forecasts that will shape the path forward. 
• Navigating Skill Set Evolution: Understand how technological advancements have altered the expectations and required skill set for Executive Assistants. Gain insights to stay ahead in an ever-evolving landscape. 

Matt Martin

Matt Martin is a Co-Founder and CEO of Clockwise, an AI-powered calendar solution. Before Clockwise, Matt worked at RelateIQ, which was acquired by Salesforce for $390 million in 2016. Matt started Clockwise with fellow RelateIQ early employees Gary Lerhaupt and Mike Grinolds. Matt completed his undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College and law school at the University of Pennsylvania. 

The Future of Executive Support with Clockwise

Imagine if everyone had an Assistant managing their schedule! 

Nobody, not even the most experienced and seasoned support professional, has all the best tools in their toolkit independently to be the best at scheduling. At Clockwise, we believe that when you have powerful technology on your side, you’ll accomplish a lot more than what’s possible as a single human brain. The result? The ability to schedule the impossible. 

With AI, we see a here-to-fore impossible opportunity: give everyone an Assistant they can completely delegate calendar management to – and not just the VPs and C-levels, but the front line managers, the individual contributors, and even the executive assistants themselves. 

Join Clockwise co-founder and CEO, Matt Martin, for a conversation about the future of executive support work and learn how leveraging AI will compound your value, not take it away.

Learning Outcomes:

• AI can improve the way that executive support professionals go about their jobs 
• Executive support professionals can take advantage of the new generation of AI tools in order to stay competitive
• When executive support can delegate calendar management to AI, they’re able to focus on the strategic, high-value tasks 

Melissa Peoples

Melissa Peoples is a pioneering Executive Assistant coach, executive operations expert, and dynamic speaker dedicated to transforming the narrative of the administrative profession. As the CEO of M. Peoples Consulting, she combines over 25 years of C-suite executive partnership experience, including her impactful tenure as Executive Operations Advisor to the CEO of the New York Times, with authenticity and strategic insight to shift perceptions and redefine roles in the industry. 

 Her unique approach unravels the complexities of executive partnership, offering strategies to eliminate chaos, optimize executive performance, and establish an empowered role for EAs in the workspace. Melissa’s dedication extends to her role as the founder and host of ‘Admin Gurus’, a YouTube channel aimed at equipping administrative professionals with technology skills to enhance their roles and increase their bandwidth. 

 Known for her dynamic style and transformative sessions, Melissa inspires administrative professionals to navigate industry biases, embrace their potential, and confidently occupy their seats at the table. Expect a blend of strategy, insightful advice, and a dash of spiciness. Join Melissa for a fresh perspective and a transformative journey to revolutionize your administrative career. 

Breaking Boundaries: Fostering Inclusion Through Accessible Tech

Dive into “Breaking Boundaries: Fostering Inclusion Through Accessible Tech,” a dynamic exploration of tech-fueled inclusivity set to revolutionize your workplace. This session takes a look at the role administrative professionals take in creating accessible workspaces. We’ll navigate cutting-edge technologies, unveiling powerful tools that shatter barriers and foster an inclusive environment. Discover a roadmap to champion change and foster adaptive environments. Equip yourself with the knowledge to transform your workplace, amplify inclusivity, and supercharge your tech toolbelt with accessible solutions. Let’s not just talk tech – let’s push boundaries and rewrite the rules of accessibility and inclusion together. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Explore cutting-edge technologies and tools that enhance accessibility, empowering you to create a more inclusive and adaptive workplace. 
• Learn how to champion change in your organization by leveraging technology and best practices to foster inclusivity and maintain an ongoing commitment to learning and enhancing accessibility practices. 
• Understand the critical role administrative professionals play in fostering accessible and inclusive workspaces and identify key strategies to implement this in your own environment. 

Melissa Esquibel

Microsoft Certified Trainer Alumni | Microsoft Office Specialist Expert | Productivity Coach

Melissa Esquibel was in the thick of early business technology innovation when hardware and systems were kept in a virtual black box, and IT gatekeepers doled out functionality within a rigid systems architecture. Now, in the present, where end-users know how to access the power of technology independently and according to the agile timelines they need, this push and pull has created quite a mess in many organizations.

With her unique experience as the conduit between the gatekeepers and the gatestormers, Melissa offers you her unique perspective as a “bridge builder.” Her sense of humor and common-sense approach will engage your team and produce results you can take to the bank in real world time savings and effective use of your organization’s resources. She brings out the best in people, coaxing out meaningful collaboration and impactful solutions.

Google Workspace: As Good As Microsoft Office? (Or Better?!)

In this session, office productivity specialist and tech evangelist, Melissa Esquibel will take you through some surprising features of Google Workspace apps. If you’re making the transition from Microsoft Office (Microsoft 365) to Google Workspace, you may be dreading the transition, but Melissa will show you how Gmail, Calendar, Docs and Sheets can do some of the same heavy lifting and a few places where it’s even stronger! 

Even if a transition isn’t imminent, being prepared to hit the ground running in a new position or being able to support the upstart executive in a BYOD/BYOA (bring your own device/bring your own applications) environment, this session will enable you to stay professionally and technically nimble. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Learn Gmail features to help you get and stay organized 
• Become familiar with how to share Calendars in a mixed environment 
• Understand docs features that help you create complex documents
• Understand the main differences in Sheets and how to tackle the obstacles 
• Know your best slide presentation choices in a Google Workspace world 

Second session

The Great AI Debate: Jessica McBride and Melissa Esquibel Debate the Impact of AI on the Administrative Profession

The debate will be structured around two primary themes: the positive enhancements AI can bring to administrative tasks and the potential concerns and challenges it may pose.  

From automating routine processes to personalizing support, we’ll delve into how AI can revolutionize efficiency and accuracy. Conversely, we’ll also address the fears surrounding job displacement, privacy issues, and the loss of human touch.  

Whether you’re an Executive Assistant, Administrative Assistant, or involved in the admin industry, this debate will equip you with a balanced view of AI’s role in your work. Join us to discover how AI can be harnessed while also understanding the potential pitfalls and how to navigate them. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Understanding AI’s Role in Efficiency and Innovation: Gain insights into how AI can automate routine tasks, enhance data analysis, and optimize resources, allowing professionals to focus on strategic activities.
• Recognizing Potential Challenges and Risks: Learn about the concerns related to job displacement, privacy, and over-reliance on AI, and explore strategies to mitigate these risks
• Balancing Technology with Human Interaction: Develop an understanding of how to integrate AI without losing the essential human touch, ensuring that technology complements rather than replaces personal interactions in the workplace. 

Mike Thomas

Microsoft Trainer and Solution Developer: Excel | Power BI | Office

In a career spanning 30+ years, Mike Thomas, a UK-based IT Trainer, has delivered thousands of courses and produced hundreds of written and video-based tutorials.

He is a subject matter expert in a range of technologies, his primary focus and passion being Microsoft Office (especially Excel) on both the Windows and Mac platforms and Power BI.

Mike is a Fellow of The Learning and Performance Institute and has worked with and for many global and UK-based companies and organizations across a diverse range of industries including healthcare, pharmaceutical and public sector.

In addition to training, he also designs and develops Microsoft Office-based solutions that automate key business tasks and processes.

Visualizing Success: A Beginners Guide to PowerBI

In today’s fast-paced business environment, effective decision-making is a crucial skill for EAs and PAs. The ability to analyze and interpret data is becoming increasingly important in supporting strategic initiatives and driving organizational success.

This dynamic and informative session is designed to empower Assistants with the knowledge and skills needed to leverage Power BI for data-driven decision-making.

Using real-world examples you will learn how to harness the power of Power BI’s intuitive visualizations to unlock key insights hidden within your data.

You will explore how Power BI enables you to effortlessly import, clean, and transform data from multiple sources into meaningful visual representations. You will discover the art of creating interactive dashboards and reports that communicate complex information at a glance, enabling you to identify trends, spot patterns, and make proactive decisions.

By attending this session, you will leave equipped with the knowledge and confidence to harness the power of Power BI, transforming yourself into a data-driven decision-maker who propels success for your organization.

Learning Outcomes:

• Gain an understanding of Power BI and its capabilities in transforming raw data into visually appealing and interactive dashboards and reports
• Learn how to import, clean, and transform data from multiple sources using Power BI
• Acquire the skills to create interactive dashboards and reports that effectively communicate complex information
• Streamline reporting and information sharing: Discover how Power BI can streamline the process of generating reports and sharing information with stakeholders

Oli Hills

Oli Hills is CEO of Nonsensical – The TikTok Agency. They are renowned for getting brands’ impact on TikTok through content creation, paid media and influencers. The team at Nonsensical are obsessed with TikTok and has even grown their own communities, Birmingham Updates, Best of Bristol, Endless Pride and Endless Mythology to over 900,000 followers. Since the shift to focus on TikTok, they have worked with the likes of Go.Compare, Interflora, The Works and Uber Eats. 

Oli is also on the Board of Governors at Ronald McDonald House Charities and is an international speaker and guest lecturer. 

Is TikTok Still Just an App for Kids Dancing?

TikTok has the preconception that it’s just an app used by teenagers to recreate dances; we’re here to dispel that myth. 

In this session, we’ll explore how TikTok has totally transformed the entertainment and social industry and discuss exactly how it has managed to grow to over 1 billion users, with 94 minutes being the average time spent on the app per day. 

TikTok is renowned for viral hits, but that’s not always the best metric for success for companies. There are a number of ways that businesses can address TikTok to achieve their goals. 

We’ll cover how to create impactful content on the platform, the power of advertising, working with influencers to bring your brand to life and selling products directly through TikTok Shop. 

Learning Outcomes:

• How the TikTok algorithm actually works
• The wide variety of content that can be created for the app 
• How to generate impact on the platform regardless of the company’s objectives 

Patrick S. Woods

Patrick S. Woods is an international trainer and highly experienced senior executive who specializes in procurement, supply chain management and executive leadership training. 

Patrick has had the phenomenal opportunity to work with over 300 companies in the U.S., Asia, the Netherlands, the Middle East, Africa, India and Central America. Now, in collaboration with  Missouri State University (MSU), he is conducting professional development training for key corporations, including “Negotiations in the 21st Century.”     

Patrick is also excited to be working with BMTG as a facilitator of the ACEA® program.   He divides his time between Dallas, Texas, USA  and Costa Rica. 

Best-In-Class Vendor Negotiations Using NSS

As an Assistant, you may be called upon to negotiate key contracts with vendors and you want to not only impress your boss but deliver maximum value to your organization. The purpose of this presentation is to enhance the traditional negotiation factors such as planning, execution and use of tactics by integrating technology known as  NSS – Negotiation Support Systems. NSS are computer-based tools and technologies designed to support Assistants in making effective decisions during negotiation processes. 

We will delve into seven key areas:  

• Decision Analysis Tools 
• Information Management 
• Communication Support 
• Analytical Models 
• Strategic Guidance 
• Conflict Resolution Support 
• Collaboration support 

The bottom line is that NSS does not replace you as a skilful negotiator but provides you with tools that enhance and inform the negotiation process. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Define NSS 
• Analyze its key features and components 
• Compare and contrast available NSS software programs

Peter Ivanov

Peter Ivanov is a manager, entrepreneur and virtual teams’ expert with over 25 years of international experience. Peter recognized the growing importance of teams formed across multiple locations and developed an innovative method for leading virtual teams. In 2007, the team led by Peter won the “Best of the Best” award for outstanding project management in establishing global shared services. 

As an expert in new leadership, Peter supports managers to retain the gravity of their team despite the geographical distance, age and cultural differences, whilst also delivering top business performance. He inspires audiences all over the world as a keynote speaker. 

Peter’s book “Virtual Power Teams” is in the Amazon Top 3 for International Management and has been translated in 6 languages – English, German, Bulgarian, Polish, Spanish and Chinese.   

For a free download of his book ‘Virtual Power Teams’, please visit https://mailchi.mp/peter-ivanov/vpt_book 

AI and People Partnerships: Unlocking New Organizational Capabilities and Business Value with AI

We are witnessing two revolutions unfolding simultaneously and changing the way we work, live and think. The global pandemic proved that we can be more flexible in “where” and “when” we work, allowing for working from home and asynchronously in virtual teams. Meanwhile, Generative AI like ChatGPT is taking our work and personal lives by storm, raising hopes, fears, and expectations and unleashing immense productivity gains.  

In this session, Peter Ivanov will help you envision the organization of the future, highlight the core competencies needed to integrate people and AI in powerful virtual teams and provide pragmatic strategies and tactics to get your people onboard, managing their fears and proactively leading the career evolution for personal and business growth and success! 

Learning Outcomes:

• What are the organizational capabilities needed for AI and people integration 
• How to address the “fears” of AI “taking over our jobs” and build trust and clear expectations
• How to get your people onboard – building your strategy from experimentation to scale-up 
• How to establish a structured communication and proactively lead the “career evolution” by introducing AI  
• How to establish the optimal “people-centric” and “data-driven” culture to empower your organization for the future 

Rachel Locke

Rachel Locke is an international event organiser and leader of the creative agency, Virtual Approval.

Virtual Approval creates memorable, world-class events for ambitious brands, who want to stand out and ‘sparkle’ at

• Conferences
• Award Galas
• Seminars
• Exhibitions
• Product Launches
• Brand Experiences

Whether in-person, virtual or hybrid – we have the expertise to manage all the components from logistics to technology, design to delivery, every detail counts.

Virtual Approval are trusted partners, bringing to life corporate experiences for global and national brands including Ofsted, The Met Office, Smirnoff, Estee Lauder, Astra Zeneca, Michelin, British Council, TEDx & of course Executive Support Events, including this very special ES Tech extravaganza.

Rachel and her team are on a mission to help you, your executive and your brand execute events you can truly be proud of, again and again.

Event Tech for The Hybrid Era: How to Break Down Barriers And Deliver Events That ‘Wow’

Need to plan a company event that works both for an audience in the room AND online at the same time?

In this session we’ll delve into all the things to consider, the potential pitfalls and the huge opportunities that hybrid production presents.

We ‘ll talk about how to manage the budget, how to curate a dual agenda and an unforgettable immersive experience!

Save your executive time, save your company money and do your bit for the planet…. You CAN be a hybrid event maestro!

Learning Outcomes:

• Feel more confident and knowledgeable about planning a hybrid event, as well as virtual and in-person
• Know how to maximise the delegate experience
• Select the right event platform
• Select the right venue (& negotiate!)
• Plan the AV, the software & the tech
• Know how to map a hybrid event agenda

Richard Arnott

Richard Arnott is the owner of BMTG (UK) Ltd, and an accomplished Director and Big 4 Management Consultant with over 30 years’ experience within the financial services, utilities, logistics and infrastructure sectors. Richard specialises in strategy, project management and business transformation. Richard is the author and main presenter of the Advanced Certificate for the Executive Assistant: ACEA, a highly intensive five day interactive course that addresses the increasingly diverse roles expected of the modern Executive Assistant and provides delegates with the knowledge and understanding of a broad range of business fundamentals: strategy, leadership, communication skills, negotiation skills, and project management. For further details please visit http://executivesecretary.com/advanced-certificate.

Mind Mapping with MindView® for Effective Project Management

Introducing the dynamic world of mind mapping, a powerful visual technique that unleashes creativity and enhances project management. Imagine a canvas where ideas flourish and connections spark, enabling you to map out intricate concepts with unparalleled clarity.  

In this context, Richard Arnott, the Director of BMTG (UK) Ltd and author of the globally recognised Advanced Certificate for the Executive Assistant: ACEA®, introduces us to the ingenious project management tool known as MindView.  

A masterpiece in its own right, MindView seamlessly integrates the art of mind mapping with efficient project organization, empowering professionals to streamline their efforts, optimize collaboration, and transform visionary ideas into tangible accomplishments. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Understanding Work Breakdown Structures 
• The power of mind mapping 
• Functionality of the MindView® tool 

Shelley Fishel

The MS Office Maestro

Known as The MS Office Maestro, Shelley has been a Microsoft Office trainer for over 20 years, delivering face to face training sessions, presenting at events and training people remotely with various online tools.

Helping Assistants keep up to date with Microsoft Office is her passion. Shelley does this via her Virtual Live training sessions, webinars and her suite of self-paced courses – Essential Office for The Savvy Assistant.

Shelley is a Fellow of The Learning and Performance Institute and holds the COLF (Certified Online Learning Facilitator) and CDOL (Certified Designer of Online Learning) qualifications from the LPI.

Over the last several years Shelley has spoken or presented at a variety of events specifically aimed at PAs, EAs and VAs helping them to improve the way they work. Events include The PA Show, ESTech, Hemsley Fraser, PA Forum Conference, Practically Perfect PA, Miss Jones PA.

Microsoft Office Mastery: Expert Tips and Tricks for Streamlining Your Workflow

In this session, we’ll be covering a variety of useful features and shortcuts that can help you work more efficiently and productively in Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.

We’ll start by showing you how to export your Word documents to PowerPoint via the web and the desktop. Accessibility in

PowerPoint comes next showing you how to make sure that your presentation is as readable as possible. Then learn how to create a Custom Slide Show – how you can present only the slides that you need in each situation from a large slide deck.

Then, we’ll dive into some helpful Word features like Autocorrect and Autotext and navigation tips that can save you time and frustration.

In Outlook, we’ll cover keyboard shortcuts that can help you work faster and more efficiently, and my absolute favourite, Find Time – make scheduling meetings a breeze – a feature that not only asks everyone which time they prefer – it also schedules the meeting automatically when consensus is reached!

We will then hop over to Microsoft Teams and learn how to create your Avatar, a virtual representation of you, and how to schedule offline meetings.

Finally, I will introduce you to Microsoft Loop – a game changer for collaboration – Loop components can be added to Teams Chat, Outlook and Word online and allow collaboration in real time!

With so many tips and tricks to explore, you’re sure to find something that can help you work smarter, not harder. So, let’s get started!

Learning Outcomes:

• Navigate your applications with ease.
• Work faster in Word and Outlook
• Learn how to create an Avatar in Microsoft Teams
• Find out what Microsoft Loop is all about

Steuart Snooks

Email and Workplace Productivity Expert

Steuart Snooks is an Australian email and workplace productivity expert. He works with senior executives, their Assistants and support teams who are overloaded with email and has over 25 years’ experience in researching and developing practical, affordable solutions to the relentless demands of email and the workload it delivers.

Steuart delivers fast-paced, information-rich and highly practical presentations (with a touch of humour) that make a real difference to personal and organisational productivity.

He helps restore email to its rightful place as a powerful tool to leverage workplace and personal productivity. What he teaches can change the way you work . . .  forever!

Three Keys to Managing Information and Email Overload

Do you find that your days are a constant stream of information, email, communication and data overload? 

We will look at:

• The 3 key strategies for managing overload, wherever it is coming from 
• Harnessing selective ignorance and adopting a low-information diet 
• How to focus on the critical few rather than be consumed with the trivial many
   

This session is designed to give you at least one highly practical idea you can immediately implement to boost your workplace productivity and sense of being in control. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Get a higher degree of control over incoming interruptions 
• Reduce the volume of new inputs you manage manually each day 
• Speed up the way you process new inputs
• Automate and systematize the way you manage repetitive inputs  

Thom Dennis

CEO, Serenity in Leadership | International Speaker | Author

Thom Dennis is the CEO of Serenity in Leadership Ltd, the premier culture transformation, change and leadership specialists.

He is an international speaker, voiceover actor and Amazon #1 published author. Thom has been featured on both BBC TV News and radio, and as a thought leader in over 320 articles in industry-leading publications in just the last two years alone.

With over 30 years’ experience as an executive coach, facilitator, change maker and leadership developer, and having served 17 years as an officer in the Royal Marines, Thom has been hired by global banking, pharmaceutical, energy and engineering brands such as Citigroup, Royal Bank of Scotland, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Conoco Phillips, Shell, BP, Centrica and Transocean to name just a few.

The Pros and Cons of AI and How We Must Stay Human

AI is going to impact your life significantly and soon. ChatGPT is just one recent manifestation which has ignited a user take-up rate [which is faster than any other technology in history]. The World Economic Forum says a quarter of jobs will be impacted over just the next five years as a result of technology and digitalisation.  BT has unveiled its strategy to decrease its workforce by up to 55,000 employees by the year 2030, with roughly 10,000 positions being substituted by artificial intelligence. UK energy giant Octopus Energy reported that customer experience satisfaction is greater in those who interacted with an AI-driven assistant (80% customer satisfaction) than human staff (65%).   

So where does this leave leaders and their teams? 

Learning Outcomes:

• Insights into the breadth and depth of the wave of AI initiatives that are here and coming. 
• An understanding of the likely impacts of AI 
• Ideas of what to avoid and how to engage with AI 
• Encouragement and actions to take as AI invades all our work arenas 
• Tips for retaining your essence of humanity in the face of the changes brought about by the introduction of AI 

Tom Zelibor

Tom Zelibor is the former CEO of the Space Foundation and has an accomplished background in leadership and entrepreneurship. He served as Chairman and CEO of Lightwave Logic and held prominent roles in high-tech companies. Tom’s space expertise includes advisory positions for the Department of Homeland Security and the Defense Innovation Board. He retired as a Navy Rear Admiral and Naval Aviator after 35+ years of service and graduating from the United States Naval Academy. Additionally, he was the Director of the eSpace Incubator and is affiliated with various organizations. 

An Executive’s View on Improving their Strategic Partnership with Their EA Using Emmre

Join us for an enlightening webinar as Don Harms, CEO of Emmre, engages in a conversation with Kristie Webber, Executive Assistant at the Space Foundation, and Tom Zelibor, the recently retired CEO of the Space Foundation. Explore their real-life experiences with Emmre, a software that has transformed the way they work together. 

Hear how Tom Zelibor’s perception of an Executive Assistant’s role shifted with the game-changing impact of Emmre. Tom shares how, “Emmre changed the dynamic of how I used an Executive Assistant,” giving a glimpse of the profound changes it brought to their partnership. 

During this session, we’ll delve into the core features of Emmre, understanding how it played a pivotal role in streamlining communication, optimizing productivity, and enhancing collaboration between Tom and Kristie.  

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn from their success stories and discover how Emmre can foster better collaboration and productivity in your professional relationships.

Learning Outcomes:

• Elevate Your Executive and EA Partnership: Learn from Kristie and Tom’s experience to uncover the transformative potential of Emmre as a powerful tool that can propel your executive-executive assistant partnership to unparalleled heights.
• Mastering Emmre’s Productivity Power: Gain a comprehensive understanding of Emmre’s core features and functionalities, unlocking its true potential to revolutionize your workflow. Discover how Emmre optimizes communication, time management, and decision-making, enabling you to supercharge productivity and streamline operations like never before. 
• Beyond Software: Nurturing Strategic Partnerships: Dive into the secrets of Tom and Kristie’s strategic partnership, both within and beyond Emmre. Explore the strategies they employed to foster a cohesive and high-performing team, transcending the digital realm. Gather practical tips on building trust, effective communication, and aligning goals for success, leaving a lasting impact on your working relationships. 

Tony K Silver

Tony K Silver is a multi-award-winning LinkedIn expert, who has been helping people on the platform since 2009. In 2018 he set up his own company and created the LinkedIn Profile Audit (LIPA) that generates qualified targeted leads, builds new relationships and generates more sales. Tony K Silver rebranded to his name in 2021 as a LinkedIn profile expert and educator. 

He has taken the time to understand the algorithm and is regularly ranked in the top 5 by the platform in its search criteria and has been at Number One. With all his knowledge and years of experience, Tony can deliver successful results for his clients on a regular basis. 

As his 288 LinkedIn recommendations can attest, he has had a high level of demonstrable success since he started the business and drives the company on to help more businesses get what they need from the platform.  

Because LinkedIn is the preferred platform of professionals, he is able to work across many different industries, which include professional services, financial, coaches and speakers. He works with individuals as well as teams in masterclasses and also gives presentations and is a regular podcast and webinar guest. 

So You Are On LinkedIn, But Are You Getting the Results You Need?

This session will look at the four pillars of LinkedIn: 

• The Top Card 
• Optimization 
• Activities 
• Search 

Attendees will be shown implementable things to do on the platform and be given some of the latest updates, so if you are; 

• Looking for a job 
• Wanting to build professional relationships. 
• Generate leads 

then bring a notepad as you will need it! 

Traci Williams

Passionate about Spreadsheets | Founder of Excel Ace

Traci Williams is a self confessed ‘spreadsheet geek’ and has spent more than half of her life working with Excel spreadsheets. She has an infectious enthusiasm and a genuine passion for showing people how ‘simple’ Excel can be, how much time they can save by using it correctly, and even makes it seem like ‘Fun’!!!

Traci founded Excel Ace in 2008, leaving her career in accountancy, as she was frustrated at not having enough time to show colleagues how ‘ACE’ and simple Excel could be. Her mission with Excel Ace is to help people to love Excel as much as she does, or at the very least, not be afraid of it.

First Session:

Exciting Excel Features

In this session, we will look at some of the newest, and most exciting formulas in Excel which can make our spreadsheets more automated and reliable.

These include:

• Dynamic Formulas:
  •  Unique
  • Sort
  • Filter
• TextJoin
• Xlookup

Learning Outcomes:

• How / when to use Dynamic Formula to your advantage
• How to use newer formulas
• Upgrade your Vlookup knowledge to Xlookup

Second session

Introducing the ‘POWER’ of Power Query in Excel

Power Query is an extremely powerful (and hugely under-utilised) tool in Excel that can consolidate and transform data from multiple sources in seconds, negating the need for complex formulas and calculations on the face of a spreadsheet, and therefore eliminating the risk of them breaking, or being accidentally overwritten.

In this session, I’ll demonstrate the power of this function, showing a couple of different scenarios and also comparing it to the alternative methods, to really highlight the benefits.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understanding the benefit of Power Query
• Using Power Query to Combine data sets from different sources
• Using Power Query to Transform and Merge data at the touch of a button.

Valerie J. Thomas

Meet Valerie Thomas, a seasoned Executive Assistant, whose unwavering passion for technology has propelled her career to new heights. With over 20 years of experience, Valerie seamlessly blends administrative finesse with tech-savviness, resulting in a remarkable professional journey. 

Fueled by her fascination with technology, Valerie pursued a Microsoft Certified Trainer designation, solidifying her expertise in Microsoft’s suite of tools. Her journey from administrative support to tech education reflects her dedication to innovation and empowerment. 

Valerie’s unique skill set allows her to effortlessly integrate technology into her role, optimizing processes and driving productivity. Her colleagues often seek her guidance for streamlining tasks using the latest digital solutions. 

Beyond her technical prowess, Valerie is known for her exceptional organizational skills, adaptability, and a friendly demeanor. Her commitment to professional growth and her ability to bridge the gap between administrative responsibilities and cutting-edge tech make her an invaluable asset. As a Microsoft Certified Trainer, Valerie not only elevates her own career but also uplifts her peers by imparting valuable skills for a tech-driven world. 

Pivot Wizardry: Crafting Data Insights with Pivot Tables

Welcome to the enchanting world of “Pivot Wizardry: Crafting Data Insights with Pivot Tables.” Unleash your inner data magician and embark on a transformative journey where you’ll learn to wield the mystical powers of pivot tables to conjure profound insights from raw data. 

Pivot tables are the magical tools that turn confusion into clarity, chaos into order, and data into decisions. In this immersive class, you’ll be guided by expert sorcerers of data manipulation, equipping you with the knowledge and skills to manipulate, analyze, and visualize your data like never before. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Foundations of Pivot Sorcery: Discover the essence of pivot tables, from casting the perfect spell to choosing the right ingredients (data fields) for your enchantment.
• Transmutation of Data: Learn the art of transforming mundane data into gold by pivoting, summarizing, and arranging it in ways that reveal hidden treasures.

• Scrying Through Filters: Peer into the depths of your data realm using filters and slicers to reveal patterns and unveil mysteries. 

Vonetta Watson M Ed., MCT

Vonetta Watson, the owner of TechGem Educational Technologies, is a 25-year technology veteran, SME, facilitator, instructor, international trainer/speaker, mentor, author, technology and personal coach, consultant, and software migration/implementation specialist. As an Instructional Technology and Software Education Specialist, Vonetta has over two decades of experience in education and training delivery using unique combinations of Educational Technology methodologies that go beyond the twenty-first-century learners’ needs; she is an enthusiastic, dedicated, and committed educator who understands and strives to motivate others to exceed their expectations.

Vonetta is a highly accomplished individual with an extensive background in education. She has a Master of Education in Adult Education and Training, Curriculum and Testing Development, Instructional Design, Educational Leadership, Six Sigma Lean, and Personal Coach. With over 60 certifications in the IT field; her certifications include Internet & Computer Core Certification (IC5), Adobe^® Master Suite, Microsoft^® Certified Professional & Expert M365, which has gained her the Microsoft^® Certification for MOS Expert and Master, Microsoft^® Certified Educator, Microsoft^® Service Adoption Specialist, and Microsoft^® Certified Trainer. Vonetta also holds instructor certifications in Microsoft, IC5, Adobe^® CS5.

Microsoft Edge + Bing: The Power of Two

Discover the powerful synergy of Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Bing – the ultimate duo for boosting your online productivity workflow. Elevate your browsing experience with Microsoft Edge’s cutting-edge features, robust extensions, and game-changing AI integrations. Unleash the full potential of Microsoft Bing as your ultimate web companion. Get ready to revolutionize your browsing experience with this dynamic combination.  

Learning Outcomes:

• Leverage the power of cross-platform compatibility and unlock the potential of built-in productivity tools to optimize your efficiency and streamline your workflow. Discover the seamless integration and enhanced productivity they bring to your work. 
• Unleash the potential of cutting-edge image and video search, innovative web-based translation, and powerful AI-driven recognition technology. Experience the next level of efficiency and effectiveness in your digital endeavors. 
• Discover how to optimize your online experience. Take advantage of its built-in tools, such as collections, vertical tabs, and tab groups, designed to keep you organized and make the most of your precious time online.

Prof. Corinne Hoisington

Corinne Hoisington is a full-time professor of Information Systems Technology at Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg, Virginia, with more than 30 years of teaching experience. Corinne travels over 250,000 miles a year delivering keynote addresses and training for organisations such as the Microsoft Corporation, Microsoft Canada International Events, Cengage Learning, ByteSpeed, National Geographic Abu Dhabi, Capital One International Bank, JLab, Executive LIVE in London and Johannesburg, and the international South by Southwest (SXSW) event in Austin, Texas.  

Professor Hoisington is the recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award in Computer Programming. She has authored over 30 textbooks with Cengage Learning/National Geographic on topics such as Outlook 365, Office 365, Microsoft Windows, Android Boot Camp Java, Technology Now, and Visual Basic.  

Corinne is a distinguished thought leader, esteemed professor, and sought-after corporate trainer in the dynamic domains of Artificial Intelligence (AI), ChatGPT technology, Microsoft 365, and Admin Events. With a profound passion for technology and education, Professor Hoisington has become a guiding light in these rapidly evolving fields. 

The Power of Microsoft Copilot for Innovation: In the BLINK of an AI

Unlock the potential of AI-driven innovation with Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, and Art AI! Join our interactive session to explore the cutting-edge capabilities of Microsoft Copilot and discover how it can revolutionize your automation of the tasks that are NOT our favorite in the office. You’ll learn how to harness the power of AI to boost productivity, enhance creativity, and streamline your daily tasks. Understand how AI and Copilot can speed up the innovation process by automating repetitive tasks, allowing you to focus on creative problem-solving. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Begin your journey by understanding the fundamentals of AI, its evolution, Art AI, and the wide-ranging applications that AI technologies like ChatGPT and Copilot offer.  
• Explore how Office 365 Copilot tools can enhance productivity in everyday tasks, such as document creation, spreadsheet management, email communication, and team collaboration. 
• Understand how Copilot can boost productivity, improve collaboration, and accelerate development.

Emma Easton

Emma brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her role as a Recruitment Specialist at Strand Recruitment. Her journey in the recruitment industry began almost 20 years ago, and since then, she has honed her skills, becoming a trusted partner for both job seekers and employers. 

Emma possesses a remarkable talent for identifying exceptional candidates across various industries, including finance, IT and Telecoms. Her extensive network and proactive approach ensure that she consistently connects her clients with the most qua