We have coached and trained senior Executive PAs in a diverse range of organisations including:
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KPMG |
GE Money |
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AOL |
Orange |
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Shell |
Pfizer |
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Virgin Atlantic |
AstraZeneca |
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Premier Oil |
Manchester City Football Club |
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Aspen RE |
British Nuclear Group |
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Thames River Capital |
O2 |
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Tishman Speyer |
Genzeme |
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The National Trust |
McMillian Scott PLC |
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Libra Natural Resources |
Elior |
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ARUP |
Specialist Schools & Academies Trust |
| Ernst & Young | ING Life Ltd |
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Intercontinental Hotel Group |
United Laboratories Inc. |
We hope the following testimonials from a selection of our clients will give you some insight into how effective and significant our programmes are for the development of senior Executive PAs and Assistants.
"Thank you very much for the opportunity to take part this training session. As with all training sessions I was very sceptical prior to attending. It was probably one of the best sessions I’ve ever attended. As the course was directly aimed at my role I found it very informative and took away many ideas that I’ve already started implementing into my working day. It was extremely interesting to attend with other like minded individuals who were all doing the same job but across a wide range of companies. Please can you keep me updated of any other training courses that you may do..."
Jayne Clarke
Executive Assistant
Threadneedle
I thoroughly enjoyed the day… Susie's approach and knowledge was exceptional. Also the way she interacted with us all, made me feel very comfortable and able to open up and express myself. I would definitely recommend this course and Susie as a trainer.Thank you.
Ellen Costello
Senior Secretary
Wates
"Susie's guidance and passion has helped us to form an international network of professional PAs with the self-belief and determination required to develop their careers for their own benefit and that of the Company as a whole.
Susie's inspirational coaching methods gave me the confidence to approach my boss to discuss some very ambitious career plans, and the negotiating skills to ensure that I have his full support in achieving them.
Her presentation style is super enthusiastic and engaging and everyone who attended the recent course she ran for us here at G4S has benefited enormously from the key skills covered during the meeting, and managing a diverse international management team seems far less daunting than before."
Sophia Spencer
Executive Assistant
G4S PLC
"I thought the course was fantastic - Susie was a great presenter and was happy to answer all the random questions we asked.This is the first time I've actually enjoyed a course, mainly because it was 100% relevant for my role.I have definitely taken away a lot of ideas which will help me develop myself, my role and the relationship with my manager."
Mel Partridge
Executive Assistant
De La Rue
Susie’s passion and knowledge of the subject matter was clear for all to see. The information imparted was useful, practical, relevant and specific to PAs.
Rebecca Campbell
PA to the Director of Retail and Procurement & Senior Procurement Manager
ODEON/UCI Cinemas
"... my confidence has soared. I have implemented Susie's suggestions and receiving her totally impartial feedback was invaluable. It feels like a light has been turned on, now that I know what my goal is ... I am totally focussed on my future and with the tools learned from Castalia, I have no doubt that I will reach my goal. I cannot thank her enough and I recommend Castalia Coaching unreservedly."
Carol Hollett
PA to Chairman and Chief Executive
McMillan-Scott Plc
"Starting an effective and productive working relationship with any new PA is always a challenging task, especially with the never ending day to day work still being there. The Executive PA Performance Coaching that my new assistant Emma received was a fundamental part of accelerating the transition towards a fully effective partnership. In particular, giving the PA the confidence and structure to take the initiative on various activities on my behalf was especially helpful.
If you really want your PA to do more than just follow basic instructions and they have the right ‘can do’ attitude, I would recommend you get them support from Castalia. Pay back is instantaneous."
Brian Tenner
Finance Director
British Nuclear Group
"I approached Castalia for coaching soon after my promotion to work at Board level as PA to the Finance Director of British Nuclear Group.
The coaching I have received from Lindsay has helped me to build an extremely effective working relationship with my boss, giving me the confidence to request more regular and open communication, an aspect that has now become an integral part of how we work together. I am much more confident about myself and my position, employing a proactive approach in my work relationships. The skills and competencies that I have gained have been recognised and acknowledged by my Director, and also by the company when I was asked to cover for the Chairman’s office whilst his Executive Assistant was absent on jury service and annual leave.
I would recommend Castalia’s coaching programme to any PA who is serious about what they do, their role in supporting their Director/s and their own professional career development. I found that having a coach was invaluable in terms of my development, and also in terms of support - being able to bounce my ideas off someone who has had a lot of senior experience as a PA in the business world gave me the boost I needed."
Emma Rumney
PA to Finance Director
British Nuclear Group
"In my experience, most courses either cover things you already know leaving you bored or have no real relevance to what this job really entails and so are pointless. This course was highly informative, vibrantly presented and actually assisted me in making effective positive changes at work that improved my performance. Highly recommended!"
Bim Amoako
Personal Assistant
HMV UK
"Through the coaching programme with Castalia Coaching I have managed to develop my skills set further, finding new more effective ways of managing the office systems that underpin the GM’s office. I am now more able to effectively plan my managers and my own work load. My communication skills within the Directors meetings that I am a part of have improved. I am more confident in my position and as a result have expanded the scope of the role to one of leading the other PAs in the organization. Coaching has helped me find ways to resolve conflicts within the team and motivate them.
"My manager is extremely pleased with my progress and has shared this with other GMs across our UK offices and they are now looking into coaching for their Assistants. I have also been asked to share some of my best practices skills with our US office. I feel through undertaking this one to one coaching I have been able to really focus on those challenges I personally face and have gone from being a good Personal Assistant to an excellent Executive Assistant!"
Nina Galley
Exec Assistant to VP & General Manager, UK & Ireland
Genzyme
The Secrets of Top Performing PAs is by far the best training course I have been on for some time in the PA profession. Susie is an excellent trainer / presenter and certainly knows how to captivate an audience. The opportunity to mix and network with other PAs was fantastic! The whole programme was to an extremely high standard and "hit the nail on the head" in terms of what I was looking for and I can recommend this to any PA who is looking for more training. Susie is simply one of the best trainers in the industry!"
Victoria Darragh
Executive Assistant to Susan Scott-Parker OBE
Regional Chairman South East, European Management Assistants
"Before the course, I found myself between a rock and a hard place. I was trying to communicate effectively with my Executive who is a hand full to say the least. I had tried so many times to make things work but it was all in vain. I felt like the walls were closing in on me and the only way out was to leave. It just so happened that my course started before I made my final decision to resign. I started the coaching sessions and within weeks I felt my confidence return in so many ways and I decided to give it one last go. I found new and effective ways to communicate with my Exec and our working relationship grew from strength to strength. I pushed for my promotion to Executive Assistant and I confidently managed to negotiate my salary increase. On top of all this, our company was recently sold and my Exec was offered another very senior role (much higher than what he already was) and as a result, he asked me to continue supporting him after his promotion admitting that, he would not like anyone else to fill my place, which felt wonderful.
"Our working relationship is now rock solid and it feels great to know that he appreciates me greatly.
"I honestly feel that, although I did all the hard work myself in the office, all of my successes would not have been possible without the guidance, effective communication tips and confidence I gained from Susie, my coach at Castalia.
"Thank you!"
Colleen Beck
Executive Assistant
AOL
"After your wonderful seminar my world has changed a lot – for the better – thanks to you! I am utterly & forever grateful for all that I've learned from you.
I want to tell others how much you have inspired, encouraged & restored our worth (given our importance). After you've weaved your magic wand on us, my life didn't exactly do a 360 degree turn, but it has improved immensely. What you have shared with us has caused a marvelous rippling effect on our lives & the lives we touch each & every day. In the telco industry, we use the term – viral. Your words of wisdom, tips & advice has caused a viral effect on everybody.You taught us resilience & positive thinking."
Sheela Sabandal
Executive Assistant
Globe Telecom, Philippines
"Castalia Coaching has assisted my growth both in work and personal life. The coaching sessions were informal yet focus driven and have proved to be invaluable by discussing and laying out clear action points regarding the more challenging parts of my career. As a result of the discussions I now have a valuable structured outline of my goals and objectives.
"I felt totally comfortable speaking with Susie Stubley who obviously has a wealth of experience within the PA industry. I would have no reservations in recommending this very worthwhile programme."
Emma Hulme
Personal Assistant to the Director of Sales
Manchester City Football Club
"The day was packed full of ideas and processes I could take away with me and put into action. And the great part was that we had to do a lot of the work ourselves which meant we were engaged all day and interacting with other people on the course so you also learnt about how they do things and sharing ideas.
I don't spend a lot of time looking at what my goals are and where I would like to see my career heading. This course brought this to my attention and I can now put together my plan of action and how I'm going to get to where I want to be. It also showed me ways I can work with my line managers to build a better relationship and help them get to where they want to be too. Thank you for a great day of learning and networking!"
Tamsin Rawle
Personal Assistant
Genzyme Therapeutics
"Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to stand back and really look at what I needed to do to grow my role. I have now evaluated where I want to increase my responsibilities and have a clear action plan of how I achieve this.
"The biggest impact of the programme has been on my relationship with my boss. We now have crystal clear communications and I am meeting her needs before she knows she has them! So thank you from both of us!"
Belinda Green
Personal Assistant to HR Director
UK Head Office
"Having never had any coaching before, this has been a fabulous opportunity to spend time with someone who has loads of experience as a PA. Susie has really helped me to think about my current role, the personalities that populate it and how certain aspects can be improved upon. She has also made me think about where I am going and what I want to do with the rest of my career. It is an empowering experience as it allows you to explore your thoughts, ambitions and dreams - not something we get chance to do in the increasingly busy world we live in."
Susan Pettigrew
Personal Assistant
Corporate Information Services
Astrazeneca
