City PM PA Awards: This year’s pandemic-era winners
City PM’s PA Awards crowned five winners on Wednesday, who were recognised for their dedication and effort to their businesses after a turbulent year.
There was around eight times more nominations than in previous years, after personal assistants (PA) were among the “hardest hit” amid the pandemic, awards judge and founder of C&C Search Lucy Chamberlain said.
PAs have also been “key to the functioning” of many organisations, as they helped CEOs navigate a new world of restrictions, fellow judge and founder of The Canary Wharf PA Club Alice Scutchey explained.
Winner of the Professional Services PA of the Year award Craig Bryson of Korn Ferry, and the only male in the front runners, told City PM that after a “mentally challenging” year, that the award was evidence that “it can be a man’s industry too”.
While Camilla English of Altus Partners, who snagged Rising Star of the Year, said that the award was “the best thing to come out of Covid”.
Tradeweb’s Sharon McGee, crowned the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, thanked her boss and team, adding that without them – “I wouldn’t be here today”.
Winner of a new, pandemic-era award – Navigating Change – London City Airport CEO executive assistant Grace Taylor told City PM that “to even be shortlisted is amazing”, adding that “it’s been a really tough year for everyone, everyone here has done a brilliant job”.
And winner of another new award Resilience and Positivity, Ann Marie Brennand of LEGO Company, explained that with Pas often being “forgotten off the list”, she was both “delighted” and “overwhelmed”.