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ProActive. The Journal of International Management Assistants Claim your fame! Working in the eye of the storm World Administrator’s Summit 2018 55
ProActive.
The Journal of International
Management Assistants
55
Content
03 IMA Annual Conference 2017 The Hague:
Management Assistants should claim their fame!
04 The IMA world
06 The history of the WASummit, part 1
Eth Lloyd, Chairman of the Advisory Council
for the World Administrators’ Summit (WAS)
08 IMA Business:
Save the dates for the next international IMA events
10 Business Ethics:
Working in the eye of the storm
12 IMA Business:
Introducing Marie-Hélène Sow,
the new IMA Social Media Coordinator
14 IMA International Training Day 2018, Barcelona
15 IMA Annual Conference and WASummit 2018, Frankfurt
02 Editorial
15 About proActive
Editorial
The summer vacation Looking back on the As management
period has ended and past summer months, support professionals
we truly hope that you I notice that it is not we have an important
spent some quality just business ethics responsibility when it
time with friends and that make this world comes to ethics,
family, and that the go round, but also not just at the office
batteries are fully a lot of other moral but also outside our
recharged to face the issues around topics professional habitat.
busy autumn season such as religion, We all have a moral
that lies ahead! education, healthcare, duty in this world
science, media, poli- to do the right thing,
Our friends of IMA tics, the environment wherever possible,
Netherlands are and a lot more. whenever possible.
looking forward to
welcoming us in The Some recent tragic
Hague for the Annual events have unfortu- I look forward
Conference and AGM. nately proven again to meeting you all
We could not have that a lack of morals in The Hague!
wished for a better city or just plain stupid
to host the conference ignorance, is still Frieda Catteeuw
under this year’s topic very much alive and Editor proActive
of Business Ethics. kicking.
2
IMA Annual Conference 2017 The Hague
Management The 2017 IMA Annual Conference will have a moderator like IMA
never had before. His name is George Parker, an internationally
successful stand-up illusionist, mentalist, and corporate alchemist
Assistants should
from the Netherlands. A Corporate Alchemist? That for sure needs
explanation and George Parker is happy to oblige.
“An alchemist is searching for a recipe to turn led into gold, he tries
to bend the material to its will. As a corporate alchemist I try to bend
claim their fame! reality, especially our conscious and subconscious mental reality.
My aim is to turn a difficult situation in a company into the very best
possible situation. In other words: I use my knowledge and skills to
help organisations, teams and professionals to achieve the results
they want. It is my goal at the IMA conference to create meaningful
The 2017 IMA Annual Conference experiences that help our guests to achieve their highest vision.”
will have a moderator like IMA First-hand information
never had before. At the IMA Annual Conference, George Parker will act as moderator.
“Having been a key-note speaker, as well as a moderator,
at thousands of events all over the world, I know how easy it is
to turn audiences into passive consumers. I will help clarify the
presented content as well as process it. I will make sure there will
be moments for reflection or discussion. When you leave the IMA
conference, you should have created first hand insights and be
Greetje van Vroonhoven, able to turn them into first hand practices in your day to day life”.
National Chairman
IMA Netherlands Handbook Integrity
George Parker authored various books on creativity and the world
between imagination and reality. Does he believe a handbook on
integrity and ethics could be useful as well? “Integrity is a dynamic
topic. In my opinion it cannot be captured or confined in a handbook.
When you address integrity, you can’t just list a thousand rules and
ask people to remember and apply them. There is no such thing
as a clear cut answer to integrity issues, it is a continuous process.
“The word integrity has a Latin root and means whole, intact. When our
behaviour corresponds with our intentions we experience integrity”.
The role of assistants
“As a management support professional you are working in the
heart of your organisation, in the eye of the storm. Knowing about
George Parker what’s going on, dealing with sensitive and confidential information
has more than 40 years of is your core business. Management often can look below the
experience working with... surface of an organization. They are in an excellent position to
corporations and individuals
assess the connection between intention or integrity and the
and has performed in....
choices, behavior and communication within an organization”.
over twenty countries in...
theatres, at companies and
conferences. In addition to.... Claim your fame
being a performer, he is also a George Parker has performed for assistants before and he has
consultant, a coach, a trainer, much sympathy for their role and work. “They are spiders in the
a moderator, an author and a web, versatile, knowledgeable and they have great organizational
professional speaker. As a skills and a great sense of humor. Sometimes they don’t get the
moderator, his expertise is credit they deserve and are a little bit too modest. In a support
to manage the audience’s role you usually don’t put yourself in the spotlight. But in this day
energy level and to stimulate
and age, the support professionals should be aware of the important
interaction. Like no other
role they play in connecting people and connecting the dots.
moderator, he succeeds in...
And that part of their role should be acknowledged and rewarded.
holding up a mirror to enable
his audience to reflect on In fact, I think that the Management Assistants shouldn’t wait for
what they have heard and... that to happen, but claim their own fame. It takes courage, but
take new and inspirational there’s nothing wrong with speaking up and sharing your valuable
information home with them. views in order to keep the organization together”.
3
ProActive. #55
“Joining an international
Photo: fotogestoeber
network association like IMA
makes it possible to expand your
network rapidly and create more
room for personal and professional
development.”
4
IMA Annual Conference 2017 The Hague
Jannie Oosterhoff,
National Chairman
IMA Netherlands
The IMA world -
Meet Jannie Oosterhoff
Jannie Oosterhoff National Chairman of IMA Netherlands
is hosting the 2017 Annual Conference in The Hague!
Jannie has been an independent entrepreneur since PA: Is it difficult to find a job as management assistant
August 2016 as sole proprietor of Office O Business Support, in The Netherlands?
a small company that provides temporary support to
executive boards, management teams, Board of Directors JO: In The Netherlands there are always many candidates
or Supervisory Boards. She has a solid experience as competing for various interesting vacancies.
management support professional since 25 years in various Being a member of an international network can be an
organisations. important asset.
She is also studying to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Business PA: What do you see as the biggest assets for
Administration in order to get a firmer grasp on the theory IMA Netherlands in the coming year?
supporting the practice, with the aim of maximising her
added value for organisations. JO: The 2017 Annual Conference of course, and our
National Committee including several new members.
Since 2015, she became an IMA member again. We will be moving forward with the programme for 2018.
From June 2016 she was the National Membership Officer We will emphasise even more strongly that networking is
and recently Jannie got elected as National Chairman crucial for today’s management assistant.
of IMA Netherlands as of 1 October 2017.
But even more importantly, management assistants need
PA: Why did you take on this assignment for IMA? to be taking action now. Increasing the fame and visibility
of IMA Netherlands are two important topics we will work on.
JO: I needed a broader international network that offered
additional substance and support for management assistants.
Many management assistants still aren’t fully aware that Jannie also published
joining an international network association like IMA makes an article on the importance
it possible to expand their network rapidly and create more of networking on LinkedIn.
room for personal and professional development.
A good network can also be incredibly important when
looking for a different job or a new project.
However, this means that one needs to be pro-active
and show guts, courage and perseverance.
www.linkedin.com/pulse/
PA: How is the business climate in The Netherlands right now? networking-also-important
JO: The level of a management assistant is becoming
increasingly important. If you are aware of the importance
of personal branding and visibility on social media, the level
of our profession and networking provides great opportunities.
5
ProActive. #55
The history of the WASummit,
part 1
2018 is the most amazing opportunity for international discussions
on the many issues and questions that affect all administrative and
office professionals around the world.
Eth Lloyd,
globally recognised
authority on the role
of the Assistant.
So what is the World Administrators’ Summit (WASummit)? PURPOSE STATEMENT
What does it do, who goes to it and what does it mean to me?
A Purpose Statement was developed in 1992 which was:
Over the next few issues of this amazing magazine,
I will provide you with the history of the WASummit so that To bring together representatives from secretaries’,
you have a context for it. I will provide information on how administrative professionals’ and management assistants’
the summit is organised, what happens at the WASummit, associations throughout the world for the purpose of sharing
who attends and how you can contribute. ideas and information, and establishing action plans to
positively impact on issues and concerns facing the profession.
PART 1 - HISTORY WORLD ADMINISTRATORS’ SUMMIT At the 2006 International Secretarial Summit, Gold Coast
Australia, the delegates reviewed the purpose statement and
In 1992 Professional Secretaries International (now Inter- name of the summit, along with how these summits should be
national Association of Administrative Professionals - IAAP) conducted in the future. The reviewed purpose statement read:
hosted a meeting that brought together the leaders of the
various associations throughout the world to participate in A global meeting of office professional associations for the purpose
an international summit to discuss global issues affecting of developing and maintaining action plans, which will guide
secretarial staff. and influence Associations, to positively develop the profession.
The first two International Secretarial Summits were hosted At the 8th International Office Professionals Summit in Auckland,
in the United States in Portland and then New York. New Zealand in 2011, delegates further discussed the purpose
Since then they have been hosted in South Africa, of the summits and revised the purpose statement to:
New Zealand, United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and
Tobago, New Zealand again and in 2015 Papua New Guinea. A global meeting of administrative and office professionals
and Associations; to guide, influence, and positively
Summits have been held approximately every three years develop the profession.
since 1992 and at each summit a bid has been put forward
for hosting the following summit.
SUMMIT NAME
In 2015 New Zealand was the only country to put forward
a bid. They graciously allowed an approach to be made The original name was International Secretarial Summit.
to the northern hemisphere to seek a bid. IMA provided However, the change of associations names around the
a bid for 2018 which was accepted and New Zealand’s world indicated that secretarial was both too restrictive
bid stands for 2021. and not being used as commonly as previously.
6
The history of the WASummit, part 1
Illustration: naum
At the 2006 International Secretarial Summit a new name throughout the world. Those present in 2006 on the Gold Coast,
was voted on by all present – International Office Professionals’ Australia voted on and agreed that this was an appropriate name
Summit. However, it was later realised that it should have been for our world action plan which was then titled Administra.
only delegates who voted, so at the International Office Administra provides a suggested framework for associations
Professionals’ Summit, Auckland, New Zealand 2011 delegates to accomplish and organise their priorities. Administra will
again discussed the name. Delegates also discussed the future spark the energy and commitment of connected associations
of these summits - in particular, whether they should continue and provides the opportunity for collegiality and co-operation.
to be held, what value there is in holding the summits and what
do associations want to do internationally. Administra is a set of guidelines; it is not a set of rules. As noted
above, these guidelines are for the use of all associations
Following this discussion, delegates agreed that the summits throughout the world to help in developing their own strategic
would continue and furthermore, the new name for future or business plans. Deviations from Administra will occur, so this
summits will be: plan should be discussed and updated to reflect any new
direction at the next summit. Identifying and understanding any
“World Administrators’ Summit” deviation comes from monitoring and evaluating associations’
own plans against Administra.
The name was again discussed at the 2015 World Summit,
however the change suggested (Global Administrative Professionals’ In 2006 it was felt that monitoring and evaluating Administra
Summit) was later rejected by the Advisory Council and so the is as important as identifying the objectives and strategies.
name stays the same for the 2018 WASummit and into the future. A major advantage of monitoring and evaluation is that asso-
ciations can learn a great deal about their own associations, and
how to lead, manage and improve their own activities and status,
WORLD ACTION PLAN (ADMINISTRA) implementing those aspects of Administra they feel would
benefit their association. Another advantage is to ensure that
Goals and objectives must inform and shape the way associations Administra is helpful to associations throughout the world
set day-to-day priorities and make business decisions. in developing their own strategic or business plans.
The objectives and strategies therefore set ambitious,
but realistic milestones for progress towards the long-term Administra has therefore been reviewed at all summits since
realisation of goals, and these objectives and strategies 2006 (except 2009). At the 2015 WASummit the delegates
form the world action plan. called for a deeper review of Administra to incorporate the
individual administrative and office professional rather than
For the 2006 International Secretarial Summit, Australia purchased the single focus on associations. This review will be carried
the naming rights to a new star in the heavens and had it named out during the intervening years between the 2015 and 2018
“Administra” in honour of all Administrative and Office Professionals summits.
7
ProActive. #55
Save the dates
for the next international
IMA events:
IMA International Training Day 2018
“The Digital Age”
Topic: Your Online Brand Matters – Be Strategic
28 April 2018
Barcelona
Venue: Hotel Porta Fira
IMA hosts the 10th
World Administrators’ Summit 2018
24/25 October 2018
Frankfurt
worldadministratorssummit.com
IMA 44th Annual Conference 2018
“The Digital Age”
26 October 2018
Frankfurt
Venue: Steigenberger Airport Hotel
IMA International Training Day 2019 C
“The future is now” M
Greece J
exact date and place to be confirmed
CM
MJ
CJ
IMA 45 Annual Conference 2019
th
CMJ
“The future is now” N
Geneva
exact date and venue to be confirmed
8
The history of the WASummit, part 1
WORLD ADMINISTRATORS’ SUMMIT The Advisory Council was made up of progress in actions during the intervening
- ADVISORY COUNCIL representatives (2 per region) from the years between summits. Unfortunately,
regions as set out in the Terms of Reference therefore, this make-up of the Advisory
The WASummit Advisory Council was (ToR) (the most current ToR is on the Council meant it focussed on the next
originally established (2005) to encourage website http://www.worldadministrators- event and left little room for taking
Associations to actively participate summit.com/) and had two Co-Chairmen. actions from the previous event forward
in setting down an “agenda” and to The Co-Chairmen were one from each of in preparation for the next summit.
promote the summit to their own the immediate past summit and the next
associations’ members and office/ summit to provide continuity in running
administrative professionals around the event.
“In 2015 the WASummit will
the world. get the organization of supporting
For the 2015 WASummit the Advisory and guiding the host country”
The role of the Advisory Council was Council Co-Chairmen were confirmed by
discussed at the 2006 International their countries/organisations as: from the At the 2015 WASummit delegates requested
Secretarial Summit, and because the previous summit 2011 in New Zealand - that the Advisory Council be restructured
Advisory Council had been so successful, Eth Lloyd and for the next summit 2015 to enable it to focus on completing
it was agreed by the delegates that the in Papua New Guinea - Weka Avosa. actions/tasks from the summit, as well as
Advisory Council become a permanent supporting and guiding the host country
committee and have overall responsibility Taking actions forward between summits in the organisation of WASummits.
for all future summits. has been ad hoc with, occasionally,
either an interested person individually
To keep the size of the Advisory Council or the previous host country providing “The next article in this series will describe
manageable the world was divided into a report and from 2006 updating the future of the WASummit and start
regions. Do note that the make-up of Administra, immediately after the event. to outline the role you, as an individual
the regions is open to discussion at each This often led to topics being discussed administrative/office professional, can
summit as the world is a constantly and then the same topics being re- play and what benefits your participation
changing place.
RAIMVE170712-01_Ad_IMA_210x148mm_04_HD.pdf 1 discussed
14/07/17 at the next summit, with no
12:18
will provide to the profession.” Eth Lloyd
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ProActive. #55
Business Ethics
Working in the eye of the storm
It’s a pleasure for me to tell you my own story on how it is to work
in the eye of the storm during a media storm.
I have been working for the global hygiene and forest company
Svenska Cellulosa Antevolate SCA www.sca.com for 21 years.
The last 11 years for the Chairman of SCA.
In November, 2014 a media drive started against SCA and
the Chairman was one of the managers who was affected by
Margareta Larsson learned
the media. As the senior executive assistant to the Chairman,
from being part of a media
I was also attacked.
storm and gives us advices
how to be better prepared.
The reason for the attack was that some shareholders and other
people stated, among other things, that some of the managers
had misused the company airplanes, although they had followed
the policy determined by the board members. Later, it was
Margareta Larsson discussed if this was an unfriendly power take over!
IMA Member since 2005 Having gained experience from a media storm during the finance
Working in the steering group at IMA East Sweden crisis in Sweden in the ‘90s I knew that the attitude to my boss
for some years and myself would change.
Sr Executive Assistant to the Chairman at the Nobody cares about you, as the unaffected colleagues in
global company of Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget, the company are afraid of losing their own positions during
SCA in Stockholm a media storm. There is no support from the board or from
other colleagues. You and your boss are alone on the stage.
Earlier to the President at SCA Hygiene Products
in Munich, www.sca.com I tried to support my boss, but it is also important to take care
of oneself. It is not so easy to work during a media storm. Every day
Earlier to the President of Beijerinvest AB, you are under pressure – day after day the journalists are “hunting”
a global investment company, www.beijerinvest.se you. The journalists determine the agenda for the day, not my
boss! Journalists from newspapers, television and radio called
Sr Executive Assistant to the President of CleanWater- uninterruptedly. The next day you could read stories in the news-
Tech CWT www.cleanwatertech.se (working here now) papers that were not always true. My boss and I were in close contact
with the information department and normally they are the ones who
I have also worked as a teacher in languages have the responsibility to reply to the journalists’ questions, but this
for adults does not work during a media storm. The journalists contacted the
affected managers directly. During a media storm other rules apply.
10Business Ethics
Photo: Andrii Zastrozhnov
“In a media storm speak to the
journalists in the right way.
You must have courage,
experience, responsibility,
empathy, energy and authority.”
As you all know, we are always loyal to our bosses. However, I understood that this could only end in a horrible way.
during a media storm you must also handle the contact with What will happen to my boss? What will happen to me?
journalists in the right way. You lose your foothold when your boss must leave the company
and you may wonder what your next step should be. You try
As said before, many of the articles in the different newspapers to understand what you have gone through and where you
were not true. We contacted the newspapers to inform them should plan to go from there.
about the facts, but without any success. In a media storm,
the journalists plot against the affected people. We were at the At an interview with Veckans Affärer (a Swedish business
mercy of the journalists. They did not even reply to our efforts journal) some years ago I said:
to tell the facts. In a media storm, the journalists stick
together (so called campaign journalism where facts are “It is important to be involved in the job not only when business
not reported, but with the aim of slanting the presentation is good, but also during bad times, manage change and be able
in the newspapers). to meet misfortune, and understand that few things are constant
in life. Those who one day are treated as a God, can disappear
After being part of this media storm, I now wonder what from the scene as early as the next morning.”
the business ethics of journalists are. But I now know that when
the media wants to stay with their message, then their ethics I would like to add that the investigators did not find any incriminating
about getting the facts, become irrelevant. evidence against the SCA policies as put forth by the Board i.e.,
the affected managers were absolved of any criminal activities.
Very few of the people involved think about the human being behind
the public mass media storm. A person who has been exposed to a What can we learn from being part of a media storm?
media storm will be wounded for life and his honor will be destroyed.
• To be prepared that this can happen to you
While working as a senior executive assistant during a media • To be aware if the company you are working for has a Crisis
storm, the following happened to me: Management Plan (which should be regularly updated).
HR is normally responsible for this.
• The police came to the office and copied our computers • To have a good employment agreement
• I had to copy all material from 2007 to 2014 for the examiners (if, for example, your manager must leave the company)
• My boss and I were under electronic surveillance • To know that it takes some time to process such a traumatic
• We were in contact with our security company the whole time experience before one can return to a normal life again
• The shareholders were very upset and called me sometimes
in a threatening manner “Finally, I would like to share my three catchwords with you;
• My working hours were often from eight o’clock my three Ds which I try to follow both in my working life
in the morning till late at night as well as in my private life. They are: Discipline, Discretion,
• The normal working life does not exist during a media storm Diplomacy.”
11ProActive. #55
Introducing Marie-Hélène Sow
the new IMA Social Media Coordinator!
Interview for pro-Active by Frieda Catteeuw with Marie-Hélène Sow, IMA France
and Sabrina Franchini, Executive PR Officer
Photo: georgejmclittle
12IMA Business
“I’m very much looking forward to working in close cooperation
with Marie-Hélène, Frieda and Eleni to make sure that
wherever on the internet, IMA becomes an unavoidable brand.”
Sabrina Franchini, IMA Executive PR Officer
PA: Marie-Hélène and Sabrina, please Manager Survey) that a high presence on the various channels. We will then
briefly introduce yourselves and give us a on social media is strongly recommended. go for the basic subscription and it
short overview of your IMA membership/ The Executive Committee therefore should be sufficient.
career so far. decided to appoint a person dedicated
to social media, who will gather and PA: What will be the position of the
MH: I became a member in November coordinate all info in the virtual world Social Media Coordinator within the
2012 and attended my first Training Day out there, such as interesting articles, IMA web team?
in Madrid in April 2013. It turned out to be promotion of the profession and
an obvious choice for me to be involved promotion of our association. MH: I do not have an official position
in the organizing team of the 40th Annual as such, I have not been elected. I will
EUMA Conference in Paris in October PA: What do you expect will be the main work in collaboration with the IMA web
2014. Since then, I attend all international challenges that the Social Media Coordinator team and the Executive Committee.
trainings & conferences. will have to tackle?
SF: Indeed, the Social Media Coordinator
SF: I became a member in 2007, right MH: We need to be leading on strategic posts. is a non-elected supporting function
after the Conference in Brussels. I was We should, if we want to be a real media (like the Web Coordinator and the proActive
part of the Organizing Committee of the entrepreneur, have our message out there Editor) to assist the Executive Committee
Conference 2010 in Brussels. Then I was to our audience and do this on a regular basis. with our tasks and to bring in new ideas.
nominated Deputy PR Officer in Belgium
for two years. My next step was to be SF: We need to continue to differentiate
National Chairman for Belgium for four IMA from the other associations and to
years. At the end of my second term stress our unique status and experience as
of office, the vacancy of Executive PR an international and professional network. Eleni Rizikianou,
Officer represented a challenge for me, We also need the help of our national Web Coordinator
especially as the rebranding was the groups to feed the social media channels
first focus. I was elected in Copenhagen with state of the art articles that cannot
in October 2016. be read anywhere else, but on IMA platforms.
PA: What are the main reasons for the PA: What do you hope will be the added PA: Will the countries also be asked to
Executive Committee that have led to value of the Social Media Coordinator for appoint an Social Media Coordinator in
the decision of appointing a Social Media our association? their national groups?
Coordinator for our association?
MH: A person who focuses on tracking SF: Not necessarily. This task is usually
SF: It goes without saying that nowadays news related to IMA, or to our profession. performed by the National Web Coordinator
no association can survive withouta high or the National PR Officer. Again, as it is
visibility on social media. The power of SF: A person who is dedicated to aligning not an elected function, the countries are
these channels is tremendous. For example, the posts of the various social media free to organize this locally as they see fit
on 1st February 2017, the day of the official will really be able to focus on this task, for their national group.
launch of our new brand, the IMA video as I have so many other items on my
trailer was viewed more than 4000 times to-do list. Also fresh eyes bringing new PA: Would we consider working together
on our Facebook public page. You can ideas outside of the ones discussed in with a professional company in the future
imagine the impact when this trailer is the Executive Committee will certainly to strengthen our digital visibility on the
shared further and further…. be an asset. internet and on social media?
Now that we have gone international, PA: Will there be costs involved? SF: It is too early to answer right now.
social media is a mandatory communication Let us start with the Social Media Coordinator
tool, in order to be noticed out there, SF: So far no, or very few. To facilitate and evaluate later.
and to convince new countries to join Marie-Hélène’s work, we have applied
us. It also appears from the two surveys for a free trial with Hootsuite as it will PA: Thank you ladies, and good luck with
we just conducted (Members Survey & be easier to schedule what we will post the new challenge!
13International Training Day
28 April 2018
“The Digital Age“
Your Online Brand Matters-
Be Strategical!
Barcelona, Spain
Venue: Hotel Porta Fira IMA Spain will
welcome you!
On-line registration will open shortly
after the 2017 Annual Conference!
More info to follow soon on: Hotel Porta Fira
www.ima-network.org
INTERNATIONAL TRAINING DAY 2018
“THE DIGITAL AGE”
IMA TRAINERS AND PARTNERSHIP
Gabriella Picca the growth of the Assistant in relation
Senior Executive Assistant, to the challenges faced in a commercial
LinkedIn Italy, Iberia & France world dominated by digitization, increased
“LinkedIn and the Power pace and unpredictability.
of your Digital Brand”
Tips and secrets of the world’s Partnership
most powerful professional network. Executive Secretary Live and
You will learn how to create an attractive IMA – International Management
digital self and how to build a quality Assistants
and constructive network.
Special Offer:
If you attend Executive Secretary Live
Adam Fidler in London on 16-17th March 2018,
Principal and Founder you can get a free ticket for the
of Adam Fidler Academy IMA International Training Day
“Transition of the Executive Assistant in Barcelona on 28th April 2018!
in the Digital World”
In this thought-provoking and inspirational More information about
workshop, Adam Fidler discusses the the special offer:
transition that Executive Assistants https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/
need to go through if they are to succeed executive-secretary-live-london-
in the Digital World. Building on his 2018-tickets-33988369127
popular work on the role of the Strategic
Executive Assistant, he shares his pers-
pectives and key strategies to support
14IMA Business
Annual Conference and
Photo: Steigenberger
World Administrators’ Summit
23 – 27 October 2018,
Steigenberger Airport Hotel, Frankfurt, Germany
Program Overview The actions resulting from the 2015 us insight on these three factors and
summit have been worked through by engage the audience in interactive
23 Oct. 2018 teams, each focusing on a task, consulting learning sessions.
IMA Executive Committee Meeting – Day 1 with administrative professionals around
WASummit Welcome Reception the world through a range of communi- Furthermore, the audience will work
cation strategies, including social media. on the implications for our profession
24 Oct. 2018 The results and conclusions of these in order to get prepared for the new
IMA Executive Committee Meeting – Day 2 consultations (period 2015-2018), will digital age.
WASummit – Meeting Day 1 be presented at the 2018 WASummit.
25 Oct. 2018 THE hot topic for the industry and us More details to follow on
IMA Full Council Meeting – management support professionals – www.ima-network.org and
WASummit – Meeting Day 2 is digitization. Hence the topic of www.worldadministratorssummit.com
Welcome Reception IMA Annual Conference the IMA Annual Conference 2018 is
Closing Dinner WASummit and “The Digital Age”. The digital age already
Welcome Dinner IMA Annual Conference has arrived in our private and business
life, but this is only the beginning.
26 Oct. 2018 We will learn more about what is coming
IMA Annual Conference in the near future and how this will About proActive
Trade Fair affect our jobs as management support
proActive issue no 55, online edition
Gala Dinner IMA Annual Conference professionals. proActive is published four times a year by IMA
International Management Assistants for the
Association’s members and business partners.
27 Oct. 2018 Michael Beilfuss, Managing Director www.ima-network.org
IMA Annual General Meeting at IDG Business Media GmbH, our
(members only) conference facilitator and digitization Project Editor:
Frieda Catteeuw, IMA Belgium
expert, will guide us through a full Passiewijk 13, 1820 Melsbroek, Belgium
day plenary session based on three Phone: +32 2 710 81 09
Mobile: +32 478 834 944
A very special Annual Conference for IMA main topics: E-mail: frieda.catteeuw@marriott.com
Executive PR Officer:
We are proud to host, prior to the 1. The human factor: Sabrina Franchini, IMA Belgium
44th Annual Conference, the 10th World Needing the right mindset E-mail: sabrina.franchini@skynet.be
Administrators’ Summit (WASummit) Proofreading
Jacqui Dear, IMA Germany
in October 2018 in Frankfurt, Germany. 2. The technology factor:
This is a very special opportunity for all New technologies change the way Design Art Direction:
associations in Europe to work together we work in a disruptive manner Kunstgeist, Susanne Bartz
E-mail: mail@kunstgeist.com,
on an international basis on the further www.kunstgeist.com
development and requirements of 3. The leadership factor:
our profession. Digitization sets new challenges Title picture: nd3000
and asks for a new type of leaders
Advertisement in this issue:
The WASummit will be a 2 day working Voyages SNCF, page 9
meeting, following up on what has been High-caliber speakers and experts IMA, page 8, 14
AllThingsAdmin, page 16
discussed and requested for further from the industry e.g. IBM, Accenture, Kunstgeist, page 16
research at the previous summit in 2015. Daimler - just to name a few - will give
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