From Speaker to Co-Founder: Why I’m Joining the East of England Assistants Conference

When I was first invited to speak at the East of England Assistants Conference, I said yes because I believe technology, digital skills and business transformation are becoming increasingly important for assistants at every level.

What I didn’t expect was to become one of the conference founders.

For more than 30 years, I’ve worked with businesses of all sizes, from start-ups and SMEs through to larger organisations navigating change, growth and transformation. Throughout that journey, one thing has remained remarkably consistent.

The businesses that scale successfully are rarely built by one person.

Behind every growing organisation is a network of people helping to keep things moving. Executive Assistants, Personal Assistants, Virtual Assistants, Office Managers and Operations Professionals are often the people holding everything together whilst business owners focus on growth, strategy and leadership.

As business owners, there are some things only we can do. Building relationships, setting direction, making key decisions and creating vision. But there are countless activities that don’t need to sit with the founder forever.

The ability to switch on the right support at the right time is often the difference between a business that scales and a business that stalls.

I’ve spent years working within the SME community across East Anglia and have seen first-hand the impact that skilled assistants can have. Not simply as administrators, but as trusted partners, problem-solvers and growth enablers.

That’s one of the reasons this conference matters.

The East of England Assistants Conference isn’t simply about professional development. It’s about recognising the strategic role assistants play in modern organisations and creating a space where they can learn, connect, share experiences and develop the skills needed for the future.

I’m incredibly proud to be joining Clare Lucas and Anna Salisbury as a co-founder of the conference and helping shape what comes next because when we invest in assistants, we invest in better businesses.