Strategic PA Network | Online Power Hour | Friday 18th September, 12.00pm - 1.00pm | EA Manager Role panel
Friday 18th September 2026 12.00pm - 1.00pm - BSTEPP
Location: Online
Friday 18th September 2026 12.00pm - 1.00pm - BSTEPP
Location: Online
The EA Manager Role: What It Really Takes to Lead, Influence & Succeed
Join us for an exclusive Online Power Hour. The EA Manager role is one of the most exciting and influential positions in the profession, but it also comes with unique challenges. Whether you’re already leading a team of assistants or aspiring to step into management, this interactive Power Hour will give you practical insights from three exceptional leaders who have been there.
We’re delighted to welcome our expert panel:
We’re delighted to be joined by a highly credible panel bringing together decades of experience across Executive Support, business support leadership, operations and people management.
Sophie Nicholls has progressed from Secretary and PA through to management and ultimately leading a firmwide business support function, giving her a real understanding of the profession at every level. Kate Thomas brings more than 30 years’ experience in Business Support Services, with extensive expertise in building and leading teams, coaching and mentoring, performance management, stakeholder engagement and delivering large-scale people and service improvement projects. Julia Kozlovska brings over 15 years’ international experience across six industries, having led operations through periods of hypergrowth, supported CEOs through crisis and built business functions from the ground up.
Together, they bring three different perspectives on leadership, influence, career progression and what it really takes to lead and develop others. Marianne and Sarah will be putting the questions to them in what promises to be a very open and practical conversation about the realities of stepping into leadership within the Executive Support profession.
As Head of Business Support at Blick Rothenberg, I lead the delivery of efficient, high-performing support service that enables teams to focus on delivering exceptional client work.
I’m focused on driving operational excellence with optimising processes, strengthening communication, and building a proactive, scalable support function that adds real value across the firm.
My career has progressed from Secretary, PA to Manager to leading the business support function firmwide, giving me a practical understanding of what great support looks like at every level.
I’m committed to developing people, improving processes, and delivering meaningful impact behind the scenes!
Over 30 years’ experience in Business Support Services working primarily across financial services and legal sectors.
My key strengths are in building strong relationships and teams and motivating, coaching and mentoring to enable individuals to reach their full potential.
I have extensive experience in business support procedures, managing and identifying under-performance and improving individual and team output.
I am skilled in developing people and increasing buy-in, implementing new procedures, leading team meetings, delivering training and presentations.
Adept at project management and delivering results to leadership, I have led projects on scope of service, strategy, reward and recognition, performance management and year end delivery of feedback and ratings.
Managing stakeholders across the business at all levels, I ensure client service excellence is a key focus and targets are achieved.
Young Professional Yorkshire PA of the Year 2012 and Yorkshire PA Hub Award for Best Boss 2019
15+ years. 6 industries. 8 countries of operation. 1 MBA.
I’ve led operations inside tech startups during hypergrowth, supported CEOs through crisis, and built business functions from the ground up in companies most people would recognise.
I’m a woman who worked very hard for a very long time and eventually started writing honestly about what that costs - and what it’s worth.
My audience is women who are mid-career, mid-question, and mid-figuring it out. My writing doesn’t have answers. It has company.
Strategic PA Network is an active, professional networking group for Personal Assistants, Executive Assistants, Virtual Assistants, Administrators, and Office Managers. Whether based in the UK or around the world, we are proudly all-inclusive and not county-specific; anyone is welcome to attend our events and be part of our thriving community.
Over the past ten years, we have organically grown into a supportive and empowering network where Assistants come together to learn, connect, and grow. Our mission is to provide a credible platform that encourages industry awareness, meaningful connections, and shared best practices.
Learning and development are at the core of everything we do, with our events exploring essential topics that bring value, spark insight, and deliver revelatory moments.
At Strategic PA Network, we believe in the power of community - lifting each other up, celebrating every success, and inspiring Assistance to reach their full potential.
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