The winners of the Manchester PA Awards have been revealed at a ceremony held at Emirates Old Trafford, celebrating and rewarding the incredible talent of PAs, EAs and VAs across the region.
The not-for-profit awards, organised by the Manchester PA Network and event partner Make Events, were hosted by television and radio presenter, Gethin Jones, and saw more than 720 professionals from across the country come together to celebrate the best of the best in business support roles.
Judged by industry experts with representatives from the likes of the Manchester PA Network, EPAA and UKFast, the winners chosen exceeded expectations and have exemplified hard work, dedication and passion within their roles.
Those picking up accolades included Jo Wilson, from Hall Brown Family Law, while Melanie Sheehy and Amanda Hargreaves were recognised for their services to the city’s PA industry through the Manchester PA Network.
Co-founder of the Manchester PA Network, Melanie Sheehy, said: “Once again we were overwhelmed by the wealth of talent nominated for the awards, which is evidence of all the hard work EAs, VAs and PAs are putting in to support businesses across the region.
“Last night’s awards helped to recognise all of the great achievements and we want to say a big thank you to everyone that came along to join in the celebrations. Congratulations to all those that were shortlisted and particularly those that picked up an award on the night.”
Lawrence Jones, chief executive officer at headline sponsor UKFast, said: “PAs and EAs play an incredibly important role in any business and are often the unsung heroes, so it’s fantastic to be able to pay tribute to them and the work they do. It’s a real honour to help celebrate their success and shine a light on the leading talent through the awards”.
Organisers raised £5,300 at the event which will go towards the Christie fund and Manchester PA Network’s target to raise £200K for the charity by 2020.
For the first time the awards also recognised those working outside of Manchester with the introduction of the External PA Network Award which was picked up by the Birmingham PA Forum.
The full list of winners for the 2018 Manchester PA Awards is:
Best Event – Fiona Hardman, Guenther Bakeries UK Ltd
Brand Ambassador – Jemma Carr, Victorian Chophouse Company
Business Leader of the Year – Doug Hann, Indigo Planning
External PA Network – Birmingham PA Forum
Fundraiser of the Year – Jo Booth, Stocks 2015 Limited
Internal PA Network – Arup UKIMEA Secretarial Network,
Leader of the Year – Catherine Hunt, PwC
Lifetime Achievement – Stella Corbett, Brother UK Limited
Rising Star – Lawrence Adlum, KPMG
Social Media Champion – Sam Johnson, SES Engineering
Team of the Year – Chiesi Support Services Team
Virtual Assistant – Jules Aston, Aston Assists
UKFast Excellence – Sarah Muench, Sky
Above and Beyond – Martine Tempest-Mitchell, Timpson/The Christie
Special Recognition Award for Company Culture – Addleshaw Goddard
Services to the Manchester PA Industry – Melanie Sheehy and Amanda Hargreaves, Manchester PA Network
Manchester PA of the Year – Jo Wilson, Hall Brown Family Law
