Sandra Garcao

Job Title

Executive Assistant | Business Services

Profile

I’ve been a self-employed Executive Assistant since October 2012. My experience has included the legal and consultancy sectors, utilising secretarial, marketing and business development skills. I’ve learnt to develop invaluable skills and outside the box thinking, supporting entrepreneurs, CEOs and directors.

FEES

£30 per hour

Clients purchase hours in advance and are required to sign terms and conditions which include an NDA and GDPR compliance.

Contact Details

Nationality

British and Portuguese

Location

Cheshire, England, UK

Education

M.A. English Literature, York St John University

Certificates

M.A. English Literature, York St John University, (2006)

B.A. (Hons) English Literature, Leeds Beckett University (2004)

Level 2 Certificate Data Protection and Data Security, West Lancashire College (2023)

Digital Marketing, Udemy (2022)

RSA Typewriting, Stanmore College (1996)

Microsoft Office, York College (2005)

Confidentiality & Governance, NHS (2007)

Enhanced DBS Check, Ofsted (2019)

Paediatric First Aid, Train Aid Ltd (2019)

Mental Health First Aid, West Lancashire College (2023)

Understanding Counselling Skills, West Lancashire College (2023)

TrainING

GDPR compliance - trained by a law firm

Anti-money laundering - trained by a law firm

Hubspot (CRM system) - trained by an ediscovery company

Cybersecurity - trained by an IT company

Skills

 

  • Microsoft Office 365

  • Typewriting speed 60wpm

  • Copytyping and audiotyping

  • Transcriptions

  • Drafting legal documents

  • Director’s diary management

  • Director’s email management

  • Booking meetings

  • Minutes of meeting

  • Drafting agendas and action points

  • Organising events and conferences

  • Liaising with internal and external entities

  • Booking travel and accommodation

  • Bookkeeping and expenses

  • European Portuguese (advanced)

  • Spanish, French and Italian (basic)

  • Staff onboarding/offboarding including writing manuals

  • Liaising with internal and external entities at all levels

 

  • Business development

  • Research and reporting

  • Hubspot (CRM system) - managing data

 

  • Marketing management

  • Website management

  • Graphic design

  • Google ads

  • Adobe purchasing and graphic design

  • Advertising

  • Social media analytics

  • Social media management

  • Social media platforms - LinkedIn, Facebook, X, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok

  • SEO

  • Small video production

  • Photography

  • Blog writing

  • Copywriting

  • Newsletters

 

  • Events management

  • Business networking

  • Connecting businesses

  • Referrals

Work Experience

2012-2023 - Remote Executive Assistant

Assisting a wide range of clients with back-office administration, project management, marketing and business development. Liaising with senior management in corporate companies. Some tasks include social media management, updating websites, graphic design, writing for blogs, purchasing marketing images, boosting algorithms, measuring analytics and checking marketing performance. Back-office work including diary management, managing directors’ emails, booking travel and accommodation, audiotyping, copytyping and bookkeeping.

Achievements:

  • up-managing and looking after the business and personal affairs of a CEO or director, thus facilitating daily activities in and out of the office.

  • liaising with senior management in SMEs and corporate companies, communicating and negotiating at all levels, often using language skills to succeed in securing meetings, leading to profitable business deals.

  • marketing skills including social media management, helping promote business profiles and increase online presence.

  • organising business networking events - building a database, finding a venue in London, negotiating cost effective prices for catering and hosting events. After being commissioned this work for a law firm, sales and business increased.

  • using strategic skills to create a website and business directory to facilitate business connection. Guests at business networking events can access the directory and contact potential business. www.citybusinessnetworking.com

  • influencing purchases and helping make decisions that impact the business budget.

2002-2012 - In-House Personal Assistant

Most roles during this time were temporary while studying at college and university.

PA to Councillor - Botswana High Commission, London

Memorable Achievement: created an electronic filing system for all documentation, including legal and diplomatic documents.

PA to Director – NIHR Medical Research Group, London

Memorable Achievement: writing reports and preparing documentation for medical research conferences.  

PA to Director of Microbiology, NHS & Leeds University, Leeds

Memorable Achievement: booking complex travel and accommodation for weekly trips in 4 continents. 

PA to Director of IT - Leeds City Council, Leeds

Memorable Achievement: assisting the director by writing replies to aggressive complaint letters and taking minutes of meetings for children’s social care.

PA to Director of DWP - York City Council, York

Memorable Achievement: writing emails on behalf of director by taking phone dictation whilst the director travelled. 

PA to Director of IT - York University, York

Memorable Achievement: creating a hard copy and electronic filing system.

 PA team for the Legal Department - Norwich Union, York

Memorable Achievement: creating a hard copy and electronic filing system to facilitate access to legal documents.