The role of the Executive Assistant is on a journey and the responsibilities of this highly demanding and visible role continue to grow exponentially. ACEA® equips current and aspiring Executive Assistants with the skills and knowledge they need to excel.
To become a true ‘business partner’ to an Executive, it is imperative that Executive Assistants have a deep understanding of the business and their Executives’ role & responsibilities. Organisations are looking for Assistants that possess ‘Executive Level’ business acumen and skills now more than ever.
Traditionally delivered in classroom format, we have responded to demand and developed a modular online program, which will cover the same subject matter but delivered virtually. This course is very interactive, and as we know the ‘shared experience’ is also very important, we have worked hard to ensure that this is maintained. Uniquely delivered from an “Executive Led” perspective, the ACEA® course focuses on elevating the role of the Executive Assistant by delivering a fundamental understanding of business and organisations, as well as practical skills, including:
- Strategic thinking
- Corporate visions & missions
- Understanding the linkages between strategy, projects & operations
- Project management skills
- Stakeholder management
- Risk management
- Quality management
- Ethics & corporate social responsibility
- Communication skills
- Emotional intelligence / resilience
- Service orientation
- Time management
- Leadership skills
- Presentation skills
- Financial awareness
- Change management
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Negotiation skills and conflict management
- and much more
By attending this interactive ACEA® course you will be equipped with the skills to:
- Gain a broader understanding of business, increase business acumen & bring new ideas / skills to your organisation
- Give your Executive greater confidence to delegate more important and critical tasks to you
- Be able to manage projects more efficiently and assist your Executive in their role as Project Sponsor,
- Develop skills to increase your productivity through enhanced Time Management and Delegation Skills
- Gain respect from senior Executives and the Board
- Join & share experiences with EAs from other sectors and nationalities
- Stand out with a globally recognised accredited certification
- Enhance the recognition of the role & its responsibilities
- Show everyone what you are capable of
- Rejuvenate your passion for your career and take the next step up the career ladder
- Learn from world renowned Executive trainers & accomplished business leaders.
Benefits, Knowledge, Skills gained by attending this ACEA® Programme:
- Gain an accredited Certificate certified by Qualifi, a recognised U.K, awarding body and the institute of Administrative Management (IAM) – the Advanced Certificate for the Executive Assistant (ACEA™)
- Be awarded 30 CPD Credits from the CPD Standards Office www.cpdstandards.com
- Qualify for 28 CAP re-certification points by the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP)
This highly practical and interactive course has been specifically designed for:
- Executive Assistants
- Management Assistants
- Chiefs of Staff
- Office Managers
- Senior Assistants
- Executive Personal Assistants
- Executive Secretaries
- Personal Assistants
- Personal Secretaries
- Administration Managers
- Management Secretaries
- Executive Personal Secretaries
- PLUS anyone else responsible for the support of the senior management and executives.
Course Outline
Introduction
- Personal introductions
- Course background
The Modern-Day Executive Assistant
- The journey
- Future skills
- Characteristics and qualities
Understanding Ourselves and Others
- Emotional intelligence at work
- Know your inter-personal style and how your behaviour impacts others
- Learn how to manage others
- DISC personality assessment
- Measuring your emotional intelligence
- Resilience
- Service orientation
Presentation Skills
- Overcoming fear
- Planning presentations
- Presentation preparation and tips
Organisations and Strategies
- The modern organisation
- Vision, mission and core values
- Corporate strategies
- Principles of planning setting goals and objectives
Performance Measurement
- Understand why organisations measure
- The balanced scorecard
- Measuring an Executive Assistant’s performance
Personal and Corporate Ethics
- Corporate social responsibility
- Personal ethics
- Corporate ethics
- Dealing with ethical dilemmas
Motivating Performance
- What motivates you?
- The 5 key motivation theories
- Maslow vs Herzberg
Project Management
- What is a project?
- Why projects go wrong
- The golden rules of project management
- Project management methodologies
- Work breakdown structures (WBS)
- Project estimating
- Project scheduling tools
- Controlling the project
- Status reporting
Risk Management
- What is risk management?
- Why organisations manage risk
- Barriers to effective risk management
- Risk quantification and measurement
- Risk response options
Stakeholder Management
- What is stakeholder management?
- Stakeholder mapping
- Managing different stakeholders
Quality Management
- Defining quality
- The cost of quality
- Quality planning
Time Management
- Definition of time management
- Multi-tasking
- The time management process
- Delegation
- Running effective meetings
Leadership Skills
- Understanding leadership vs management
- Building trust
- Developing influencing skills
- Assess your leadership competencies and learn how you can develop your strengths
Communication Skills
- Develop your ability to influence and communicate with others
- Communication strategies and techniques
- Listening skills
- Verbal and non-verbal communication
- Barriers to communication
Financial Awareness
- Financial accounting vs management accounting
- Understanding the 3 key financial statements
- What is EBITDA?
- Principles of budgeting
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
- What is critical thinking?
- Problem solving techniques
- Assessing potential solutions
Change Management
- What is change?
- Change drivers
- Responses to change
- Overcoming resistance to change
Conflict and Negotiation Skills
- Conflict triggers
- Managing conflict
- Negotiation tactics and negotiating styles
ACEA® Examination *
*Only those who successfully complete the examination and participate effectively in the course case studies will receive the Advanced Certificate for the Executive Assistant ACEA®.
Richard Arnott
BA, FInstAM FITOL
Richard is the Director of BMTG (UK) Ltd and is the author and lead presenter of the ACEA® course.
In his career Richard was an accomplished Managing Director, International Programme Director and Big 4 Management Consultant specialising in project/programme management, strategic business transformation and change management within the Financial Services, Utilities, Logistics and Infrastructure sectors.
Richard has lived and worked in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the USA.
Richard sits on the Editorial Board of Executive Secretary Magazine and speaks at Executive Secretary Live. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Administrative Management (IAM) and a Fellow of the Institute of Training and Occupational Learning (ITOL)
Ian Shipley
HND, FITOL
Ian is a highly accomplished, passionate, visionary, and results driven Executive who has spent more than 20 years at a senior level within the service sectors in UK FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies.
The common factor throughout Ian’s career has been a passion around service excellence and delivering results through highly motivated teams.
Ian has been responsible for delivering major turn-around and business transformation through creating a culture where people feel comfortable to make decisions, take ownership and make it happen.
Jeff Lockhart
MBA, DMS, FRSA, FCICM, FCMI, FITOL
Jeff is an international training consultant, specialising in Finance, Business Administration and Management Development.
Jeff studied at Sheffield Business School in the United Kingdom obtaining a Post Graduate Certificate in Management (PgC) in 1992, a Diploma in Management Studies (DMS) in 1995 and a Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) in 1996.
Jeff is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA), the Chartered Institute of Credit Management (FCICM), the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI), and the Institute of Occupational Learning (FITOL). Mr Lockhart is also a PRINCE2 certified Project Manager.
He is a highly experienced Financial Manager and Management Consultant, with extensive knowledge of finance and business management within a multi-disciplined and multi-cultural environment. He has held several senior level positions for industry-leading international businesses and, since 2001, has operated as a consultant to businesses in the UK, Azerbaijan, Russia, Bulgaria, Kuwait, Oman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, China, USA, and New Zealand.
John Bullock
John is a driven, enthusiastic and dynamic individual that started his successful career within both the Leisure and Retail sectors. After 12 years in an operational role John became an international business consultant and for the last eleven years has worked with a diverse mix of organisations ranging from large blue chip companies through to the public sector, dealing with large programmes through to 1:1 Executive Coaching.
He specialises in award winning pragmatic leadership, business improvement and change programmes. This draws upon his senior operational / commercial expertise within industry. John works at a senior level across all sectors and has a proven record in enabling organisations to move forward in a results focused way, engaging their employees to deliver the return on investment and culture required.
Sven Maikranz
Sven is a visionary, results driven and hands-on strategic manager with 25 year’s experience of driving profitable growth, turnarounds, change initiatives, crisis management and start-ups. He is a strategic and entrepreneurial leader with experience as CEO, Vice President, Director and MD positions in international assignments in Europe, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and Middle East.
Sven is also a passionate master coach (ACC certified by ICF (International Coach Federation) and is specialized in high performance teams and addressing underlying success factors for companies to be successful. Sven enjoys working with corporate teams to take them to the next level.
Christianna Tsiterou, BA
Throughout her extensive international career, Christianna has held a variety of leadership roles that include the management of international projects, as well as the development of people and teams, across multicultural markets – primarily across the Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
Concurrent to her leadership role at Bâton Global, Christianna is also an active entrepreneur and frequent moderator at human capital, leadership, finance, and corporate responsibility events globally.
Christianna grew up in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. After being a UAE resident for 16 years, she recently relocated back to KSA and is currently based in Riyadh.
Christianna currently serves as Regional Director EMEA for Bâton Global, a research driven strategy and innovation advisory firm. This includes serving as an advisor and consultant to private and public sector organizations, supporting them with the development and execution of their global strategies. Her subject-matter expertise includes the areas of Strategy, Transformation, Leadership and Customer Experience (CX), with a focus on financial services (both conventional and Shari’ah compliant).
Jay Chander
BA, CA (ICAS), FCA (ANZ), MIIA, MAICD
Jay is a commercially focused Fellow Chartered Accountant, business consultant, advisor, executive trainer and author with extensive executive-level experience.
Jay recently retired from being a Partner with Barker Henley in Sydney, Australia where he led an experienced team in risk advisory, internal audit, business consultancy and executive training practice.
Understanding the complexities of today’s domestic and global businesses, Jay’s career involved providing a range of truly seamless strategic risk and business advisory services.
Earlier in his career Jay was a specialist Risk Partner with ‘Big 4’ firm, Deloitte, and held executive positions with major national and international companies. Jay has extensive experience in risk management, business improvement, finance management, audit, governance, investigations and project management for organisations in Australia, the UK, USA, Asia and North Africa.
Jay is an accredited trainer and has provided training for Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand, the Institute of Internal Auditors and the Australian Institute of Management.
Qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young in the UK, Jay is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, Fellow with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Institute of Internal Auditors – Australia. He holds a Bachelor of Accounting and Business Law from the University of Stirling, Scotland.
Sarah Richson
MBA. CIPD. AOEC. MIHRM
Sarah is a double-global award winner and one of the world’s top human development thought leaders. Her passion for developing grass root talent and unleashing hidden potential in others is the driving force in her life. She is a prolific speaker and trainer who advocates for empowering lives of local communities with inspirational mentorship programs.
Sarah started off her career as an administrative assistant before moving on to become an international consultant, executive coach and organisation development expert. Her career is multi-dimensional and includes years as a leadership professional trainer and HR Consultant working on European, Asian and African projects.
Sarah is happily married and says her proudest achievement is being a mother!
Patrick Woods, BS, CPSM, CPSD, C.P.M., CPIM
He brings 36 years of experience working in Senior Management positions for Fortune 100 corporations and based on his leadership of a multi-national team for Emerson Worldwide, a global technology and manufacturing company, was recognized by the CEO as the: “team of the year”. For the past 20 years, as the Founder of Supply Chain Education, Patrick has worked with over 300 firms based in 30 countries located primarily in the USA, the Middle East, Africa and Central America.
In collaboration with Missouri State University, USA, Patrick has delivered training which includes: leadership fundamentals, how to move from a tactical cost function to a strategic profit function and risk/cost management. His delivery style is: “Edutainment” where he blends best practices with a gentle dab of humor and as a result, he has won outstanding evaluations from major manufacturing to service to government organizations, including to NGOs in warn-torn countries. He divides his time between the USA (Texas) and Central America (Costa Rica).
How will ACEA® be presented?
ACEA® combines theory and practice. We use individual and team exercises to illustrate how the techniques presented can be applied in a working environment. The purpose is to use a mix of proven learning techniques to ensure maximum understanding, comprehension and retention of the information presented.
Classroom: Delivered over 5 intensive and interactive days, as both scheduled open public courses for you to join, or on-site/local venue for your team/group
Remotely: Online delivery will be facilitated and presented through a combination of live online workshops and tutorials, interactive exercises/groupwork/case studies/discussions, video case presentations and assessments.
Online detail: Delegates will need access to a PC or laptop with either headphones/speakers and microphone, and have access to remote meeting tools in order that they can work together. Delegates are assumed to be either working from home or, if within the office environment, located in a quiet and separate training room (having multiple delegates in the same room is acceptable as long as it complies with their own corporate social distancing rules).
This course is not conducive to desktop learning where delegates are prone to interruptions and/or distractions. The course will be delivered over a period of 4 weeks. There are 2 sessions per week for 3 weeks (around 3-hours per session). A final session of approximately 60-90 minutes will be scheduled in week 4.
There will be some assignments for you to work on outside of this.
Please plan at least 2-3 hours between sessions for groupwork, team exercises and case studies. Total training time, including the additional assignments, will be around 30-35 hours.
Prework: There is a small amount of pre-work required by delegates, details of which will be provided in ample time prior to the course commencing. This pre-work should take no longer than 1 hour.
Additional tutor support will be provided through a combination of email mentoring and facilitated class online discussions. Confirmation of attendance for all sessions is a requirement of the awarding body to provide the certification. Modules will not be recorded due to GDPR data protection issues.
Certifications, Accreditations and Endorsements
The Advanced Certificate for the Executive Assistant (ACEA®) is:
- Certified by IToL, a recognised U.K. awarding body.
- Accredited by the CPD Standards Office
- Endorsed by Platinum Assistants Network South Africa: https://www.pan-sa.co.za/
- The ACEA® is an International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) Approved training course and qualifies for 28 recertification points.
Institute of Administrative Management (IAM)
- The Institute of Administrative Management (IAM) is the world’s oldest professional body for administrative professionals, endorses ACEA® — reinforcing its status as a globally respected, independently certified programme. This partnership reflects our commitment to professional excellence in executive support.
- All ACEA® Alumni can join the IAM at a 50% discount, with post-nominals AInstAM, MInstAM, or FInstAM awarded based on membership level.
Certified by IToL
The Advanced Certificate for the Executive Assistant: ACEA® is certified by the Institute of Training and Occupational Learning (IToL), a global professional institute specializing in the independent certification and quality assurance of training programs.
IToL certification confirms that the design, delivery and assessment of ACEA® have been independently reviewed and quality-assured against international standards.
This provides delegates and employers with independent assurance that ACEA® is a high-quality, professionally designed and rigorously assessed development program.
CPD standards Accreditation
Accredited by the prestigious CPD Standards Office.
Any delegate who attends this Accredited course may be issued with a CPD Certificate of Attendance* upon request, which they can use within their formal CPD record for a professional body, institute, or employer. The CPD Standards Office accreditation services works in partnership with the Training Journal and the CPD Institute supporting all forms of professional development and CPD schemes globally and has an increasingly international reputation as the strongest currency in professional development. CPD extends across the globe and is undertaken in most countries. The CPD Certificate of Attendance is issued in soft copy only and contains the applicable CPD credits for each course.
British Council Certificate Validation
The British Council creates international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and builds trust between them worldwide and has offices in more than 100 countries and territories and are active in many more. The British Council provides access to the UK’s assets (language, arts, education and society), especially in big and emerging markets, as well as opportunities for millions of people to engage in global dialogue.
For information on The British Council in your country please refer to: www.britishcouncil.org
The British Council in your country can validate the authenticity of your certificate to confirm that the issuing institution is an accredited one in the UK. This gives you, as a successful BMTG delegate, the added security that your qualification is accredited not only by IToL, under the UK Regulatory Framework, but also validated by a prestigious representative body like The British Council.
If you would like to have your certificate validated by the British Council, please let us know by emailing training@innoverto.com and include details of your course (eg dates, location, qualification and certificate number) and we will advise you of the process.
The ACEA® training style
- The Advanced Certificate for the Executive Assistant: ACEA® training styles are the same whether it be classroom or on-line:
- We utilise best practice interactive training technique involves classroom lecturing, highly intensive case study / role playing sessions, classroom interaction and feedback, one to one coaching from the trainer and a final assessment. This is one of the most effective training methodologies to date and many large multinationals and training companies have also taken up this approach.
- We only engage Highly experienced trainers, who have operated successfully in the field. There are “No Beginners”
- All trainers have been trained in these techniques and are chosen by reputation and invitation only.
