Hays and The Times Name Louisa James as PA of the Year 2011

LONDON, June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ –

Hays and The Times have announced that Louisa James, of Wandsworth,
London, has triumphed in the Hays and The Times PA of the Year Award 2011,
being named the country’s top PA. Her energy and enthusiasm have seen her
expand her role, embracing significant project management and organisational
leadership such as being actively involved in the ‘Jamie’s 30-minute meals’
award-winning app, helping her secure the top spot.

PA to the managing director at Jamie Oliver Ltd, Louisa was announced as
the winner at an awards ceremony held by Hays, the leading recruiting
expert, at Flemings Hotel, Mayfair, London on the 19th of May. Louisa has
won a five night break for two in Prague, courtesy of Portman Travel. She
will also receive a place on The PA Retreat, an intensive residential
training programme for management PAs, courtesy of Castalia Coaching &
Training.

Louisa said: “I feel so honoured to be chosen as the PA of the Year. I
give my job my all, and to be recognised like this is a wonderful feeling.
People often don’t realise the huge impact PAs can have in an organisation,
so it’s wonderful to be acknowledged like this.”

Second place was awarded to Christopher Juliff, diary, visits and events
manager to the NHS chief executive. The judges praised Christopher’s passion
for his career and his expertise, along with his outstanding attention to
detail in a high pressured environment. They also noted his strong personal
commitment to the diversity agenda.

Third place went to Zara Dyer, PA to the managing director at Liverpool
Football Club. The judges were impressed by her passion for developing a PA
network in the North and skill in being able to support her boss in a way
that maximises her time and effectiveness.

As well as the three finalists, the three runners up were: Jennifer
Batty, executive assistant to associate and executive directors of Russell
Reynolds Associates; Lisa Partridge, PA to Michael Caines MBE and Sharon
Walsh, executive assistant to the HR director at Channel 4.

The awards were presented by Michelle Mone founder and co-owner of MJM
International and creator of Ultimo, the UK’s leading designer lingerie
brand.

Michelle declared: “Congratulations to Louisa, who has fought off some
stiff competition to claim this year’s Award. She and all the finalists have
shown just how valued the roles of PAs and executive assistants really are.
People in this role make a considerable contribution to businesses across
the country, so it’s great to be putting the spotlight on them.”

This year’s judging panel consisted of: Susie Barron-Stubley, managing
director of Castalia, the coachingandtraining company; Gareth Osborne,
director general of the Association for Personal Assistants (APA); Laura
Richardson, last year’s winner; and Geoff Sims, managing director of Hays PA
& Secretarial.

Geoff Sims, managing director at Hays PA & Secretarial, added:
“Congratulations to Louisa and to all the finalists. Everyone should be very
proud of their achievements. PAs play a crucial role and our research
suggests that although they underestimate how important to an organisation
they are, over 80% of employers say that office support workers provide
essential support and are the backbone of the organisation.”

About Hays [http://www.hays.co.uk ]:

Hays PA & Secretarial is part of Hays plc, the leading global specialist
recruitment group. It is market leader in the UK and Australia, and one of
the market leaders in Continental Europe.

As of 31 December 2010, the Group employed 7,086 staff operating from
257 offices in 30 countries across 17 specialisms. Specialist roles include
banking jobs [http://www.hays.co.uk/enhance-your-career/banking-jobs ],
architecture jobs, procurement jobs [http://www.hays.co.uk/enhance-your-career/procurement-jobs ]
and paralegal jobs
[http://www.hays.co.uk/enhance-your-career/legal-jobs/paralegal-jobs ].

        For further information please contact:
        Claire Fowler
        Hays
        Stockley House
        130 Wilton Road
        London
        SW1V 1LQ
        +44(0)20-7259-8821

http://www.hays.co.uk

SOURCE Hays plc