Welcome to our member spotlight series! Over the coming months, we are sharing a collection of real stories, experiences, and insights from our vibrant global community at IMA (International Management Assistants). Read on to discover what makes our association a premier space for management assistants worldwide—straight from the voices of the peers who live it every day.

Stepping Into Leadership and Finding Your Purpose 

Focus: Career transformation, overcoming professional isolation, and stepping into leadership roles. 

For many Executive Assistants, working in a fast-paced corporate environment can sometimes feel like a solitary journey. It’s easy to feel like your efforts go unnoticed or that your career path has hit a ceiling. That is exactly where the International Management Assistants (IMA) network steps in, transforming a daily job into a thriving, motivated career. 

Take Liesle Tanya Galant from South Africa, who joined IMA through a conference registration: "I have Joined IMA recently as I took advantage of the free membership with the Conference registration in July. In this short time, I have attended 2 webinars and gain valuable insights into my profession as an Executive Assistant. I decided to attend the conference in July because I have recently started to feel like working as an assistant feels like a thankless job and less of a career. However, since joining IMA my views are changing and I'm feeling more motivated. The Conference in Berlin also gives me something to look forward to and I am extremely excited to attend and meet others and learn in this profession." 

IMA doesn't just offer motivation; it provides a direct launchpad for leadership. Many members who joined simply looking for connection found themselves steering the ship. Anika Dries from Germany joined in 2024 to escape the isolation of a small startup team. Within just two years, she transitioned from a new member to a vital leader: "I joined IMA in 2024 at a point in my career where I was looking for something my day-to-day environment couldn't offer: a strong professional community. Working in a scale-up with a very small EA team, I missed the internal network and peer exchange that many colleagues in larger organizations take for granted. IMA gave me exactly what I was looking for — a space to connect with fellow Executive Assistants across Europe and beyond, and access to trainings, workshops, and conferences truly tailored to our profession and our growth.

What started as a search for connection quickly became so much more. Within a year, I took on the Regional Lead role for the Munich group, and since April 2026 I have been serving as National Chair of IMA Germany. These responsibilities have stretched me in the best possible way — building on everything I've learned as a member and pushing me to grow further as a leader and advocate for our profession.

Looking back, IMA has genuinely transformed my professional journey. My network across Europe has grown tremendously, my skills have deepened through every event and training I've attended, and the trust placed in me through volunteer leadership has opened doors I hadn't anticipated. IMA didn't just give me a membership — it gave me a community, a platform, and a path forward." 

Whether you are looking to reignite your passion for your profession or take your first steps into international leadership, IMA Global provides the community and the trust you need to stretch your boundaries.

Join IMA!