A longstanding member and former European Chairman of IMA, Helen Monument is an experienced Executive Assistant and Team Leader. She is passionate about sharing her experiences with like-minded professionals across the world as a Mentor, Coach, Conference Speaker, Trainer and Writer. She believes that Assistants have a responsibility to share their knowledge and experience. Her goal is to ‘pay it forward’ by inspiring Assistants to be the best they can be.
Helen says “I would not be in the position I am today if it had not been for IMA and the growth and development that I achieved while actively serving the association. It was the best leadership training I ever experienced”.
Helen never set out to become a support professional. After working in the Hotel Industry, she moved with her family from the UK to The Netherlands. She combined caring for her two children with learning Dutch and coping with the major culture shift. Her re-entry into the workplace was as Assistant to the European Engineering Manager of The Dow Chemical Company in Rotterdam. During her 12 years with Dow, she increased her skills by contributing to Dow’s Quality Improvement programme, training the Secretarial team in problem-solving techniques and improving work processes. She made a break with engineering in 2000 to venture into the world of telecommunications, working as PA to the Senior Vice President of Customer Operations at KPNQwest in The Hague, where she was again involved in secretarial team building and improvement processes. Later, she moved back to the petrochemical industry, working as Office Manager for an American Consulting Company after which she spent four years as PA to the VP of Progress Software. In 2008 she took on the role of Office Manager and Assisstant to a VP at a major international energy company, where she developed a Mentoring Programme “Secrets of a Successful Assistant”, sharing her experiences and helping PAs with their professional development.
Helen holds the Professional Certificate of Management from the British Open University Business School.
Helen speaks at international conferences for Assistants on a variety of subjects relevant to the profession, including:
- Leadership Skills for Executive Assistants
- What to do when the sky falls? The Art of Resilience
- “This is a Man’s World?” Surviving in a male-dominated industry
- Innovative Thinking for Executive Assistants
- Quality Decision Making
Mentoring
Helen has created a mentoring programme “Secrets of a Successful Assistant” aimed at Assistants who are looking to enhance their professional development by sharing their experiences and learning from each other.
Coaching
Helen offers one-to-one confidential coaching sessions, empowering Assistants to take control of their career.
Training
Helen offers interactive workshops for Assistants on a variety of subjects including:
- High Performing Teams
- Group Problem Solving
- Communication Skills
To discuss your requirements and Helen’s availability, please contact: helenmonument@gmail.com