Our students love our latest edition of Executive Assistant! Volume 4 is out now - and Bel Knott, a top-notch EA, and one of our Level 6 Diploma students, couldn’t wait to get her hands on the latest copy when she was in class last week! Says Bel: “The articles and advice in Executive Assistant is practical, no-nonsense and gives very different perspectives to what else is out there. It’s an easy read - and something I always look forward to reading!” To order your copy, click here.
Adam Fidler, our founder, is delighted to be appointed Chair of Salford City College Group - the only Further Education College in the City of Salford, with some 4,500 full-time (16-18 year old) learners. Some of our followers will know that Adam worked as the Executive Assistant to the Board in Salford City College from 2009 to 2016; he returned in 2021 as a Governor (Board Director), and has now succeeded as Chair of the Board! Says Adam: “When I worked at Salford City College as a senior manager and part of the Executive Team - I was a true Executive Assistant to the CEO - I never dreamt one day I would return as a Governor, let alone Chair of the Governing Body! It gives me great pleasure to extend my Governor role and lead the Corporation (Board) who oversee the College’s activities. My journey is a true example that any Executive Assistant, with a passion and continuous learning, can achieve great things. When you become commercially aware, develop another specialism (mine was teaching) and development management competence, it’s remarkable how those transferable skills can be used in roles beyond the ‘EA’ space. I hope my story is an inspiration to our students, and others, many of whom have ambition to take their EA career even further.” Adam is pictured here with Group Principal of Salford City College, Rebecca Parks (shown left) and outgoing Chair, Jackie Flynn (shown right), at a previous Salford City College event.
Adam Fidler’s article entitled ‘You’re not just called an EA because you support an executive’ has amassed over 18,000 views on social media alone! Golly, it must have struck a chord with so many EAs. It’s also now featured in the Autumn 2025 edition of PA Life Magazine. For those who missed it, you can read a copy here on LinkedIn. Happy reading!
Why not make a fresh start, and join us in this fresh academic year? We are enrolling now for Autumn start dates on our popular programmes, including our 1-day courses, 2-day courses and our EA Diploma pathways. We have scores of courses to choose from that all map to education and industry standards, including our new 1-day ‘Being Executive - Influence and Gravitas for EAs’, and our new 1-day ‘Introduction to Legal and Governance’. For more details, see our courses here.
TheCityUK and Adam Fidler Academy kicked off their partnership by holding the first cohort of The Strategic Executive Assistant (2 day programme) in London on the 17-18 July 2025 in London. TheCityUK is the industry-led body representing UK-based financial and related professional services - an industry that contributes 12% of the UK’s total economic output. As part of TheCityUK’s commitment to its members, it is now working in partnership with Adam Fidler Academy to bring high-level and up-to-date training to EAs and PAs in their membership. Says Adam Fidler: “I was excited to deliver The Strategic Executive Assistant for the first time in collaboration with TheCityUK. TheCityUK are a forward-thinking membership body who not only offer support and training to their core members, but also see the need to upskill their EAs - who work for major financial organisations - along the way. We had a great two-days and our next cohort will be November 2025… I look forward to it.” You can see more about TheCityUK here:.
We were thrilled to see some of our Alumni, along with current students, attend our informal EA/PA Networking evening last Tuesday 15 July in London. Our guest speaker for the evening was Leigh Thomson-Persaud, EA to Chairman of Diageo Plc and SSE Plc, who gave us an inspiring talk about her journey as an EA, with its challenges and opportunities. Adam Fidler also spoke about ‘being Executive’ - tied into his latest though-leadership article - and the importance of developing executiveness in the EA role. He also shared his passion for education and how Adam Fidler Academy sets itself apart from other ‘training’ providers. Thank you to all those who attended on a very warm evening!
We’re delighted to be approved as an official centre and provider of OTHM qualifications. OTHM offer a wide range of qualifications both in the UK and internationally, and we’ll be running the OTHM Level 6 Diploma in Business Management - a degree-equivalent qualification - in the first instance. Says Adam Fidler, “It’s a delight to widen the curriculum we offer our learners by working with another Awarding Body. Our learners have been looking for a Level 6 (degree-equivalent) pathway for a while, and the OTHM Level 6 Diploma in Business Management links so well to our Level 4 and Level 5 programmes. So, the choice to work with OTHM was easy!”. You can find out more about our Level 6 Diploma and related pathways here.
We were delighted to award Frederique Perol, Senior EA at Anaplan, based in Paris, a distinction with the Level 4 Certificate in Business and Admin Management! Frederique, shown here with Adam Fidler, also let us have oversight of an email she sent to her boss upon hearing the news that she had qualified, and with her permission, we’re sharing it here. It really goes to show the impact and value of studying for a formal qualification - and we hope you agree! Wrote Frederique, to her boss: “I wanted to share some exciting news with you: I’ve officially completed the first level of the Adam Fidler Academy training, and not only that—I qualified with distinction! Having reached this first milestone, I can honestly say it’s been one of the most rewarding challenges I’ve ever taken on. So, thank you for taking a chance on me and investing in my growth. I may not know how to properly express my gratitude (words feel inadequate), but please know it comes straight from the heart. This opportunity has already taught me so much—not just about being an EA but also about better understanding your decisions and actions. I wanted to take a moment to pause and acknowledge how much your support means to me. Thank you for believing in me, even when I doubted myself. Thank you for pushing me out of my comfort zone (and into Manchester! ). And thank you for being the kind of boss who sees potential and nurtures it. I promise to keep working hard and ensure this investment pays off—for all of us!”
There are so many small things that EAs and PAs should know - but are no longer being taught in school or college. Here at Adam Fidler Academy, we take pride in teaching our students (who are already in full-time EA jobs!) the little things that matter. These are the small things that maintain high standards and show a level of professionalism and polish in the role. Our latest booklet, simply called “It’s two spaces after a full-stop” will be available soon for our students and our Alumni! Watch this space!
It was a pleasure for Adam Fidler to run a one-day ‘in-house’ session at the Alzheimer’s Society this week in Birmingham. At the request of the EA to the CEO, Adam shared with the PA/EA team how they can add wider value in their roles, and how they can define their jobs properly. Says Adam, “Role clarity is a real issue in the PA/EA world. By considering the wider scope and responsibilities an Assistant takes on, we can really get to the nitty gritty of the value and real business return on organisations utilising their Assistants properly.”
“There’s far too much on social media about Executive Assistants ‘becoming’ Chiefs of Staff,” says Adam Fidler, “and, quite frankly, I don’t agree!”. For our perspectives on this, and other superb articles, see our new resources section here. This contains for now three essential articles every Executive Assistant should read!
Yes, we know it’s pretty hard to fit in a qualification and longer study programme when you have a full-time PA/EA role, and a busy home-life. However, our EA students do it! Just like Isabella Johnson-Davies, pictured here, after qualifying with our Level 4 EA Diploma, with dedication and pacing our your homework and studies, you, too, can achieve great things alongside your EA job. Isabella, as one example, received Distinctions in every single Unit at Level 3 and Level 4, after undertaking four Units at Level 4, and a massive eight Units at Level 3! Now, that was Isabella’s choice - you can qualify at Level 4 in as little as 6 days, or qualify at Level 3 in as little as 5 days. But, we’ll think you’ll love it here so much, you’ll want to do more learning with us - just like Isabella! Said Isabella on completion of her studies: “I can’t express how wonderful it’s been to study at Adam Fidler Academy. Yes, I had to attend classes in person and do some homework. But the knowledge and confidence I have gained, as well as getting an accredited EA qualification, has been instrumental in my EA career path. I can’t recommend the EA Diploma highly enough.”
What an event! Adam Fidler was delighted to be the guest speaker at the inaugural TheCityUK Executive Assistant Networking Dinner, held at the prestigious Bloomberg offices in the City of London on Wednesday 28 January 2025. With a talk about the evolving role of the EA role, the impact of artificial intelligence and the key skills needed for EAs of the future, Adam Fidler captivated an exclusive audience over dinner - and much conversation between courses! A huge thank you to TheCityUK, an industry-led body that represents UK financial and related services, for arranging such a brilliant event, and to Bloomberg for hosting us! Watch this space, as Adam Fidler Academy will be offering further educational support to TheCityUK members’ EAs and PAs!
Behind every boss is a great Assistant! You may have seen this post on our LinkedIn site (it’s had over 250 ‘likes’ already!) , and it shows Adam Fidler, with our Assistant (and social media whizz!), Kaitlin! As per the post, Adam wanted to thank Kaitlin for her hard work in 2024, and particularly through our hectic Autumn term. Said Adam: “It's such a false economy for bosses to think they can be 'self sufficient' - an Assistant taking care of all the operational aspects of a business provides the headspace and leadership time needed for a boss to be effective with their time! So, thank you, Kaitlin, for your positive demeanour, humility and for tempering some of our very busy days!”
Are you wondering where your EA career will take you in 2025? Well, we have the answers! Why not consider one of our new courses, which are designed to maximise your value as an Assistant. Whether you’re a PA, EA or Administrator, we know our tailored programmes will have impact on your skill-set, your mind, and your learning agility! For 2025, here’s a quick reminder of those new courses we’re offering:
Level 6 Diploma in Business Management - degree equivalent
Revised Level 3 Award in Professional PA, EA and Admin Skills - just 5 days’ learning to gain a formal and accredited qualification
Revised Level 4 Certificate in Business and Admin Management - just 6 days’ learning to gain a HNC-equivalent qualification in business studies
Level 3 Introduction to Legal and Governance - our brand new 1-day course for EAs and PAs, for a fundamental understanding of corporate governance and legal frameworks
As we break up for Christmas, Adam Fidler Academy would like to say a huge thank you to all our students, clients and supporters for a great 2024! We wish everyone a very Happy Christmas - and best wishes for the New Year ahead. We’re back on the 6 January 2025 - so, we’ll see many more EAs and PAs then!
Adam Fidler was delighted to be the guest speaker at the Hays EA/PA Networking Event, at Hays Manchester, on Friday 1 November 2024. With over 65 PAs and EAs present, Adam’s talk on ‘The Strategic Executive Assistant - not just a PA!’ went down a storm. With key strategies and tips on how to take an EA’s role further, by adding wider value, and defining the true role of the EA - away from staid and traditional forms of PA support - those who attended were left feeling enthused and energised. Adam Fidler Academy works exclusively with Hays, as their recruitment partner, and this is just one of a number of events held throughout the year. Watch this space! In 2025, Adam will be repeating this event with Hays London (date to be announced).
We’re delighted to launch our eagerly-awaited Level 6 Diploma in Business Management! This degree-equivalent qualification is designed specifically for EAs and PAs who would like to obtain an advanced qualification in business management, but who don’t have the time to commit to a full degree or attend University. Starting in the Spring of 2025, you can see more and the full brochure here.
We’re delighted to announce the details of our informal Learning and Collaboration Day, which will take place this year on Friday 11 October 2024, from 10:00-16:00 hrs. The event, which is open to Alumni, students and non-students alike, will be held in-house at our Academy and includes some superb new content. It’s also a great way to sample our Academy experience if you’ve never studied with us before. For more details and to book, please click here.
As well as our students receiving their formal qualifications at our Graduation Ceremony on 18 July 2024, some of them received additional Awards for their brilliance! Pictured left to right is: Mandy Nash (EA to CEO at Nedbank Private Wealth) who won Student of the Year 2024; Maria Darnell (EA to UK Chair, Arup) who won Award for Perseverance; and Melissa Dunn (Learning and Development Business Partner, IMI Plc) who won Award for Aspiration. I’m sure you will agree, our Awards, which are based on academic studies and professional excellence, are worth shouting about. Well done to Mandy, Maria and Melissa for standing out even further, amongst all our superb EAs!
