Graduation Ceremony 2026

We were delighted to see our class of 2016 last Friday, 24 July! At our Graduation Ceremony we saw our qualification students presented with their formal awards, in recognition of their achievements. Additionally, we had speeches from three students, and were thrilled to present the accolades of Awards for Aspiration, and Student of the Year 2026. The event tops anything else in the ‘PA/EA training space’ and our students can wear a mortarboard, hood and gown based on them studying formal qualifications at Higher Education (Level 4 and above) level. Congratulations to all our Graduates!

The Strategic Executive Assistant - the original, and still the best

Did you know that Adam Fidler coined the term ‘Strategic’ in relation to Executive Assistants? Yes, back in early 2016, Adam wrote an article called ‘Why today’s EAs need to get more strategic’ and that paved the way for the view that Executive and Personal Assistants needed to expand their competencies and be more strategic in their roles. Our best-selling two-day course, The Strategic Executive Assistant, followed soon after the article and elevated the level and type of training available to EAs and PAs. Never before then had any other trainers’ work been so impactful on the EA profession. The rest, of course, is history! But, if you want to hear it from the horse’s mouth(!), and learn from the course and trainer that wrote the original concepts, you can enrol on our two-day course here. With fresh dates this Autumn and in 2027 in both London and Manchester, it’s the course that will revolutionise your EA role. Check out our testimonials if you don’t believe us… Don’t settle for second-best; come and see the originator!

Feature in PA Life Magazine - Summer 2026

We’re delighted to be featured in the summer edition of PA Life Magazine, on the advent of our Ten Year Anniversary. You can read the article here.

The cake!

At our recent ten year anniversary fuddle, the icing on the cake, was, in fact, the cake! We’re sure you agree: what could be more fitting than a typewriter cake!

Ten Year Fuddle!

A huge thank you to all those who attended our Ten Year Anniversary fuddle on Friday 1 May 2026, in Manchester! We were delighted to see you at the Academy. Many of you had travelled from far and wide - and what a great event it was!

Ten Years of Adam Fidler Academy!

Adam Fidler Academy celebrated its ten year anniversary on Friday 1 May 2026, and we were delighted to host former students, our Alumni and supports at our fuddle that evening. Here’s Adam Fidler, before the event. He says: “I cannot believe it’s been ten years! Since then, Adam Fidler Academy has trained thousands of EAs and PAs, not only at our Academy, but in-house in organisations, too. My only vision was to create a more academic and rigorous educational programme for Executive Assistants. Gaining professional status means gaining qualifications - and we’ve succeeded in that, over the last ten years!”

A testimonial all EAs should read!

This is some testimonial! We think it covers the essence and the philosophy of Adam Fidler Academy so well, we’re publishing it here so that more EAs can read it. The words are from one of our current Level 6 Diploma (degree equivalent) students,
Belinda Knott, who was already a highly-experienced C-Suite EA when she joined us for her studies. Here’s what Bel had to say on her LinkedIn post on 26 April 2026:

“Qualified, not just experienced!

Wednesday 22 April was Administrative Professionals Day. This week I have seen many EAs celebrating and advocating the importance of the role, emphasising that it's not just about diary management; that's it's about being more strategic and that's great to see, but do they really know what that means?

I believe that we need to talk about more than just recognition of the role on one day of the year; we need to talk about the importance of qualifications.

I’m currently finishing my Level 6 Business Diploma with Adam Fidler - a qualification equivalent to a degree. Alongside five incredible EAs I’ve learnt Strategic HR Management, Operations Management, Financial Decision Making, Leadership and Management, Sustainable Business Practices and we are now working on our Business Research Projects as our final assignments. That on top of the hours of study at Levels 3, 4 and 5 over the last several years.

Learnt. It’s a simple word, but it represents years of late nights, weekends of assignments and deep dives into business strategies and theories.

We can all go on quick webinars and EA courses with no qualification at the end. I’ve been on many where you’re "talked at" for hours and end up learning nothing. 'Death by PowerPoint' quick courses and webinars don't create strategic EAs. Many of these courses are led by people that are not qualified themselves, but are basing their knowledge on their own experience.

Real learning happens when you’re pushed by a qualified teacher to move from "Black Box" to "Red Box" thinking and more.

​In my journey with Adam, I’ve moved far beyond the basics. This isn't a quick online webinar, this goes deeper. Learning all the things we have helps us to really grow and this course has pushed us to become more; we aren't just part of the office operations; we are driving them.

I only know of six EAs that will have level 6 Business Diploma qualifications soon and we all will have worked really hard to get them. I wonder how many other EAs out there can say the same?

As Adam says 'confident, credible and qualified. That's an Adam Fidler EA'.

To my cohort: it’s been a tough few years, but standing with you in July together with graduates at other levels will be such an honour. We’ve earned this!”

The Times article (3 April 2026)

Our founder, Adam Fidler, is quoted in a superb article in The Times newspaper today, entitled “AI is no match for a great PA - it’s not too late to bring them back.” You can read the full article here!

Join our Alumni!

If you’ve completed a two-day course with us - such as Get Ahead as an Executive PA, or The Strategic Executive Assistant - or you’ve graduated with one of our Level 3, Level 4, Level 5 or Level 6 qualifications, then why not continue your CPD and networking by joining our Alumni? We have some exciting CPD sessions arranged for 2026/27! You can see more details, including how to join and the full 2026/27 programme of events here.

How EAs should be future-orientating their roles

You can read Adam Fidler’s latest article, ‘How Executive Assistants should be future-orientating their roles’ here. As usual, it’s an absolute must-read for every PA and EA! We hope you like it!

Every EA needs to be Level 4 qualified

The latest research into the future labour market* indicates that future roles will require a minimum of a Level 4 qualification. A Level 4 qualification is equivalent to the first year of a degree or a HNC. That’s because a ‘higher education’ level (which starts at Level 4) you learn those higher order skills such as critical thinking, evaluation and analysis. Adam Fidler’s been stating this for years - but now that AI is upon us, it’s even more important that EAs and PAs uplift their educational repertoire to have the confidence to demonstrate those new skills. Pictured here are a recent Level 4 cohort who are all undertaking their Level 4 Certificate in Business and Admin Management. They get the importance of a Level 4 qualification in business… but, do you? (*Source: World Economic Forum 2025; Skills England 2025; Government Skills White Paper 2025.)

Events 2026!

Happy New Year, everyone! We have some superb events lined up for you in 2026, including our Ten Year Anniversary Party, our Graduation Ceremony, and our annual Learning and Collaboration Day. They’re all scheduled in our diary - but are the scheduled in yours? For more information, see our events page!

Happy Christmas!

As we head towards the Christmas break, we would like to wish all our students, alumni, clients and followers a very Happy Christmas! It’s been another wonderful calendar year, this year, and we look forward to seeing more EAs and PAs take their professional status even higher in 2026! We hope you enjoy the festive holiday!

New course: the Executive Assistant Defined

An Executive Assistant is an integral part of the management team. But, to be operate that way, and be taken seriously, the EA needs to define their role properly, including avoiding secretarial and ‘admin’ descriptors, and elevating the role into professional business support. Our brand new three-hour workshop, hosted by master-trainer and coach, Adam Fidler, is a great way for EAs and PAs to really consider how they define their role, how they articulate it - and how they behave. “You're not just called an Executive Assistant because you support an Executive,” says Adam Fidler. That theme has resonated with thousands of PAs and EAs worldwide, and formed the basis of one of Adam’s most recent popular articles. If that’s understood, then EAs need support in being more Executive and developing a mindset beyond ‘admin’ and ‘Executive PA’. For more details of how you can change your mindset about your role, and receive the recognition you’ve always wanted at work, see the course outline on our short courses page here.

Foundation EA Skills still need refining

Here are just thee of our recent Get Ahead as an Executive PA students who attended our best-selling programme this week. Whilst these three EAs were already experienced administrators and PAs in their own right, they all felt that joining our Level 3 programme would help them get the foundations right in their role. And, as one lady commented: “I looked at the higher-level courses, and said to my boss I want to start at Level 3 and see what ‘good looks like’ even in those basics’. We were very impressed with this approach. Far too many EAs and PAs think they’ve “gone beyond” learning the basics - but many have never learnt the basics at all. That’s why our Level 3 programmes fine-tune and cover the absolute foundation of the role - from minutes, diaries and itineraries, to correct business writing and ‘open punctuation’… if you’ve never learnt these things properly as an EA, then those skills are the foundation for your success in the future. We’ve seen may bad habits here - mainly from PAs and EAs who have never been shown the right way.

Snacks

One of our students commented on our snack basket - and we said that it’s always full! We like to look after our students well here, and that means feeding and watering them properly! After all, the bulk of our students travel far and wide from across the UK to be with us in our Manchester Academy. Typically, whilst our snack basket is full on Day 1, by the end of Day 2 there’s hardly anything left! Who doesn’t like a few treats?

Learning and Collaboration Day 2025

We were delighted to welcome 20 students to our Annual Learning and Collaboration Day on Friday 17 October 2025! With an informal learning day and plenty of networking - including lunch at our favourite jaunt, Cafe Cotton in Ancoats! - we had a superb day. Topics included ‘being even more strategic’, as well as Executive Presence. Additionally, our two guest speakers, Bel Knott (EA at Border to Coast Pensions Partnership) and Leigh Thomson-Persaud, EA to Chairman of Diageo Plc and SSE Plc, left our students inspired and motivated to continue their professional growth! Thank you to all those who attended from as far as Jersey and Dublin, and as near as Manchester and Sheffield!

You've got to be in it, to win it!

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.

EA to Board - to Chairman of the Board...

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.

18,000 views and counting!

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!