The Admin Spotlight: Behind the Front Desk

Connie Messina is a seasoned Executive Assistant at Grant Thornton Australia, based in Brisbane, Queensland. With over two decades of experience in executive support, administration management, and stakeholder engagement, Connie is known for her strategic thinking, polished communication, and unwavering professionalism.
Her career spans roles in marketing, administration, and executive coordination, culminating in her long-standing tenure at Grant Thornton, where she plays a pivotal role in supporting senior leadership and driving operational excellence. Connie’s dedication to continuous learning is reflected in her completion of a Mini MBA through the Australian Institute of Management, alongside certifications in holistic counselling and leadership development.
Beyond her corporate achievements, Connie serves as the Queensland Division President of the Australian Institute of Office Professionals (AIOP). In this capacity, she champions the recognition and advancement of office professionals, fostering community, collaboration, and professional growth across the sector. Her leadership has been instrumental in the successful relaunch of AIOP Queensland, where she has curated engaging events and built strong partnerships with sponsors and stakeholders.
Connie’s commitment to excellence was nationally recognised when she received the 2023 Executive Excellence Award from the Australian Assembly of Administrators. Her ability to lead with empathy, organize with precision, and inspire with authenticity makes her a standout figure in both the corporate and professional development spheres.
 

Elizabeth Sutkowska is the Founder and President of Assistologist, Poland's first association for Executive Assistants, dedicated to redefining leadership support. We are a movement with Polish Roots and a Global Mindset.
 
Elizabeth is a trailblazing Executive Assistant with 15+ years of international experience, supporting leaders in corporations and startups. Graduate of five universities, advocate for modern EA practices.

Lisa is a passionate advocate for lifelong learning, dedicated to inspiring others to unlock their full potential, seize opportunities, and embrace the role of being "relationship engineers." With a passion for fostering growth, she specializes in providing creative and engaging workshops and conference presentations. Her mission is to inspire individuals to embrace continuous development, empowering them to thrive in their roles and contribute significantly to organizational success.
Connect with Lisa via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaolsen-professionaldevelopment/

With over three decades of experience in executive support, including C-Suite level roles, Mia has developed unparalleled expertise in streamlining business operations, refining processes, and driving organizational efficiency. Currently, she balances a dual role, providing direct support to an executive while managing a team of highly skilled executive assistants, showcasing her strength in leadership and team management. 
Mia's commitment to professional growth is unwavering. She not only fulfills her immediate responsibilities but also serves on the Certification committee of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). As the Chair of EA Ignite, she fosters professional growth and connection within the administrative community, inspiring others to reach their full potential. 
As the Manager of Executive and Administration, Mia emphasizes the importance of efficiency, open communication, and collaboration. She actively cultivates an inclusive culture where every team member's voice is heard and valued, contributing to the organization's success.

Today, we sit down with Monica Pelayo 
Executive Assistant & Travel Logistics Planner to the Office of the CEO at Intel Corporation. 
Certified in Hypnotherapy and Rapid Transformational Therapy RTT®.
 
Monica has been with Intel for 20years, currently based in the Santa Clara, California corporate headquarters. In the current role Monica does all travel logistics for the CEO, supports and covers the Executive Assistant to the CEO, partners closely with security and along with the strategy program manager. Monica is also known as the briefing hunter. 
Among the admin community Monica is the go-to person for travel and a resource guide for the headquarter offices. Monica prides herself in wearing multiple hats while maintaining flexibility in her role per the needs of the office to ensure the office runs smoothly and everyone is well taken care of. 
Monica has a passion for mentoring and helping others—was part of a team that was awarded the highest administrative award within the company called the Intel Admin Achievement Award in 2015 for her contribution in creating an onboarding document for new hires called “What Admins Want you to Know”. Also, received another Intel Admin Achievement Award for her contribution to Between The Lines sub team which is an Intel admin worldwide publication from admin to admins. Outside of Intel Monica has volunteered at the San Jose Works program hosted by the Mayor’s office mentoring high school students on career path, career exploration, growth mindset, overcoming challenges and building relationships. Last year while working in her current role Monica became a certified hypnotherapist in Rapid Transformational Therapy. Monica offers presentations at Intel on the Rules of the Mind to create awareness on how the brain functions to become conscious of our beliefs, state of mind to hack the brain and shift the mindset. In her free time, Monica enjoys exercising, listening to music, cooking, traveling to Oregon to spend time with her daughter and grandchildren, as well to Mexico to visit her family.

Tara Sims is a dynamic leader and accomplished Regional Administrative Manager at a leading global real estate management firm. As the founder, owner, and CEO of Evolved Assistant, a virtual assistant agency, and author of the book, Evolved Assistant: Unlocking Success in a New Era for Administrative Professionals, Tara is recognized as an authority in administrative excellence. A New Orleans native now based in Atlanta, she has over two decades of experience supporting C-suite leaders and senior professionals. Known for her adaptability, problem-solving skills, and ability to build strong executive partnerships, Tara excels in guiding teams to deliver exceptional results.
 
Her leadership style is deeply people-focused and partnership-oriented, combining her expertise in executive support, organizational strategy, and coaching to foster successful collaborations between executives and their administrative teams. Her insights have made her a sought-after speaker and thought leader. In 2021, she was honored with the Admin Awards Leadership Award, a testament to her influence and contributions to the profession.
 
Tara’s passion for elevating the role of administrative professionals is evident in her work, her writing, and her speaking engagements, where she inspires others to unlock their full potential and drive organizational success.
 
Welcome Tara and thank you for joining us!

Alicia Fairclough is a career Executive Assistant and the founder of EA How To, the world’s largest and most valuable community of administrative professionals. EA How To is on a mission to make the lives of assistants easier and bring top level assistants together from around the globe so they can learn from and support one another.
 
She has a colorful background and has been a teacher, cruise ship officer and travel consultant in addition to being an amazing admin professional. Her diverse background and experience includes managing property projects and household maintenance; managing complex travel arrangements to include business and personal travel; planning events and the myriad of logistics involved; and management of household finances and business expenses. She is a fearless advocate for the admin profession, and we are very excited to have her sit down and talk with us.