Judging

Our judges play an important part in the selection for PA of the Year and Up and Coming PA of the Year at the Executive PA Magazine Awards. On the afternoon of the awards, our finalists meet with our judges in a Sydney CBD location for a 10 minute interview and the winning PA is annouced that very evening.

Russell Peacock, Chairman, Executive PA Magazine Worldwide

Russell has owned and invested in succesfull media businesses for the past 20 years. His career in media began in the UK's newspaper heartland of Fleet St and his early experience was based around "Stop the Press", "Hold the front page" and a community excited journalists and publishers chasing after all the best stories. He worked for one of the most successfull publishing campanies of the time rising to become Group Publisher of the finance businesses in the group. Russell is Chairman of Solutions Publish and in 2002 Solutions Publish acquired Executive PA Magazine from the Daily Group. Today the brand can be seen in Europe, Australia and Asia.

When Russell is in UK he's very happy to have the opportunity to drop in to the London office, which is just a stones throw from where he started in Fleet Street.

Kathy Thomas, Program Manager, Swinburne University pictured left, with Aleesha Maddern pictured right

winner of the Up and Coming PA of the Year award at the Executive PA Magazine Awards 2012.

After commencing her career as a legal secretary, once completing an Associate Diploma in Legal Practice, she then moved into the educational field completing her teaching qualification at Hawthorn Institute of Technology and a Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership at Victoria University. She has taught and managed business courses for over 20 years at Swinburne University.

Alex Jones, Regional Director, Hays Office Support

With more than 10 years experience in the recruitment industry, Alex currently manages the Sydney Office Support Division which recruits for positions such as high-level Executive Assistants, Administrators and Project Coordinators.

Catherine Middleton, National President, Australian Institute of Office Professionals, pictured right with the judging panel for the

Executive PA Magazine Awards 2013

"I am looking forward to being part of the Panel for this year’s Awards and meeting the nominees, so good luck to you all, these Awards are there to be won, so be sure to put in your nomination as I would love the opportunity to meet you in Sydney in October."

Maureen Stephen, Executive Assistant, Snedden Hall & Gallop, Lawyers.

Winner of the Outstanding Contribution to your Profession category at the Executive PA Magazine Awards 2012

Maureen began her career in 1965 as a typist, moved to Canberra in 1972 where she worked for lawyers Davies Bailey & Cater in the typing pool before becoming secretary to John Mawson, Solicitor. Between 1974 and 1981 she looked after her two girls. Started back in the workforce after her former boss, John Mawson, called to see if she was interested in working for him in his own business. Four years later the firm was sold to Snedden Hall & Gallop and she was sold with it. This is when she started working with Bill Andrews at Snedden Hall & Gallop. This proved to be her best ever career move and the rest, as they say is history. Maureen have been with Bill for the past 26 years and still enjoys going to work every day.