Penny Cooke has over 20 years of experience as a personal assistant providing flexible support services. She currently works as the Personal Assistant to the Warden at St Antony's College, University of Oxford, where her duties include complex diary management, correspondence, and administrative tasks. Previously, she has held personal assistant roles supporting executives at Sophos Plc and Integra-Net UK Ltd, demonstrating her strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.

1. PENNY COOKE
58 Pebble Drive
Didcot
Oxfordshire
OX11 9RE
01235 813129 & 07818 652705
penny.cooke@hotmail.co.uk
With over 20 years’ experience in corporate and educational environments, Penny has an excellent track record of providing professional
support to successful businessmen, businesswomen, entrepreneurs, company executives and senior management teams, and running
teams comprising a variety of levels of personnel. Fully flexible in her approach to whatever level of PA services you require, Penny more
than manages your expectations. She is a problem solver and prides herself on her reputation as a first class 'fixer' and ‘firefighter’.
"I understand how difficult it is to get good quality personal assistance; clients often express frustration at the lack of flexibility when
looking for a PA who will do what is needed without any fuss, and will bring you solutions, not problems."
St Antony’s College, University of Oxford March 2006 – present
Personal Assistant to the Warden (Head of College). Duties include:
 Providing support including complex diary and travel arrangements for the Head of College, who is also a very successful author;
 Preparing letters for signature; preparing contracts to appoint Governing Body Fellows;
 Administering the search for ad hoc Fellowships;
 Proof-reading as necessary complex Memoranda of Understanding and other contracts, and College newsletters;
 Prioritising incoming mail and other requests;
 Administering the twice-weekly High Table formal dinners with often-complicated (and complex) seating arrangements.
Sophos Plc July 2002 – March 2006
Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive Officers. Duties included:
 Providing administrative support to the Chief Executives, and to the Chief Technical Officer and Sales & Marketing Directors in both
work and non-work related matters;
 Carrying out a variety of information assignments for the Chief Executives and Directors to support the management process;
 Screening all mail, calls, visits and requests to the Chief Executives, drafting responses and redirecting as appropriate to ensure the
best use of the Chief Executives’ time;
 Providing a full and complex travel and itinerary arrangement service to the Chief Executives and the Directors to optimise the best
use of their time, including both UK and overseas engagements;
 Providing a travel arrangement service to all UK-based staff (360);
 Arranging accommodation for incoming members of staff;
 Organisation of all company social events, some conferences, identifying venues and negotiating rates
In January/February 2004, I had responsibility for a visit by HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh to open new HQ. This involved:
 Liaising with HM’s Private Secretary’s office and the Palace Press office;
 Liaising with the Lord Lieutenant’s office;
 Liaising with local police, Metropolitan Police and Special Branch;
 Co-ordinating both VIPs and staff guest lists – 250 in total;
 Arranging champagne reception for guests and staff – 600 in total.
Various temporary assignments, including: November 2001 – June 2002
 Setting up the administrative procedures of a rapidly expanding Computer Services company based in Swindon;
 A two month assignment as Acting Personnel Manager and Personal Assistant to the Finance Director at HR Wallingford, a Hydraulics
Civil Engineering Company with 200 staff.
Integra-Net UK Ltd August 2000 – November 2001
Personal Assistant to the Managing Director, Finance Director & Operations Director. Duties included:
 Diary management, dealing with correspondence, fielding calls and acting on behalf of the Directors in their absence;
 Travel arrangements for all staff.
Office Manager across two locations, comprising 120 staff. This was by far the larger of the two roles, and duties included:
 Organisation of all company social events, and company-wide quarterly briefings and conferences, identifying venues and negotiating
rates.
 Day to day running of these locations, including:
 Responsibility for a refurbishment programme for the office on Milton Park, and relocation of staff to the data centre. For both
projects I was the key liaison with the telephone and computer cabling suppliers;
 Overseeing the building maintenance and liaising with the Facilities Support Companies;
 Purchase of stationery and other office supplies.
A state-of-the-art data centre opened in Reading in January 2001 and I was responsible for:
 The design layout and purchasing of new furniture (for 48 staff) for this location within budget.
 Selection and purchase of the telephone systems for both locations.
As Office Manager, I had two Receptionists reporting to me. Integra was making staff redundant as I left.

2. Science & Spirit Resources, Inc. October 1999 – August 2000
Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer, Office Manager for a company of six. Duties were many and varied because of the dual
role of the CEO, as Publisher & President of an American based magazine who is also a doctoral supervisor of graduate students at an
American university and included:
 Acting on behalf of the CEO, including all correspondence and all business and administration matters for the UK office of this small
publishing company;
 Travel arrangements to North America, South Africa and Australasia;
 Diary management;
 Office management, including the ordering of stationery and other office supplies;
 Maintaining up-to-date office accounts.
Science & Spirit Resources closed its United Kingdom office in August 2000. Up until its closure, I was arranging a North American publicity
and speaking tour for the President of the company.
Oxford University Press 1995 – 1999
Personal Assistant to the Producer & Publishing Manager of Oxford English Video, Office Manager for a department of 10. Duties included:
 Dealing with confidential matters for the Publishing Manager, including all correspondence and personnel records, and all
administration matters for the Department;
 Liaising with other departments within the English Language Teaching Division, and with the Directors of the Division in the absence
of and on behalf of the Publishing Manager;
 Liaising with outside contacts on behalf of the Publishing Manager;
 Screening incoming calls to the Publishing Manager, ensuring the best use of his time;
 Maintaining up-to-date diary information for the Publishing Manager and other key members of OEV;
 Supervising the Department Secretary, ensuring that:
 OEV was provided with the necessary secretarial and administrative support both as a publishing department and as a film
production unit;
 On-going training of the Department Secretary in specific routines relating to video productions and office procedures.
At the same time, I was also Production Co-ordinator for Oxford English Video. Duties for this role involved:
 The hiring of cast, crew equipment and production facilities for video productions, and producing contracts for same;
 Organising hotel accommodation for the film cast and crew both in the UK and overseas, according to set schedules and budgets;
 Producing budgets for video productions, including:
 Managing the processing of invoices relating to video productions in order to achieve efficient payment and the maintenance of
accurate records;
 Providing a reliable point of contact while filming took place on location.
Oxford University Press 1990 – 1995
Personal Assistant to the Producer & Publishing Manager, and Group Administrator to the Oxford English Video Department consisting of
Producer, Associate Producer, Assistant Producer and Script Editor. Duties included:
 Providing full secretarial and administrative support.
During preproduction and filming:
 Providing a production office service;
 Liaising with freelancers and agencies to ensure the smooth running of the production from initial concept to completion of the
master tapes;
 Preparation of draft and final scripts requiring a high degree of accuracy.
Education Didcot Girls’ Grammar School (later Didcot Girls’ School)
GCE ‘O’ Levels
- English Language - English Literature
- History - French
- Art - Mathematics
- Biology - Religious Education
CSE - Typing Grade 1
Pitmans - Typing Elementary & Intermediate
RSA - Typing I & II
RSA - Teeline Shorthand (Abingdon College)
Software packages include: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); Microsoft Project; WordPerfect 5.2 for Windows; MovieMagic for
Windows film budgeting.
Courses attended: SAP General Enquiry & Reporting; Managing and Appraising Performance (RheMA Human Resource Development)
Hobbies
Classical Music, Opera Reading
Cookery Photography
Travel