Administrative Professionals week and a little more…!
- Vijayam Raghunathan, HDFC Bank Ltd.
April 22nd to 28th marked Administrative Professionals week the world over and there were celebrations galore to honour the multitaskers who help the corporate world achieve success and reach the pinnacle of their vision and mission.
IASAP’s Administrative Professionals week celebration started off with a bang! The Boss-Secretary lunch at Vivanta by Taj President on Wednesday, 25th April set the ball rolling. Bosses from Corporations big and small, streamed in accompanied by their smart Secretaries. Each one was greeted with a welcome drink and valuable gifts as we walked into the Presidential Ballroom.
The show started on the dot marking the efficiency of our organizers and the GC team. The clock struck one and there was our compere Zarine Commisariat, fromMonitor Group with her warmth and welcome words setting the mood and the stage to mark yet another year of IASAP’s Administrative Professionals week celebration. Zarine has done this with great élan taking IASAP a few notches higher each year with her humour, wit and grace.
Thanks to two great corporations –Vivanta by Taj President and Blue Dart Express Ltd, who have annually supported this event for the last 26 years and helped us celebrate this day in grandeur. Thanks to Wilma D’Costa for co-ordinating with these two companies and fine tuning the arrangements, culminating into the success of this event!
The theme was “Admins, the pulse of the office” and each of our speakers gave us clear insights as to how their secretaries and assistants went that extra mile and did “a little more” at the work place to make their boss’s role more effective, enabling him to achieve greater results. The message that echoed in each of their speeches was “We salute the Admin Professional and honour their commitment and sacrifice that help our office function effectively.”
Our chief guest for the evening was Mr. R. Gopalakrishnan, Director of Tata SonsLimited who was welcomed with flowers by his Executive Secretary,Wilma D’Costa, our All India President. Without mincing words Mr. Gopalakrishnan talked about the role of today’s Secretary and in his own witty style described how his ‘no-nonsense’ secretary could just about achieve anything that she had been entrusted with and set out to do. Wilma as we all know her, friendly yet firm, knows just exactly how to go about her tasks and coming from her boss, this is no small commendation!
Mr. Pankaj Sampat, General Manager, Vivanta by Taj President and Mr. Balfour Manual, Vice President Western Region too expressed great admiration and appreciation for their Administrative Professionals. Floral tributes were also presented to Mr. Pankaj Sampat,by our President Emeritus Ms. Homai H Mehta, to Mr. Balfour Manual, by our Vice President Gracy Lee and to Central Bank of India’sMr. M V Tanksale, Chairman and Managing Director by Yvonne Alphonso our Hon. Secretary.
Our All India President Wilma D’Costa’s speech highlighted IASAP’s journey and reported of her achievements thus far during her tenure, i.e. The Christmas party at the Taj Lands End, the Educational tour to the Tata Management Training Centre and the Tata Motors manufacturing plant at Pimpri. She also appealed to the Managers present to encourage their Administrative Professionals to join IASAP and be a part of this greatprofessional association.
The lunch that followed was a befitting close to the grand first day’s celebration and when it is co-sponsored by Vivanta by Taj President & Blue Dart Express Ltd., need we say more?