Project Manager Executive Assistant

Hufrish (Hoofi) R. Patel

** ****** ****, **********, ******* 35741

Cell: 703-***-****

Email: **********@*****.***

SUMMARY

Executive Assistant with 20+ years of experience in all aspects of

administrative support and office management for senior leadership of

Fortune-50 multi-national corporations. Provided comprehensive support to

executive leadership by scheduling meetings, planning conferences,

coordinating travel, preparing reports and briefings, verifying time and

attendance records, maintaining office filing systems, managing office

security. Developed new administrative procedures to streamline and

improve office operations. Established corporate policies and procedures

governing employee travel, expense reporting, applicant screening, new-

employee hiring and indoctrination. Managed administrative professional

council, supervised administrative professionals, and developed new

training programs to improve administrative staff proficiency. Effectively

planned and executed multiple projects such as large-scale office moves.

Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Lotus Notes.

Family is moving to Huntsville due to husband's position transfer.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Executive Assistant to President of Cement Division Feb 2005 - Present

Lafarge North America

Herndon, VA

Administrative Support:

( Reviewed incoming emails, reports, and other correspondence daily;

assigned actions to appropriate departments; tracked progress to timely

completion

( Maintained executives' calendars in a dynamic environment with

changing priorities

( Scheduled teleconferences (with 100+ attendees) and senior level

meetings with corporate executives, US Senators, and Congressmen

( Planned national conferences (200+ attendees) to include scheduling

venues and catering, reserving technical support, and preparing read-ahead

materials

( Arranged domestic and international travel; reserved flights, hotels,

and transportation; secured passports and visas; and completed travel

expense reports

Administrative Projects:

( Planned and executed two corporate office moves; created a new office

layout for the corporate headquarters; worked with department heads to

define space requirements; consolidated three floors into two to develop

efficient office configurations; coordinated options with department heads

and successfully resolved issues to produce a final layout

( Supported development of a new on-line American Express travel tool

to save $2M/year in travel operations; worked with American Express

developers and administrative staff to define travel tool requirements;

tested new system to ensure compliance with company needs; trained

administrative staff and line managers in its use and directed company-

wide implementation

( Participated in a safety audit of a cement plant to ensure compliance

with corporate safety policy, verified implementation of approved

procedures, identified unsafe methods and conditions, and recommended

corrective measures to the plant management team

Administrative Process Improvement:

( Streamlined the travel scheduling process to save $300k/yr;

negotiated corporate hotel and air carrier rates across North America;

created a database of approved service providers; and aggressively

enforced corporate travel policy; monitored actual rates against

contracted rates to ensure compliance with agreements

( Developed new corporate policies governing employee travel;

specifying approved hotels, airlines, and reimbursable expenses, and

defining approved corporate credit card use

( Researched corporate expense reports over a two-year period,

identified and removed expenses not conforming to corporate policies and

federal regulations thereby avoiding $250K in federal penalties

( Developed mentorship program to train administrative staff in all

forms of executive support; planned and managed off-site training

sessions; developed new industry-awareness programs; created a resource

library to improve employee proficiency

Executive Assistant to President Mar 2003 - Jan 2005

Executive Assistant to Chief Financial Officer

Leica Microsystems

Chantilly, VA

Administrative Support:

( Reviewed emails, reports, and other correspondence to assign actions

to appropriate departments; tracked progress to timely completion

( Maintained executives' calendars and scheduled meetings and

conferences with changing priorities and availabilities

( Prepared monthly sales, marketing, and equipment maintenance reports

and briefings to focus support services on customer requirements

( Planned national and international conferences and industry trade

shows to include scheduling venues and catering, reserving technical

support, and preparing read-ahead materials

( Arranged domestic and international travel; reserved flights, hotels,

and transportation; secured passports and visas; and completed expense

reports

( Organized social and business functions to include venue, catering,

entertainment, team-building activities, prizes, and transportation

( Trained and supervised junior administrative staff in making travel

arrangements, scheduling meetings, maintaining calendars, and preparing

reports and briefings

( Assisted executives in new-hire selection by prescreening and ranking

applicants against position requirements

( Performed general office duties such as recording meeting minutes and

actions, ordering supplies, and maintaining department files

( Managed the petty cash account and prepared monthly reports

documenting transactions

Office Management:

( Worked with building management and vendors to meet staff's space and

furniture requirements, maintained office and pantry supplies, ensured

maintenance issues were resolved, and all support services were provided

as required

( Managed office security, issued badges, and verified access

eligibility

Project Manager Nov 2002 - Mar 2003

Discovery Communications

Silver Spring, MD

Administrative Support:

( Maintained executives' calendars and scheduled meetings/conferences

in a dynamic environment with changing priorities and availabilities

( Reviewed emails, reports, and other correspondence to assign actions

to appropriate departments; tracked progress to timely completion

( Prepared presentations, charts, graphs, tables, and reports for

meetings and conferences; coordinated with department heads to develop a

consensus-based product

( Arranged domestic and international travel; reserved flights, hotels,

and transportation; secured passports and visas; and completed expense

reports

( Planned conferences to include scheduling venues and catering,

reserving technical support, and preparing read-ahead materials

Administrative Projects:

( Created a new office layout for the IT Dept (250 employees), worked

with department heads to define space requirements, developed several

configuration options, coordinated options with department heads, and

successfully resolved issues to produce a final layout

( Planned and executed IT Dept move to new headquarters complex;

developed move schedule and packing guidelines, presented weekly updates

to department heads, and facilitated smooth transition to and start-up at

new complex

( Worked with Finance, Marketing, and Advertising Divisions to settle

advertising and broadcast claims from program sponsors

Executive Assistant to President and Chief Executive Officer Aug 1999 -

Nov 2002

Executive Assistant to Senior Vice President, Planning & Engineering

MCI WorldCom

Tysons, VA

Administrative Support:

( Maintained executives' calendars and scheduled meetings against

changing priorities; arranged domestic and international travel to include

flights, hotels, transportation, passports and visas

( Reviewed incoming emails, reports, and other correspondence on a

daily basis; assigned actions to appropriate departments and tracked

progress to timely completion

( Prepared presentations, charts, graphs, tables, and reports for

meetings and conferences and coordinated material with executives to

develop a consensus-based product

( Organized social functions to include venue selection, catering,

entertainment, giveaway prizes, and transportation

( Performed general office duties; verified time and attendance reports

for all IT Dept contractor staff (50+ employees); ordered office equipment

for IT Dept; maintained property accountability database; maintained IT

Dept filing system

Administrative Projects:

( Developed and implemented a more effective hiring process consisting

of a new comprehensive application form, screening resumes against

position requirements, distributing applicant packages to departments,

scheduling interviews and medical exams, indoctrinating new employees, and

pairing them with a mentor

( Created a new layout for corporate office, worked with executives to

define space requirements, developed several configuration options,

coordinated options with executives, and successfully resolved issues to

produce a final layout

( Managed the corporate office move to the new campus; developed move

schedule and packing guidelines and facilitated smooth transition to and

start-up at the new facility

( Designed and implemented administrative staff training program to

ensure proficiency with word processing tools, communication, calendar

management, and travel reservation system

Research Associate Jul 1996 - Feb 1999

Birch & Davis Associates Inc.

Falls Church, VA

Administrative Support:

( Edited presentations, technical reports, new business proposals, and

contract deliverables for accuracy and format

( Authored monthly progress reports, coordinated meeting schedules, and

recorded meeting minutes

( Planned project meetings and industry conferences to include venue

selection, catering, and technical support

Administrative Projects:

( Researched and assessed various medical software packages against

user-interface and patient compatibility requirements, compiled and

analyzed findings, prepared reports, and submitted to Veterans

Administration

( Surveyed physicians at Bethesda Naval Hospital to evaluate

suitability of various medical software programs, identified shortfalls in

user-interface features, and provided a consolidated set of user

requirements to the prime contractor

( Developed and implemented a new process to create business proposals;

created a new database to catalog inputs as Book Boss; monitored and

tracked progress against schedule; ensured inputs conformed to format

requirements; and coordinated final production

( Planned a Business Process Reengineering (BPR) exhibit at a medical

conference, secured exhibit facilities, prepared exhibit materials;

scheduled host assignments at the BPR exhibit and prepared conference

briefings

( Supervised the quality assurance process and the final production of

all contract deliverables

( Supported senior management and technical staff with all aspects of

project research, document composition, and library database development

Office Administrator Jun 1990 - Nov 1995

Cathay Pacific Airways Limited

Los Angeles, CA

Administrative Support:

( Supported General Manager in all aspects of airport operations,

prepared monthly operations reports, expense reports, managed cash

accounts, and scheduled department meetings

( Assisted in preparation of department's annual operations budget by

working with Operations, Cargo, and Maintenance departments to project out-

year flight demands and resource requirements

( Pre-screened vendors and new hire applicants

( Maintained filing system for all airport operations to include

passenger, cargo, and aircraft maintenance departments

( Worked with customers to resolve complaints and assisted in filing

claims

Office Management:

( Created and managed the First Class Lounge at the Los Angeles

International Airport; designed the layout, selected furniture, carpets,

and overall d cor; negotiated and established all catering and

housekeeping services

( Managed lounge staff to ensure successful operations; developed work

schedules, assigned duties; tracked progress to completion to ensure 100%

customer satisfaction

( Designed and implemented staff training procedures

( Managed uniform distribution and accountability

( Enforced protocol for visiting heads of state and foreign dignitaries

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts, Sociology and Anthropology (Major) and Psychology (Minor)

April 1986

St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, India

TRAINING

Administrative Professionals Conference 2008 October 2008

American Society of Administrative Professionals, San Antonio, TX

Interacting with Influence October 2007

American Management Association, Washington DC

Business Writing May 2007

American Management Association, Washington DC

Stepping Up To Leadership April 2007

American Management Association, Washington DC

Access Database Management Course August 1997

Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria, VA

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