Charmaine M D’Souza

Mobile: +971-**-******* adqoh8@r.postjobfree.com United Arab Emirates

Office Manager, Senior C suite Executive Assistant, HR & Admin Officer

My professional career is one of a comprehensive and highly motivated executive office manager, C suite executive assistant and HR administrator in various industries.

I effectively manage the day to day minutia of a busy office with grace and poise and efficiently adapt to fast paced dynamic environments. As the “gatekeeper” of everything in my executive's circle, I am an epitome of discretion and diplomacy, I know everything and nothing simultaneously.

Adept at donning on many hats concurrently, I excel at secretarial abilities, HR operations and office planner and administrator with exceptional listening, problem-solving and negotiating abilities as well as being incredibly talented and able to learn new roles quickly.

Experience Profile

Al Dobowi Group, Dubai, UAE October ’09 till date

Executive Assistant to Vice-Chairman and Directors’ Office Manager

Secretarial : Accurately handle the day-to-day secretarial and admin duties for the VC's office, ensuring high levels of productivity and efficiency. Be the first point of contact for the Executive’s office. Manage and brief the VC on his daily schedule. Support the CEO and Directors with all administrative and ad hoc requests. Monitor visa renewals, medical claims, travel and other expenses for the VCs family and the executive team. Diplomatically deal with matters requiring discretion and confidentiality. Co-ordinate between various Heads of Departments regarding various projects. Interact with the stakeholders on behalf of the VC.

Diary Management : Manages the calendar of the executive team, arrange internal and external meetings, virtual calls, and teleconferences. Schedule and attend Board meetings, record minutes of meetings and circulate action points.

Travel Management : Coordinate and confirm meetings and prepare itineraries, apply for relevant visas for UK, USA and Schengen states, research and book cost effective flights as well as upgrade travel itineraries, hotels/accommodation and other logistics for international travel. Process travel expenses post international trips.

Executive Office Administration : Overlook and manage all administration requirements such as cleanliness and maintenance of offices and meeting rooms. Implementing and maintaining procedures/administrative systems. Order and overlook pantry provisions, office stationery, IT requirements etc. within the allocated budget. Co-ordinate with PRO and HR for visa and company license renewals, etc. Arrange luncheons.

Financial Management : Scrutinise credit card statements and process payments for the Vice Chairman, his family and for the Directors. Discreetly handle private bank accounts. Handle official financial bank transfers and authorisations on behalf of the Vice Chairman. Manage Office Petty cash, expenses and billing cycles.

Event management : Manage client and top-level management visits to the country. Travel, hotel, and entertainment arrangements. Arrange, attend and control facilities and logistics for official and social events. Organise YPO WPO events for the elite members of the group.

Halcrow International Partnership, Dubai, UAE May ’05 -May’09

HRBP and Department Secretary, Property Business Group

Secretarial Responsibilities : Professionally corresponded in writing and verbally on behalf of the HOD. Archived pertinent correspondence systematically. Competently handled confidential issues with discretion and diplomacy. Maintained calendar schedules, attended and recorded meetings. Liaised with various departments on behalf of the HOD.

HR Business Partner : Managed the Property Group in the Middle East (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah & Northern Emirates, & Doha). Involved with completion of new-hire administration processes, sourcing CV applications, screening, interview scheduling and reference checking. Maintained records of leavers and joiners. Advised employees on company policies and procedures. Conducted new staff orientations and provided information about job profiles, working conditions, wages, opportunities for promotion and benefits as well as provided information on family visas as per UAE laws. Prepared official letters for staff to various banks, schools, government authorities etc. Conducted exit interviews to identify reasons for resignation. Processed all staff data base information using Oracle HRMS software. Organised training seminars and conferences.

Department Administration: Managed the IT requirements such as new software and upgrading software. Followed up with staff to complete all documentation as per Halcrow Group policies.

Event organization: Arranged and controlled facilities and logistics for official events. Handled global clients and top-level management visits.

Al Khwaja Overseas LLC, Ajman, UAE Dec ’00 -May ‘05

Personal Assistant to CEO

CEO Office Management: Responsible for all secretarial duties, regional administration and travel arrangements (hotel, airline & car rentals etc.) for the CEO. Set up the newly established high-tech office and factory and attended to all administration duties as well as overlooked office keeping, ordering of office stationery and store requirements. Designed stationery as per company logo. Prepared presentations and set up conferences for delegates from both within and outside the group.

HR Management: In charge of the Group's HR department with offices in UAE, Oman, Jordan, Mumbai and Bangalore having staff of various nationalities. Travelled abroad for recruitment purposes and dealt with all recruitment requirements with various consulates and ministries in Ajman, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sri Lanka. Conducted interviews overseas, organised documents for UAE visa processing, managed factory employees, overseeing the hiring, training, and their professional growth Worked closely and overlooked the management of the factory staff. Held orientations, organised seminars and conferences for the management.

Indoco Remedies Limited, Mumbai, India Oct ‘96 -Nov ’00

Executive Assistant to Director (Finance & Operations)

Looked after the Director's correspondence including clarifying, prioritising where appropriate and devolving for action to the management team on behalf of the Director.

Draft routine replies for acceptance or rejection of orders, for submitting tender documents etc. to government bodies.

Communicate professionally with key clients pertaining to appointments, visits etc.

Managed primary diary schedules. Organised regional Management Team meetings and prepared agendas, recorded minutes and circulated actions points.

Organise the Director's travel and hotel arrangements. Collate and process travel expenses with accounts department post travel.

Organised various events in the organisation. Coordinated logistics for international delegates' visits.

Education and Certifications

Bachelor’s Degree (Economics major) from Mumbai University

Secretarial Course at Clare’s Secretarial School, Mumbai, India.

Project Management Foundations Certification

Cert Prep: Project Management Professional (PMP)®

Certificate in Network and Professsional System Administration

HR Training Certifications :

Compensation and Benefits / Payroll / HR as a Business Partner / Oracle HRMS Training

Certificate in Prezi Classic Essential Training

ZOHO CRM New User Certification

Certificate in Microsoft Office 2003 (Advanced Excel).

Certificate in Microsoft basic MS Access.

Certificate in Business Correspondence.

Soft Skills

Outstanding Business Correspondence and Communication skills.

Microsoft Office proficiency and talented to learn new computer software.

Powerful negotiator with exceptional analytical and reasoning capabilities. Impeccable multi-tasking abilities. Result and detail oriented.

Strong time/diary/travel /event project management strengths and organisational skills. Works efficiently under pressure and prudently handles confidential information.

Possess outstanding interpersonal skills and the ability to work independently or under instructions.

Excels at Administrative and Secretarial responsibilities.

Immensely experienced HR and administration Officer.

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