Sr. Administrative Assistant/Executive Assistant

BRENDA M. DIGGS

Paralegal/Notary

Brookline, MA *2447

SUMMARY

Highly polished administrative professional with the ability to exercise sound judgment and determine priorities. I also have a strong background in calendar management, expense reporting, meeting organization along with international and domestic travel coordination.

EDUCATION

Millennium Training Institute, Business Administration Boston, MA (3.94 GPA) Northeastern University, Paralegal Studies Boston, MA (GPA 3.40) TECHNICAL SKILLS

Microsoft Office 365, SASHA, Coupa, Zoom, Engage, PatBase, MOSES, Kronos, Google, WebEx, Go to Meeting, Quark, Medi-Tech, PeopleSoft, CCC, IDX, Epicor, EML, Engage, Live Meeting, Concur, Pub-Med, SharePoint, Clinicaltrials.gov, SAP, USPTO.gov, Ebuy, SHARE and SRM PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

Novartis, Cambridge, MA (Contract)

Executive Assistant

July 2024-December 2024

● Managed complex calendars for 3 international leadership executives.

● Coordinated in-person and virtual meetings.

● Scheduled and confirmed 1:1 meetings.

● Coordinated travel; reserved flights, reserve hotels and car service.

● Created and updated excel spreadsheet for 1;1 meetings.

● Managed Meetings with outside vendors for team presentations.

● Supported special projects and analysis, as requested.

● Assisted with the department budgeting.

● Conference registration.

● Emailed correspondence on behalf of leadership.

● Processed complicated expense reports using Concur.

● Maintained 3 distribution lists.

PEGA SYSTEMS, Cambridge, MA (Contract)

Briefing/Administrative Office Coordinator

May 2023-January 2024

● Provided assistance to the clients with executive briefings.

● Printed tent cards and agendas for distribution to attendees.

● Retrieved the Wi-Fi password daily for the plexiglass and conference room information screens.

● Provided IT assistance to the presenters as needed.

● Updated the lobby welcome sign and Sisyphus table with the client logo.

● Processed expense reports using Concur.

● Maintained inventory of office supplies.

● Kept the conference rooms stocked with company swag.

● Supervised kitchen staff during executive briefings. VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS, Boston, MA (Contract)

Senior Administrative/Office Assistant-VCGT

January 2022-Aug 2022

● Managed complicated calendars for executives using Outlook

● Scheduled 1:1, team, and vendor meetings and sent meeting reminders.

● Blocked time on the calendars for meeting prep and travel to meetings.

● Processed expense reports using Concur.

● Maintained confidential correspondence for signatures.

● Updated new employee announcements on behalf of the VP for distribution.

● Provided assistance with writing emails and drafting presentation materials.

● Ordered catering from the onsite and outside vendors for meetings as needed.

● Coordinated travel with a bus company for staff to travel to MA and RI for meetings.

● Reserved conference rooms in MA and Rhode Island for large group meetings.

● Creattd agendas and uploaded them in SharePoint.

● Updated distribution lists in Group Central.

● Created and monitored surveys in Survey Monkey and created excel spreadsheets with the results. Brenda M. Diggs -2-

● Attended admin meetings to schedule complex executive meetings.

● Participated in weekly admin meetings and provided any administrative updates.

● Provided administrative coverage as needed.

● Reserved flights, hotels, and car service.

● Coordinated offsite team-building events.

TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICALS, Cambridge, MA (Contract)

Senior Administrative Assistant-Plasma Derived Therapies September 2021-January 2022

● Provided complex calendar management for one global head

● Processed complicated expense reports using Concur.

● Coordinated travel; reserved flights, hotels and car services.

● Independently edited complex and time-sensitive information on behalf of leadership. TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICALS, Cambridge, MA (Contract)

Executive Assistant-Pharmacovigilance

February 2019-January 2020

● Strategically and proactively managed calendars for 2 Pharmacovigilance leadership with a heavy focus on calendar maintenance.

● Liaised globally at all organizational levels with other administrative staff to coordinate meetings.

● Blocked time on the calendars for meeting prep and travel to meetings.

● Coordinated travel; domestic and international flights, trains and car service.

● Processed complicated international and domestic expense reports using Concur and followed up on delinquent expense reports.

● Prepared confidential documentation required for key decision-making by leadership.

● Client coordination and management for vendor payroll.

● Facilitated projects with client counterparts and developed client-ready documents such as competitive analysis.

● Provided backup support to other Executive Assistants as needed.

● Maintained records that provided current and accurate information that is in line with the organization's policies and objectives.

● SharePoint administrator; uploaded documents for domestic and global meetings.

● Independently edited complex and time-sensitive correspondence.

● Maintained project-related deliverables with minimal supervision including project plans, PowerPoint presentations, issue/risk logs and meeting facilitation documents.

● Prepared advance meeting documentation including agenda, presentations and updated action items.

● Maintained safety mailbox; disseminated emails and processed adverse events for submission to Takeda USA and Takeda UK.

● Coordinated interviews, on-boarding and off-boarding with HR and IT.

● Provided conference registration assistance to leadership and senior staff.

● Prepared reports and related activities in servicing and developing contracts and relationships with Stakeholders and partners.

● Assisted with creating, editing and uploading contracts using SRM and Ariba.

● Emailed correspondence on behalf of leadership.

● Managed ad hoc facility requests.

● Provided general office support and other duties as needed. SANOFI GENZYME, Cambridge, MA (Contract)

Executive/Administrative Assistant-Regulatory Oncology & Global Rare Diseases March 2016-November 2018

● Managed complex calendars for 3 executives and 2 senior staff.

● Created and edited PowerPoint presentations for meetings.

● Maintained a high level of regulatory compliance in all aspects of work.

● Accurately reconciled complicated domestic and international expense reports using Concur.

● Liaised globally to coordinate WebEx, TP, and Skype meetings at all organizational levels.

● Created agendas, uploaded into SharePoint and captured minutes and followed up on action items.

● Blocked time on the calendars for meeting prep and travel to meetings.

● Assisted with the preparation of annual budgets.

● Monitored project progress, workflow, timelines, and deadlines to ensure on-time delivery.

● Made decisions in the absence of the Vice President to manage daily workload.

● Provided global and domestic conference registration for leadership and senior staff.

● Coordinated travel; domestic, international and ground, reserved hotels and created itineraries.

● Data management; uploaded FDA documents into Regulatory Work Space (RWS).

● Processed global documents for translations and legalizations globally.

● Coordinated logistics for FDA meetings granted which included hotel blocks and flights. Brenda M. Diggs -3-

● Coordinated interviews, on-boarding and off-boarding with HR and IT.

● Data management for global document transfer using FileZilla.

● Uploaded global documents into (SAHSA) for processing globally.

● SharePoint administrator; included permissions for staff and outside vendors for document review.

● Created and approved purchase orders using Catalyst.

● Conducted publication and journal research.

● Key Ebuy user for the department.

● General office support as needed.

GLAXO SMITH KLINE-Cambridge, MA (Formerly Novartis Vaccines) (Contract) Administrative Assistant-IP-Legal

April 2014-December 2015

● Provided complex calendar management for the Vice President of Intellectual Properties and his 6 direct reports.

● Liaised globally with staff at all organizational levels to schedule meetings.

● Blocked time on the calendars for meeting prep and travel to meetings.

● Independently composed and edited complex and time-sensitive correspondence.

● Collaborated with HR and IT on-boarding and off-boarding.

● Conference registration for attorneys.

● Organized global TP video, web and Skype meetings.

● Coordinated catering and reserved conference rooms.

● Created spreadsheets and updated patent databases using Excel.

● Provided data entry updates for patents, tracked deadlines and sent reminders.

● Created purchase orders and coordinated vendor payments in SAP with finance.

● Prepared expense reports using Concur and SAP, and followed up on delinquent expenses.

● Collected agenda items and presentations for uploading into SharePoint for global meetings.

● Take minutes and follow up on action items.

● Coordinated travel; domestic, international air, rail and ground services; arranged hotel accommodations.

● Created memos, legal reports in Access

● Conducted journal and publication research for prior art and created a literature list for patent submissions.

● Participated/coordinated ad-hoc projects as needed.

● Processed global documents for translations and legalizations.

● Coordinated office moves with IT and Facilities.

● Managed special projects independently

● General office work and other duties as needed.

AAA BAY STATE DRIVING SCHOOL, Watertown, MA

Driving School Assistant

October 2012-April 2014

● Supervised front office operations and clerical staff of the business.

● Provided support to the walk-in/telephone applicants with driving lesson registrations and confirmations.

● Entered applicant information in the Registry of Motor Vehicles database for certificates.

● Coordinated road tests with customers and state regulatory organizations. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS, Boston, MA Administrative Assistant

July 2012-January 2013

● Facilitated real-time web-based conferencing discussions for cyber seminars.

● Processed researcher information in EML (internal database).

● Updated attendee’s codes in Excel for seminar dissemination using Go to Meeting.

● Monitored Outlook mailbox during cyber seminar sessions.

● Developed and implemented a strategy using Excel to increase efficiency and billing schedules for consumers and customers.

JOBNET BOSTON, Boston, MA

Volunteer Administrative Assistant

June 2011-July 2012

● Processed member surveys and client records in the Massachusetts One-Stop Employment System (MOSES).

● Provided customer service and registration reports utilizing Excel.

● Assisted customers with learning Microsoft Office and creating resume and cover letters.

● Developed customer service strategies to increase Career Center memberships.

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