Assistante personnelle, Companion

Phyllida HALL

Trained by Tiffany & Co in New York, I have had an extensive career in international business development and sales in high jewellery and objets d’art. From Riyadh, Tanzania and Singapore to the palaces of Brunei and Oman, my unique experience, dynamic personality, and determination, coupled with resourcefulness and attention to detail, mean I have a unique skill set. I am English and based in Bavaria, having spent 25 years living in the United Arab Emirates. My business partner in Abu Dhabi was a senior member of the UAE Ruling Family; I assisted the Sheikh in developing his business interests, but also sourcing anything from classic cars in the USA to rare watches. I hosted dignitaries with him, including members of ruling families and government ministers. Having settled in Europe I miss the challenges of a fast-paced career, from resolving complex business complications to getting to the airport at a moment’s notice. I am therefore searching for an international role in supporting a busy professional, with a job that will once again become my passion and bring a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction.

My CV is highly unconventional; I was fortunate to have arrived in the UAE in the early days of its development when opportunities were myriad. I lack formal qualifications, having left boarding school aching to get on with life, but this has never held me back; indeed, personality and drive alone have served me well. Being involved in more than one business was not unusual in those days and I exploited every opportunity.

A day in the life….

Receipt of a call at 1000hrs from a member of the Royal Family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Princess requesting a viewing of a jewellery collection that night. This entailed selecting and packing the suites of jewellery, arranging insurance and customs documentation, booking a private plane, take-off and landing permissions in Dubai and Riyadh, boarding the plane with the jewellery by 1800hrs and flying to Riyadh. After checking into the Four Seasons Hotel, I was with the Princess by 2200hrs.

Another day may have included meeting with copper and gold exporters from The Congo, in Dar-es-Salaam, or a potential business partner in Seoul. Or perhaps a visit to the Palace in Muscat to present designs for decorated, live, firearms, created in partnership with one of the few producers of fine objets d’art still active in Switzerland.

I include these examples only to illustrate that I am not easily daunted and can be relied upon to be highly creative, having lived life totally ‘outside the box’.

Skills:
• Excellent administrative and small business management skills
• Autonomous management of correspondence
• Diary keeping
• Complex travel arrangements
• Fast typist
• Computer literate and enjoy learning new technology or software
• MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Wix cloud web developer (built my own website)
• Excellent interpersonal, skills, used to working and socialising with royal families, government ministers, and high-net-worth individuals
• Good Analytical skills
• Excellent spoken and written English language proficiency, including proof-reading and editing

Qualities:
• Mature and self-confident
• Thrives on challenge
• Highly pro-active
• Supportive and an excellent listener
• Highly adaptable, can hit the ground running anywhere in the world
• Excellent trouble-shooter and problem solver
• Determined, rarely taking ‘no’ for an answer
• Highly discreet having lived and worked at the highest echelons of society
• Compassionate, warm, caring and kind
• A sense of humour and calm during stressful times
• Culturally aware, having worked in the Middle East and Far East
• Excellent time manager and always punctual
• Content being away from home for long periods of time

Negatives:

One cannot present only positive attributes to illustrate a person’s character. Therefore, several less positive qualities follow:
• Occasionally edge towards impatience
• Can become a little lazy if not fully involved and busy
• Occasionally my positivity leans towards over-ambition
• Can err towards bossiness
• Occasionally maternal towards my superior; this is sometimes well received, but not always

Relevant experience:

11. 2019 to present: PBS Bayern UG, international business development
Owner and Managing Director,

07. 2016-11. 2018: Kraftanlagen München GmbH, ITER TB04, St Paul-lez-Durance, France
Liaison Officer
I transitioned to Europe with Kraftanlagen München GmbH, managing the administration, contracting, personnel, security, and more, on ITER, the experimental nuclear fusion power plant in Southern France.

04. 2013-03. 2015: Kraftanlagen Middle East LLC, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Commercial Manager
Kraftanlagen Middle East LLC was sponsored by my business partner. Since my own business was intermittent, they asked me to join them, allowing me time to run my own affairs and assist my business partner with his trading activities.

02. 2009-03. 2013: Kraftanlagen Middle East LLC, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Administration Manager

2006 – 2016 – Lavish Arts LLC, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Owner and General Manager
Partner with a senior member of Abu Dhabi’s Ruling Family marketing and promoting Fine Jewellery and Objets d’Art to high-net-worth clients within the Gulf and Far East.

2006-2016: First Emirates Group, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Business Development (trading company belonging to my business partner)
While operating my own business, Lavish Arts LLC, I also assisted my business partner with his trading activities.

1998-2006: Obsidian London Limited, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
General Manager
Managing the representative office of a London company designing and manufacturing fine objets d’art, jewellery and ministerial gifts.

1997-1998: Tiffany & Co, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
General Manager
Joined Tiffany & Co to oversee corporate sales and promptly took over the management of the Store, as well as being Tiffany & Co’s Middle East Representative overseeing all stores opening within the Region. Following a year’s operation, I converted the Store to hold third party jewellery brands as well as the Tiffany & Co selection.

1996-1997: Tiffany & Co, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Corporate Sales Manager

1993-1996: Al Masaood Group, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Executive Assistant to Mr Masaood Ahmed al Masaood

1992-1993: Abu Dhabi Marina Club, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sports & Leisure Manager

1990-1992: Advantage International, London, England
Client Services Assistant
Personal Assistant to the Managing Director then promoted to Client Services Assistant representing tennis players at the second largest global sports management company at the time.

1987-1990: Foundation for Science & Technology, London, England
Assistant to the Director
A company created to promote the understanding and dissemination of science and technology between science organizations, industry, universities, and government. The Foundation consisted of a Board of Directors of Peers, Parliamentarians, Vice Chancellors, Chairmen of Industry and the Research Councils.

1986-1987: Temporary secretarial positions in London, England
• Assistant to the Director of Fashion, The Royal College of Art
• Assistant to the Director General, English National Opera
• Royal College of Physicians, Conference Assistant
Having earned A distinction in the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Secretarial and Business Language Certificate (French), I ‘temped’ in order to gain an overview of potential opportunities.

Languages:

English - native
French - conversation
German - conversation

Assistante personnelle, Companion
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