Maria Santos
Executive Assistant
Summary
Administrative assistant with five years supporting senior teams in professional services. Manage diaries and travel for four directors, and rebuilt the document filing structure that cut retrieval time from minutes to seconds. Known for catching the scheduling conflicts other people miss.
Work Experience
Executive Assistant · Professional services firm
August 2021 – PresentWellington, New Zealand
- Manage diaries, travel and expenses for four directors across three time zones.
- Rebuilt the document filing structure; retrieval time fell from minutes to seconds.
- Coordinate the quarterly leadership meeting, including papers, minutes and follow-up actions.
- Introduced a shared travel booking process that cut average trip cost by around 15%.
Administrative Assistant · Engineering consultancy
February 2019 – July 2021Wellington, New Zealand
- Supported a team of twelve with scheduling, documentation and client correspondence.
- Processed invoices and purchase orders, resolving supplier queries directly.
- Moved paper records onto SharePoint with a consistent naming convention.
Education
Diploma, Business Administration
February 2017 – November 2018Victoria University of Wellington
Skills
Technical
Diary and travel management, Minute taking, Document and version control, Expense and invoice processing, Microsoft 365 (advanced), CRM and database maintenance, Meeting and event coordination
Soft skills
Discretion with confidential material, Anticipating what is needed next, Prioritising competing requests, Clear written communication
Tools
Microsoft 365, Outlook, SharePoint, Concur, Zoom / Teams
Certifications
- Microsoft Office Specialist — Excel Expert
- Minute taking and meeting management course
- Business writing certificate
Languages
Interests
Community choir, tramping, crossword puzzles