Karen Kennedy
Christchurch,CAN
Summary
Experienced professional with strong background in executive support, adept at managing complex schedules, coordinating meetings, and handling confidential information. Highly skilled in communication, organisation, and problem-solving, ensuring seamless office operations. Focused on team collaboration and achieving results, adapting flexibly to changing needs and priorities. Dependable and resourceful, consistently delivering high-quality outcomes.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Executive Assistant/Event Coordinator
Team Event Limited
Christchurch, Canterbury
05.2024 - 07.2025
- Provide executive assistance and administrative support to Director and Event Operations Manager
- Schedule meetings; prepare agendas for meetings and taking minutes as required
- Copywriting – producing proposals for sponsors and exhibitor documents, and compile content for event guides and websites
- Assist with managing key sponsor and stakeholder relationships, including assistance to secure sponsorship
- Assist with external stakeholder communications
- Create and send EDMs
- Managing general info incoming emails (high volume)
- Secure 40 plus wineries, breweries, restaurants and food vendors across all events
- On-board and liaise with exhibitors/vendors in lead up to events and on the day of events
- Collate information to generate invoices for exhibitors
- Secure sponsorship for the charity auction at South Island Wine & Food Festival; obtain items to auction, create auction packages; liaise with auctioneer, create the auction order and oversee the auction
- Arrange travel plans and hotel bookings
- Assist with artist requirements including hotel accommodation
- Social media – assist with content and socials across all events; answer all messages/queries across all events
- Ticketing - set up all ticket pages for events, manage all ticketing enquiries and distribution of guest tickets through the ticketing platform
- Office management at events (South Island Wine & Food Festival, The Great Kiwi Beer Festival, Nostalgia and Electric Avenue)
Executive Assistant/Team Member Experience Coordinator
Harcourts Holmwood Real Estate Limited
Christchurch, Canterbury
01.2022 - 05.2024
- Provide executive support to the Managing Director, CEO, General Manager – Operations and leadership team
- Diary management for Managing Director, CEO and General Manager - Operations
- Complete correspondence for the Managing Director and CEO
- Booking and organising meetings
- Take meeting minutes at management meetings and any other meetings as required
- Organise and run Holmwood team events (all year events)
- Organise and run charity auctions and external events
- Work collaboratively with the in-house marketing team on design concept for events and signage
- Streamlined and complete PowerPoint presentations for company weekly meetings
- Organise monthly awards
- Onboarding and induction of all new employees and real estate agents - created new and more efficient process to manage this for all involved in the process
- Maintenance of the client experience program
- Report to Managing Director, CEO and General Manager – Operations on team member happiness and satisfaction and making recommendations for improvements
- Facilities maintenance of head office building
- Special projects as required
Office Manager/Corporate Services Administrator
Comrad Medical Systems Limited
Christchurch, Canterbury
12.2016 - 01.2022
- Support and assist all areas within the business, specifically support and work alongside the CFO, Financial Accountant, HR Manager and assist CEO
- Ensure the smooth running of the Christchurch office
- Payroll for employees across New Zealand and Australia using Datacom and Aussiepay; managing both portals and completing payroll journals
- Accounts payable; entering invoices, processing supplier payments, reconciling statements
- Daily banking; weekly bank reconciliations, journal entries; transfer of funds between currencies (deal with NZD, AUD and USD)
- Maintain cashflow
- Assist with end of month reports/accounts including sending monthly statements to customers, invoices to customers, monthly credit card journals and reconciling company credit cards
- Process payroll tax for Australia
- GST in New Zealand and Australia
- Leave liability reporting
- HR metrics
- Entering expense reports (NZ and AU)
- Set up new suppliers
- Co-ordinate and book travel and accommodation for staff in New Zealand and Australia, and manage travel portals
- Member of Health, Safety and Wellness Committee
- Onboarding of new employees; liaise with leadership team for staff inductions
- Support HR manager including on-boarding of new employees, administration, confidential HR related matters and managing various spreadsheets
- Liaise and manage maintenance if/when required within the office
- Arrange social functions and manage budget for events
- Social activities for staff including health and wellness
Administration Manager/Property Manager
Venture Property Management Limited
Christchurch, Canterbury
06.2015 - 11.2016
- Oversee day to day running of the office
- Implement new property management software – REST to Property Tree
- Implement new paper filing system and electronic filing system
- Manage the trust account
- Reconcile business trading account using Xero
- Process payment of salaries to staff using Thankyou payroll
- Property inspections and send reports to property owners
- Enter owner, tenant and property details and amend as required
- Enter rents and follow up rent arrears – issuing the appropriate notice if required
- Refund overpaid rent
- Process invoices from contractors and other creditors
- Process bond payments and lodge with the Bond Processing Centre, and process bond refunds
- Disbursements to owners and creditors
- Ensure the trust account remains reconciled and that balances are current and accurate
- Type up tenancy agreements and send to property owners
- Process vacating letters
- Advertise properties on relevant websites and ensure listings are kept up to date
- Prepare tenancy tribunal applications
- Review routine inspection reports and ensure they are charged appropriately
- Process tenancy applications and sign-up tenants
- Arrange maintenance reported by tenants; liaise with contractors, owners and tenants
Administration Manager
Harcourts Accommodation Centre Limited
Christchurch, Canterbury
07.2000 - 05.2014
- Oversee day to day running of the office
- Attend management meetings and assist with the recruitment of new staff
- Oversee administration staff and organise staff functions
- Manage the trust account
- Enter owner, tenant and property details and amend as required
- Process rent payments received and assist with follow up of overdue payments, and process refunds of overpaid rent
- Process invoices from contractors and other creditors
- Process bond payments and lodge with the Bond Processing Centre, and assist with refunds of bonds
- Disbursements to owners and creditors
- Ensure the trust account remains reconciled and that balances are current and accurate
- Type up tenancy agreements and send to property owners
- Process vacating letters
- Advertise properties on relevant websites and ensure listings are kept up to date
- Assist with preparation of tenancy tribunal applications
- Review routine inspection reports and ensure they are charged appropriately
Education
Certificate - Office and Executive Support
Ara Institute of Canterbury Ltd
Christchurch07.1997
Skills
- Administrative proficiency
- Effective collaboration
- Self-motivated and reliable
- Efficient planning skills
- High attention to detail
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and data entry
- Diligent work ethic
- Clear and effective communication
- Adaptability to new systems
- Event and project management
Hobbies and Interests
Spending time with family and friends, festivals, walking, tennis, cooking, baking, camping and travel
Timeline
Executive Assistant/Event Coordinator
Team Event Limited
05.2024 - 07.2025
Executive Assistant/Team Member Experience Coordinator
Harcourts Holmwood Real Estate Limited
01.2022 - 05.2024
Office Manager/Corporate Services Administrator
Comrad Medical Systems Limited
12.2016 - 01.2022
Administration Manager/Property Manager
Venture Property Management Limited
06.2015 - 11.2016
Administration Manager
Harcourts Accommodation Centre Limited
07.2000 - 05.2014
Certificate - Office and Executive Support
Ara Institute of Canterbury Ltd
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