THELMA SPIES
New Plymouth,TKI
Summary
I'm a dedicated professional and analytical problem-solver focused on team building, leading, and motivating, as well as excellent customer relations aptitude. I have proven experience applying my training, monitoring, and logical motivational skills and abilities to enhance employee engagement, maintain morale, and optimise performance. I'm skilled in working under pressure and adapting to new situations and challenges and I'm eager to learn and build my knowledge and experience.
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Legal Secretary
AULD BREWER MAZENGARB AND McEWEN
10.2019 - Current
- AULD BREWER MAZENGARB & McEWEN is a law firm providing specialist commercial and public law advice in their particular fields of expertise. Their clients operate in a range of sectors, including energy, finance, government, property, and technology and include many nationally known organisations
- SUMMARY OF MY ROLE: I am a multi-skilled team player with proven secretarial and administrative skills. My experience has allowed me the ability to provide support to a strong and busy team of solicitors/partners in the Disputes and Resolution Department of the firm. I am very capable and consistent in all areas of my work. I am well presented, punctual, confident, and can provide all the general administrative requirements of a legal firm.
- I have successfully been able to take on technical support and guidance responsibilities during our software application migration. Part of my responsibilities are liaising with the service providers, supporting all office staff when technical issues arise, and supporting at a hardware and software level within the relevant scope. This has played to my strengths by always being willing to help where possible and finding workable solutions even when it’s outside my regular role and responsibilities.
- RESPONSIBILITIES
- Providing full secretarial and administrative support to three lawyers
- Preparing legal documents, correspondence, and papers
- Scheduling legal meetings, appointments, and depositions
- Proven copy, audio, and document typing ability
- Tracking and submitting lawyers' expenses
- Maintaining files following state and federal documentation laws
- Organizing and maintaining law libraries and documents
- Filing documents electronically
- Preparing agendas and compiling spreadsheets
- Co-ordinating diaries and travel arrangements, including flights and accommodation
- Assisting with the monthly invoicing process
- Answering and transferring calls, taking messages, and managing emails
- Closing & archiving files under the Records Management Policy
- Good working knowledge of legal terminology
- Able to communicate with both clients and senior managers
- Exceptionally well organised
- Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with the appropriate discretion
- Proven training and support abilities
- Capable of taking the lead role if required within my reference framework
Senior Admin & Remote Software Support Consultant
GRAIL AFRICA
01.2007 - 04.2019
- GRAIL AFRICA specialises in bespoke software with a special emphasis on comprehensive, reliable, and flexible short-term insurance and actuarial management solutions. Their client base extends across the entire insurance industry – Insurers, Intermediaries, UMA’s, and pension fund administrators which stretches from the head office in Pretoria, South Africa to other parts of Africa and Australia.
- SUMMARY OF MY ROLE: I was responsible for the installation and configuration of the client’s new system, giving the necessary training and providing comprehensive support with all queries, problems, and changes required on the system. I did certain changes on their system, tested all changes done by the programmers to make sure it was exactly what the client requested, and it was working properly, also tested and applied regular system updates when an update was released as well as gave the necessary feedback to my clients regarding all changes that were affected by the update
- RESPONSIBILITIES
- Facilitate meetings with Grail clients to ensure a solid understanding of the clients’ business and product (short-term insurance) requirements, converting them into functional specifications for the development team to streamline the process
- Building trusting relationships with our clients
- Conducting client site visits
- Coordinating client requests according to their needs and translating them to the development team
- Coordinating the communication link between clients and the development team
- Ensuring timely completion of the client requests/enhancements
- Conducting thorough and resourceful first-line testing
- Facilitating user acceptance testing of solutions and client training workshops
- Informing developers of any errors in the program/solution and managing the resolution by priority
- Providing findings of problems/solutions to the client
- Training end-users on system functionality after enhancements have been made
- Installing system updates from the test environment to the live environment
- Providing helpdesk support to end-users through telephone calls or emails received
- Creating and presenting presentations to potential clients
- Training new staff members on business policies and practices
- Developing and maintaining end-user training manuals
- Creating business processes according to Grail/Client needs as well as testing support documents and forms for each request’s life cycle
Office Manager
EVB KORPORAAT / EVB UNDERWRITING MANAGERS
03.2002 - 12.2006
- EVB Underwriting Managers has been providing custom-designed broker administration solutions that meet client-specific business insurance and personal insurance needs and requirements for many decades. EVB partnered with some of the biggest names in the South African insurance industry, and their long-standing business relationships allow them to offer the ultimate in broker policy administration
- SUMMARY OF MY ROLE: Exercise administrative control over many aspects of the financial operations of the business, including budgeting, payroll/human resources, and business planning. Ensuring that records across financial departments are accurate
- RESPONSIBILITIES
- Allocating and capturing all payments to the correct company and correct accounts
- Capturing all unpaid debit orders to the correct company and related accounts
- Notifying Brokers of their client’s unpaid premiums
- Processing and capturing refunds to the correct company and accounts and arrange payment to clients with the collection bureau
- Creating report of outstanding and collect premiums
- Processing journals on client ledgers
- Creditor control - electronic payment of all creditors’ accounts
- Processing month-end run and creating of debit order files on all three companies
- Preparing commission statements, insurers bordereaux and pay commission electronically to brokers
- Do internal transfers on bank accounts of the different companies to enable the maximum interest income
- Responsible for all the maintenance of the systems and electronic equipment in the office
- Responsible for all purchases of new electronic equipment and stationery
- Control grail system as well as the financial aspects of Grail
- Control petty cash
- Do weekly cash flow forecast
- Payments of all commission and salaries
- Involve in the planning and setup of the company’s budget
- Responsible for all the companies’ financial aspects in the absence of the financial director
Finance / Admin Consultant
CTU TRAINING SOLUTIONS (PTY) LTD
09.2000 - 02.2022
- CTU Training Solutions (Pty) Ltd, established in 1987, is a private tertiary education provider. CTU consists of four divisions: corporate, dedicated to providing corporate training and development solutions, the career division specialising in full time (1 year to 3-year qualifications) and part-time (short courses and skills development programmes) training for school leavers or career changers, Cloud Campus (online courses) and the recruitment division specialising in the placement of graduates
- SUMMARY OF MY ROLE: Manage, monitor, and oversee the overall administration duties of the financial department. Liaising among several departments of the organisation related to my financial administration and consultation duties
- RESPONSIBILITIES
- Collecting and Administration of all Documents necessary for finance
- Credit Check on “Go Zone”
- Confirmation of Employment
- Approval of Finance
- Create Credit Agreement & Debit Order Forms
- Create new Clients on Pastel
- Invoicing, Credit Notes, Debit Notes, Receipts on Pastel
- Monthly Age Analysis
- Debt Collecting from Age analysis
- Sales figures for the month to Director
- Write out receipts upon payment
- Banking twice per week into five different accounts
- Assist new clients with all queries
- Class lists
- Download and Assist clients with international exams on the internet New Business Control
New Business Control
NORTHEAST BUSINESS SYSTEMS T/a, PANASONIC PRETORIA
02.1999 - 08.2000
- Panasonic provides a wide range of cutting-edge business products and solutions, from world-class broadcasting equipment, interactive displays and projectors to state-of-the-art unified communication systems, office automation products, rugged notebooks, and tablets, which allows you to capture, compute and communicate every piece of visual, voice and text-based data within your business. Panasonic is committed to developing unique and accessible ranges of business products and systems, all with multi-functional design and advanced features at the heart of every product
- SUMMARY OF MY ROLE: Overseeing the accounting department, directing, and managing the financial processes, administration, and related accounting duties within the business
- RESPONSIBILITIES
- Create Debtors & Creditors Accounts on Falcon / Quick books / Brilliant
- Load Contracts on System
- Change Contracts
- Handled Representatives Commission
- All Invoicing, Credit Notes, Debit & Credit Journals
- Stock Control
- Debt Collecting
- Receipt of Payments
- Allocation of Payments
- Reconciliation of Accounts
Bank Manager Personal Assistant
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
01.1997 - 07.1998
- As a financial institution, FNB provides personal, private, business, commercial and corporate banking services to millions of customers across South Africa
- SUMMARY OF MY ROLE: Receiving visitors and clients and dealing with enquiries and requests. Performing various administration and related tasks such as answering calls, scheduling appointments, offering advice on products and services, and keeping records
- RESPONSIBILITIES
- Answering and directing phone calls
- Organising and distributing messages
- Greeting business clients and guests
- Advising clients about a range of products available
- Planning and managing the Bank Managers’ diaries
- Organising documents and files
- Typing of letters, contracts, correspondence, etc
- Documenting financial information
- Emailing statements to clients
Legal Secretary / Departmental Head
ROETS & RAATH ATTORNEYS
03.1993 - 12.1996
- Roets & Raath Attorneys is a small legal firm that provides for greater personal interaction, flexibility and mobility. The benefits of a personal approach are not only evident in the client-attorney relationship, but the matter at hand benefits greatly by our ability to respond to changing circumstances in your case quickly and efficiently
- SUMMARY OF MY ROLE: Performing legal secretarial tasks that are specific to the law field, including typing of dictated legal documents, such as summonses, motions, subpoenas, etc
- RESPONSIBILITIES
- Providing administrative support to lawyers
- Filing and archiving
- Opening and closing files
- Scanning and photocopying
- Preparing legal documents and correspondence
- Managing diaries
- Juggling and arranging appointments
- Booking rooms and ultimately ensuring client needs are met
- Managing team filing
- Maintaining and ordering office supplies
- Supervising staff and new employees
Education
Certificate IV - Business Administration
LearnPlus
New Zealand06.2022
High School Diploma -
BRITS HIGH SCHOOL
South Africa1992
Skills
- Customer support focused
- Analytical and well organised
- Positive attitude
- Attentive to detail
- Thinking outside the box
- MS Office proficient
- Software/product support
- Decision-making and problem solving
- Confidentiality and integrity
- Supervision
- Teamwork
- Training
- Dictaphone Typing
- Financial reporting
- Encouraging (developer)
- Helpdesk updates and reporting
Hobbies
UPCYCLING FURNITURE - It is extremely satisfying to take old pieces of furniture we would normally throw away and repurpose them so their useful life can continue.
CAMPING - Spending time with my family is important to me. We enjoy the relaxation and thrill of the outdoors.
BAKING - I am renowned amongst family and friends for my chutneys and preserves.
Timeline
Senior Legal Secretary
AULD BREWER MAZENGARB AND McEWEN
10.2019 - Current
Senior Admin & Remote Software Support Consultant
GRAIL AFRICA
01.2007 - 04.2019
Office Manager
EVB KORPORAAT / EVB UNDERWRITING MANAGERS
03.2002 - 12.2006
Finance / Admin Consultant
CTU TRAINING SOLUTIONS (PTY) LTD
09.2000 - 02.2022
New Business Control
NORTHEAST BUSINESS SYSTEMS T/a, PANASONIC PRETORIA
02.1999 - 08.2000
Bank Manager Personal Assistant
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
01.1997 - 07.1998
Legal Secretary / Departmental Head
ROETS & RAATH ATTORNEYS
03.1993 - 12.1996
Certificate IV - Business Administration
LearnPlus
High School Diploma -
BRITS HIGH SCHOOL
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