Fiona O'Fee

Fiona O’Fee – Company Secretary

Fiona has worked with Northpoint since its inception, but more recently has taken on a range of responsibilities in Northpoint’s Scottish office and HQ.

She is currently Northpoint’s company secretary and provides a range of administrative and book keeping support activities which include responsibilities within the company’s Quality Management System; its Occupational Health and Safety Management System and its Environmental Impact Management System.

Fiona is a mature, highly-experienced and well organised all-rounder in the areas of professional company administration and Personal Assistance.  A strong team player.

Fulfilled the role of Company Secretary for a Scottish charity since 2005 – 2013.

Experienced in organising, minuting and chairing meetings from management to board level.

Experienced event organiser of academic conferences and public events around the UK.

Acting as a PA to an Oxford academic including managing their diary and travel itineraries, filtering public and media enquiries, dealing with their incoming and outgoing correspondence, and generally enhancing their productivity and professional profile.   Has also acted as PA to a senior RAF officer and two financial consultants.  A discrete, unflappable, insightful and proactive PA.

Experience of collating and producing internal and external company newsletters and company literature including developing a house style.

Has been the administrator of several websites, including the e-commerce aspects of an online shop, which extends to liaising with suppliers, fulfilling orders and managing the IT provider.  This further involves the management of a merchant bank account and the maintenance of accounts with WorldPay and Sagepay payment gateway providers.

Has experience of maintaining office book-keeping systems in liaison with company accountants / finance directors.

Highly proficient in the use of the Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access and Groove.  Proficient in setting up email accounts, local Wi-Fi and troubleshooting day to day office IT problems.  Experienced user of social media for business purposes including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Has recently developed experience, with another client, of many contemporary aspects of social media.

The Farr Office – Virtual Office Services – set up in 1992 to present (www.thefarroffice.com)

Established this back office role fit in with  family responsibilities.  Fiona identified that there was a great demand for freelance secretarial work and she has rarely had to advertise.  The Farr Office provides a range of office services including word processing, PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheet compilations, desk top publishing using Publisher and database maintenance using Access.  In addition, she produces high quality line diagrams using various illustration programmes such as Visio.  Clients have ranged from industrial (water treatment company) to sales and marketing, academic, aviation, high street retail and a utility company.

Scottish Equitable Life Assurance Society (London) – Training Officer 1988 to 1991

Based in the City of London, this role involved co-ordinating and running induction courses for new staff members and travelling around the Society’s branches, across the whole of the south of England, delivering training in a range of financial products and in assisting with the transition of staff to their latest IT platforms.  Wrote an internal user manual on WordPerfect.  Left in 1991 to start a family.

West Highland Finance Consultants (Inverness) – Junior Financial Advisor – 1986 to 1988

Recruited within one month of leaving the RAF, providing Personal Assistance to the lead consultant and was given the opportunity to train as a financial advisor.  Enrolled with the College for Financial Planning and successfully gained the Diploma for Personal Financial Planning.

Royal Air Force (Various locations around the UK) – Personnel and Administration Branch 1978 to 1986

Following a childhood ambition Fiona joined the Royal Air Force after leaving college.  The branch of Personnel and Administration encompasses all things secretarial and administrative that ensures the smooth and efficient running of the RAF.  Throughout her service career, she received excellent training and was a member of many teams responsible for the effective maintenance of movements and records, preparing RAF personnel for operational deployments (including to the Falkland Islands from Kinloss in 1981) and for ensuring they received their correct entitlements to pay, allowances and expenses.  As my career developed, I was promoted to the rank of Corporal.  She also served as PA to a Group Captain in an aviation working group role.  During her final two years in the RAF, she studied part-time at Melton Mowbray College of FE for a business and finance qualification in preparation for her departure from a service career.

Service history:

Sep 83 to May 86       RAF Cottesmore, Leicestershire.  NCO i/c Personnel Administration.

Sep 81 to Sep 83        RAF Kinloss, Morayshire.  NCO i/c Accounts and Allowances.

Sep 81                           Promoted to rank of Corporal – a non-commissioned officer (NCO).

Jan 79 to Sep 81         RAF Uxbridge, Middlesex.  PA to Officer Commanding Joint Airmiss Section.

Oct to Dec 78              Recruited and trained at RAF Hereford.