Maurizia Louw
Summary
Highly organized Director's Assistant serves as primary point of contact and liaison to support strategic communications, organizational strategy and special projects with tact and diplomacy. Takes initiative, multitasks and adapts to shifting priorities to function independently and performs successfully in high volume settings. Proven experience coordinating wide variety of projects, functions and program components to complete activities and deliver timely services.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR
WESTERN CAPE GOVERNMENT – DEPART OF INFRASTRUCTURE
CAPE TOWN
11.2014 - Current
- Diary organizing and planning/management
- Record keeping: Leave submitted to HR, pay slip collection handing out to staff, keeping copies on record
- Printing and binding of information packs and programs
- Printing and submitting of Performance agreements and Reviews
- Drafting of letters and correspondence to Municipalities, external departments, and clients
- Preparing and submitting Overtime forms to HR
- Arranging of meetings and minute taking for internal departmental and staff meetings
- People skills; grooming and presentation skills
- Excellent typing skills
- Ability to communicate well with people at different levels and from different backgrounds, in person and telephonically
- Ability to do research and analyze documents and situations; Must be honest, professional, diligent, client-driven, a fast learner, reliable, responsible and loyal; Customer focus; Proven computer literacy skills in MS Office, Intranet and Internet; Planning and organizing skills
- Outstanding Communication (written and verbal)
- Administrative support to the Director and staff.
- Oversaw personal and professional calendars and coordinated appointments for future events.
- Maintained appropriate filing of personal and professional documentation.
- Responded to emails and other correspondence to facilitate communication and enhance business processes.
- Improved time management of the executive through effective prioritization and organization of tasks.
- Maintained confidentiality and discretion while handling sensitive information relevant to company operations.
- Served as first point of contact for incoming visitors or phone calls, ensuring prompt responses or directing inquiries appropriately.
- Coordinated events and functions with attention to detail ensuring successful execution.
- Assisted in the preparation of presentations and reports, contributing to well-informed decision making.
- Facilitated smooth office operations by managing supplies inventory and overseeing maintenance requests.
- Collaborated with other support staff in coordinating joint projects or covering workload during absences.
- Developed relationships with key stakeholders, fostering trust and rapport within the network of contacts.
- Monitored expenses closely, maintaining an organized filing system for easy access to financial and HR records.
- Identified needs and coordinated plans for travel, both national and international events/functions (Govan Mbeki Awards, Official Trips out of Country).
- Managed calendar and travel logistics, prioritized inquiries and requests and made recommendations to support smooth day-to-day director engagements.
- Processed travel expenses and reimbursements for executive team and senior management group.
- Managed mail and both incoming and outgoing correspondence, mail, email and faxes.
- Handled logistics, catering, agendas and travel arrangements for meeting and event planning for board of directors, president and executive vice president.
- Took notes and dictation at meetings.
- Volunteered to help with special projects of varying degrees of complexity.
- Organized logistics and materials for each meeting and took detailed notes for later dissemination to key stakeholders.
- Prepared and edited correspondence, presentations, reports and memos to foster outstanding communication and responsiveness.
PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO THE HEAD OF MINISTRY
WESTERN CAPE GOVERNMENT – DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
CAPE TOWN
11.2014 - 06.2019
- Diary organising and planning/management
- Record keeping: Leave submitted to HR, pay slip collection handing out to staff, keeping copies on record
- Printing and binding of information packs and programmes
- Printing and submitting of Performance agreements and Reviews
- Drafting of letters and correspondence to Municipalities, external departments, and clients
- Preparing and submitting Overtime forms to HR
- Arranging of meetings and minute taking for internal departmental and staff meetings
- People skills; grooming and presentation skills
- Excellent typing skills
- Ability to communicate well with people at different levels and from different backgrounds, in person and telephonically
- Ability to do research and analyse documents and situations; Must be honest, professional, diligent, client-driven, a fast learner, reliable, responsible and loyal; Customer focus; Proven computer literacy skills in MS Office, Intranet and Internet; Planning and organizing skills
- Outstanding Communication (written and verbal)
- Administrative support to the Director and staff.
- Oversaw personal and professional calendars and coordinated appointments for future events.
- Maintained appropriate filing of personal and professional documentation.
- Responded to emails and other correspondence to facilitate communication and enhance business processes.
- Improved time management of the executive through effective prioritization and organization of tasks.
- Maintained confidentiality and discretion while handling sensitive information relevant to company operations.
- Served as first point of contact for incoming visitors or phone calls, ensuring prompt responses or directing inquiries appropriately.
- Coordinated events and functions with attention to detail ensuring successful execution.
- Assisted in the preparation of presentations and reports, contributing to well-informed decision making.
- Facilitated smooth office operations by managing supplies inventory and overseeing maintenance requests.
- Collaborated with other support staff in coordinating joint projects or covering workload during absences.
- Developed relationships with key stakeholders, fostering trust and rapport within the network of contacts.
- Monitored expenses closely, maintaining an organized filing system for easy access to financial and HR records.
- Identified needs and coordinated plans for travel, both national and international events/functions (Govan Mbeki Awards, Official Trips out of Country).
ADMINISTRATIVE CLERK
CHUNG & CHUNG CONSULTING CC (ACCOUNTING & TRANSLATION)
01.2007 - 01.2014
- Data Capturing
- Assisting and attending to telephonic and walk-in clients
- Delivering of Invoices, Collecting of Payments
- Depositing of Cash at Banks
- Debt collecting (calling clients and arranging payments)
- Registering and applying changes to Close Corporations, PTY Ltd, Sole Proprietor with CIPC
- Reservations of new company names with CIPC
- Completing, submitting and Payments of Annual Returns to CIPC
- Registering and Updating client and employee PAYE and UIF Information with the Department of Labour
- Calculating, Submitting and Payments of Client and Employee PAYE EMP201 Returns to SARS monthly on E-Filling
- Reconciliation Submissions to SARS on Easy File
- Registering and Updating of Client COIDA Accounts (Workman Compensation)
- General Administrative Duties; including but not limited to, faxing, emailing, scanning, copying, cleaning of office space.
SECRETARY/ ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
ELEDSO INTERIORS (CUSTOM MADE WOODWORK,CARPENTARY)
Epping Industrial, Cape Town
01.2005 - 03.2005
- General Office Administrative duties
- Filling, faxing, copying, answering calls, attending to clients, email/post and correspondence
- Responsible for making of Payments (Suppliers, employee salaries, UIF)
- Record of Attendance (Daily Register/Roster)
- UIF & PAYE Calculations and salary advance/absentee/late penalty deductions, etc
- Ordering of Supplies, Stationery, Refreshments and keeping record thereof
- Arranging meetings, refreshments.
- Handled sensitive information discreetly, maintaining confidentiality when managing personnel files or financial data.
- Maintained daily report documents, memos and invoices.
- Scheduled appointments and conducted follow-up calls to clients.
- Handled daily scheduling tasks and provided administrative support for entire department.
- Prepared professional correspondence, including memos, letters, and emails, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
- Entered data into system and updated customer contacts with information to keep records current.
- Managed paper and electronic filing systems by routing various documents, taking messages and managing incoming and outgoing mail.
- Responded to emails and other correspondence to facilitate communication and enhance business processes.
- Maintained office supplies inventory by checking stock and ordering new supplies.
- Provided exceptional customer service by promptly addressing inquiries and resolving issues professionally.
- Managed executive calendars, scheduling appointments and meetings to optimize time management.
- Provided clerical support to company employees by copying, faxing, and filing documents.
- Offered technical support and troubleshot issues to enhance office productivity.
FITTING ROOM ATTENDANT AND STORE FLOOR RUNNER
EDCON GROUP (Edgars Tygervalley Branch)
Tyger Valley Shopping Centre, Bellville Park
01.2004 - 12.2004
- Organized clothing and accessories that customers had returned to fitting room desk.
- Cleaned and maintained fitting rooms regularly.
- Reduced theft by limiting number of items that each customer took into fitting rooms.
- Monitored customers for signs of theft.
- Welcomed each customer to fitting room with warm smile and kind words.
- Offered help to customers and brought alternative sizes.
- Assisted customers by finding proper clothing sizes and accessories that would complement outfits.
- Assisted in loss prevention efforts by closely monitoring the fitting room area for any suspicious activity or theft attempts.
- Maintained consistent communication with sales associates on the floor regarding customer needs and item availability.
- Assisted customers with special requests such as locating specific sizes or styles, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience.
- Demonstrated adaptability in supporting other departments during peak hours or staffing shortages as needed, contributing to overall team success.
- Collected discarded merchandise, sorted and returned to display racks.
- Maintained thorough knowledge of store layout and product offerings to efficiently direct customers to their desired items or departments.
- Addressed customer inquiries with professionalism, providing guidance on sizing, style options, and overall fit of garments.
- Upheld store policies regarding maximum items allowed per fitting room visit while offering flexible solutions when necessary to accommodate unique situations or requests from shoppers.
- Conducted regular fitting room checks for any abandoned clothing items, promptly returning them to their proper location on the sales floor.
- Managed check-in and check-out process of items.
Education
Bachelor of Commerce - Project Management
MANCOSA
Cape Town, South Africa12.2023
Intermediate Project Management -
Stellenbosch University (School of Public Leadership, Executive Programmes in Public And Development Management)
Cape Town01.2018
Safety and Security Awareness Programme -
Western Cape Provincial Training Institute
Cape Town01.2018
Accounting Officer's System and Delegations -
Western Cape Provincial Training Institute
Cape Town01.2017
Professional Development for PA's and Secretaries (PTI) -
Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)
Cape Town01.2015
Mandarin for Beginners Course -
University of Cape Town (UCT)
Cape Town07.2010
International Certificate in Computer Science & Information Studies -
Northlink College
Cape Town12.2006
Introduction to Flash MX 2004 -
Northlink College
Cape Town12.2006
Secretarial Computing Course -
Cape Micro Computer School
Cape Town12.2002
National Senior Certificate -
Eerste River Secondary School
Cape Town12.2001
Skills
- MyTrack
- Persal
- CMaTS
- Permis
- MySQL
- Logis
- Dreamweaver
- Flash
- HTML
- PHP
- JavaScript
- Microsoft Office 365 (Word, Excel, Power Point, Access, OneNote, Outlook)
- Database Maintenance
- Office Management
- Executive Support
- Proactive Problem Solving
- Calendar Management
- Meeting facilitation
- Budget Administration
- Customer Service-Oriented
- Invoice Processing
- Staff Management
- Interpersonal Communication
- Task Delegation
- Administrative Support
- Project Management
- Social media knowledge
- Filing and data archiving
- Financial Services
- Risk Management
- Project Planning
- Report Analysis
- Accounting
- Business Administration
- Travel Arrangements
- Human Resources Management (HRM)
- Time Management
- Reliable and Responsible
- Problem-solving abilities
- Multitasking Abilities
- Reliability
- Excellent Communication
- Organizational Skills
- Meticulous attention to detail
- Policy Enforcement
Volunteer/Extracurricular Experience
- Prefect, Eerste River Secondary School, 2001-01-01, 2001-12-31
- DAWN Representative, Ward 25, CURRENT, CURRENT
- Additional Member, Democratic Alliance Women's Network, CURRENT, CURRENT
- Team Leader, Human Settlements Department, CURRENT, CURRENT
References
- Ms Laurian Hendricks, Chung & Chung Consulting CC (Accounting & Translation), +27 76 194 1686
- Ms Elizabeth Cloete, Western Cape Government - Department of Human Settlements (Ministry), +27 71 115 9320 | +27 21 483 4468
- Mr Nathan Adriaanse, Western Cape Government - Department of Human Settlements (Communication and Stakeholder Relations), +2783 263 1720 | +27 21 483 2868
Languages
AFRIKAANS
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
English
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
Timeline
PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR
WESTERN CAPE GOVERNMENT – DEPART OF INFRASTRUCTURE
11.2014 - Current
PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO THE HEAD OF MINISTRY
WESTERN CAPE GOVERNMENT – DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
11.2014 - 06.2019
ADMINISTRATIVE CLERK
CHUNG & CHUNG CONSULTING CC (ACCOUNTING & TRANSLATION)
01.2007 - 01.2014
SECRETARY/ ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
ELEDSO INTERIORS (CUSTOM MADE WOODWORK,CARPENTARY)
01.2005 - 03.2005
FITTING ROOM ATTENDANT AND STORE FLOOR RUNNER
EDCON GROUP (Edgars Tygervalley Branch)
01.2004 - 12.2004
Bachelor of Commerce - Project Management
MANCOSA
Intermediate Project Management -
Stellenbosch University (School of Public Leadership, Executive Programmes in Public And Development Management)
Safety and Security Awareness Programme -
Western Cape Provincial Training Institute
Accounting Officer's System and Delegations -
Western Cape Provincial Training Institute
Professional Development for PA's and Secretaries (PTI) -
Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)
Mandarin for Beginners Course -
University of Cape Town (UCT)
International Certificate in Computer Science & Information Studies -
Northlink College
Introduction to Flash MX 2004 -
Northlink College
Secretarial Computing Course -
Cape Micro Computer School
National Senior Certificate -
Eerste River Secondary School