Google Workspace
Riccola Burrowes
London
Summary
Trusted Executive Assistant with over 5 years supporting C-suite leaders, UHNWIs, and Senior Directors across complex, global environments. Known for bringing calm precision to high-pressure operations — from board-level governance to international mission logistics — I combine meticulous organisation with the emotional intelligence to read a room, adapt quickly, and communicate with confidence at every level. Having built deep expertise across the private and public sectors, I am now seeking a long-term role within a value-driven organisation where I can contribute as a genuine strategic partner to leadership.d.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
4
4
Certification
Work History
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
University College London
Camden
2025.07 - Current
- Global Conference & Logistics Orchestration: Orchestrate comprehensive support for the Clinical Trials Alzheimer’s Disease 4-day international conference, developing executive travel portfolios, and logistical frameworks for senior delegates, while optimising resource allocation for global participation.
- End-to-End Event & Vendor Administration: Direct end-to-end meeting and event administration for UKDTN network sessions, including procurement of specialised suppliers for high-volume printing and branded merchandise, real-time session documentation, venue scouting with cost-benefit analyses presented to leadership, and collaborative execution with the Engagement and Communications Lead to enhance operational efficiency
• Operational Streamlining & Cross-Functional Partnership: Partner with the Neurodegenerative Diseases department to streamline executive and operational tasks for the UKDTN leadership, improving coordination between clinical, academic, and administrative teams and enabling smoother delivery of network priorities.
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
UK Research & Innovation
City of Westminster
2025.03 - 2025.07
- Strategic Project & Portfolio Support: Provided high-level executive and project support to two senior directors within the UK's flagship research body, overseeing diary management, HR coordination, and secretariat support across national programmes valued at £200M+, including biomedical and infrastructure initiatives.
- Complex Logistics & Calendar Management: Provided full inbox and complex calendar management for two senior directors, coordinating high-level internal and external engagements -to ensure seamless execution across competing demands and executive commitments.
- Global Mission Logistics & Duty of Care: Directed end-to-end international mission logistics for a high-profile visit to the UKRI/MRC Unit in The Gambia, overseeing Gov.uk travel advisories, health protocols, and ground intelligence to ensure executive safety and productivity.
- Secretariat & Governance Excellence: Provide full secretariat and governance support for over 4 major initiatives including AHS Project Board (Adolescent Health Study) and UK Biobank Steering Projects, contributing to strategic delivery of UKRI's national research priorities.
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF POLICY & COMMS
Royal College of General Practitioners
Camden
2023.10 - 2024.12
- Directorate-Wide Strategic Support: Delivered executive-level support to a 40+ person directorate spanning four divisions and devolved nations, ensuring seamless operations and high-impact coordination at board and senior stakeholder level.
- Executive Forum & Meeting Leadership: Seamlessly led end-to-end executive meeting management, including agenda design, creation of terms of reference, curation of invitee lists, presentations, consistently precise minute-taking, and action tracking for Director-led forums (Strategic Priority Delivery Group, Senior Policy & Comms, Digital Engagement), driving strategic alignment and accountability across executive stakeholders.
• National Travel & Contingency Planning: Oversaw end-to-end UK travel logistics for policy, faculty and devolved nation meetings, consistently ensuring on-time arrival through proactive contingency planning and itinerary management.
• Invoice & Expenditure Management: Raised and receipted approximately 25 invoices per month across the directorate, managing expenditure codes, purchase orders, and supplier reconciliation to ensure accurate financial processing and timely payment in line with organisational procurement policies.
• Office Management & Strategic Triaging: Owned office management for the Executive Director, triaging inboxes, resolving routine business independently, and implementing systems to maintain efficient operations across 30 Euston Square and remote UK/ROI teams.
• Diary & Inbox Management: Provided expert 360° diary and inbox management for the Executive Director, proactively prioritising competing demands, anticipating scheduling conflicts, and ensuring full visibility across critical deliverables and stakeholder commitments.
• Cross-Functional Project Secretariat: Provided secretariat and executive support to cross- functional projects (College Reps, PCPG, Short Life Working Groups), enhancing coordination, information collation, and effective minute-taking with actionable follow-up.
• Financial Governance & Budget Operations: Partnered with the Finance Business Partner on cross-divisional forecasting, budget setting, and year-end reviews; engineered a mandatory digital procurement framework to govern executive credit card expenditure, eliminating manual reporting errors and streamlining monthly reconciliation across the directorate.
• Governance Workflow Streamlining: Streamlined governance workflows for the Trustee Board, Council meetings and Director-led forums, managing the proofreading and formatting of board/council reports to ensure strict policy adherence and document accuracy.
• Reputational & Communications Risk: Supported the Executive Director in triaging sensitive public-facing communications on high-profile issues, applying careful political and cultural judgement to protect organisational neutrality and reputational integrity.
• Policy Signing & Governance: Acted as a delegated authority for the Director, overseeing the formal sign-off process for national organisational policies and managing document retention/destruction schedules.
Career break / contract search, 07/2023 – 10/2023
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
NHS
Waterloo
2022.12 - 2023.07
- Operational Leadership & EA Coordination: Facilitated day-to-day coordination within a 4-EA team, ensuring balanced workloads and operational continuity during leadership transitions. Spearheaded the onboarding and technical integration of new starters, establishing standardised best practices for executive support.
- Data Integrity & Confidentiality Management: Handled sensitive confidential information for executives, maintaining 100% compliance with NHS protocols: achieving zero confidentiality breaches.
- Handling Grievances & Legal HR: Orchestrated the administrative governance of sensitive HR and legal documentation, ensuring 100% compliance with data protection protocols during complex grievance procedures.
- Cross-Functional Team Coverage: Proactively provided cover for other Executive Assistants, seamlessly managing leadership diaries and supporting continuity of executive operations during absences, ensuring best-practice handovers and consistent support across the senior leadership team.
- Recruitment Acquisition Operations: Directed complex interview scheduling and onsite coordination across multiple departments, maintaining professional standards and serving as the primary point of contact to ensure a high-calibre candidate experience.
- Talent Operations & Onboarding Leadership: Spearheaded the technical and cultural integration of new starters, independently managing hardware deployment and building-wide inductions to ensure 100% Day-1 readiness.
PRIVATE PA TO UHNW PRINCIPAL
Private household
Hertfordshire
2019.01 - 2022.10
- Principal Support & Business Operations: Managed complex business and lifestyle operations for a Fintech CEO overseeing multi-leg international travel, visa requirements, and roadshows with absolute discretion and 5-star delivery standards.
• Household & Staff Leadership: Directed and coordinated household staff, including nannies, housekeepers, and contractors; set priorities and monitored standards to ensure 5* delivery
• Family & Property Oversight: Managed multifaceted family schedules across multiple residences and time zones, overseeing medical, educational, and social logistics.
• Event Execution: Coordinated over 10 high-profile personal events, managing everything from guest lists and catering to on-the-day execution.
Education
BTEC - Applied Science
City of Westminster College
03.2018
Skills
- Executive Operations & Logistics
- Governance & Secretariat Support
- Strategic Stakeholder Engagement
- Legal & Operational Compliance
- Large-Scale Event Management
- Risk Mitigation & Discretion
- Technical Portfolio
- Generative AI & Productivity
Certification
- CRM & Relations: Certified in Building Customer Relationships in Management.
- Legal Administrative Assistant: Certified in legal terminology, document version control, and court/corporate secretarial procedures.
- Data & AI Strategy: Certified in Leveraging AI in Predictive Analytics, Automation, and Data Management; proficient in utilising data-driven insights to optimise executive workflows and anticipate operational needs.
- Compliance & Contract Negotiation: Certified in Grant Management, part of the FIELD Finance and Grant Management pathway. Demonstrates the my essential awareness around the four phases of the grant management cycle, in line with the FIELD Programme's guidance. The training enhanced my understanding of compliance, contract negotiation, and monitoring frameworks — skills that directly support high‑quality administrative and governance operations.
Timeline
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
University College London
2025.07 - Current
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
UK Research & Innovation
2025.03 - 2025.07
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF POLICY & COMMS
Royal College of General Practitioners
2023.10 - 2024.12
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
NHS
2022.12 - 2023.07
PRIVATE PA TO UHNW PRINCIPAL
Private household
2019.01 - 2022.10
BTEC - Applied Science
City of Westminster College
Accomplishments
- Delivered global‑scale event and mission logistics for senior leaders across academia, research, and government.
- Improved executive efficiency by 20% and built digital systems that eliminated errors and streamlined operations.
- Strengthened organisational compliance and financial governance, supporting budgets, procurement, and donor‑funded projects.
Quote
Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.
Richard Branson
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
swipe to browse
Software
Microsoft 365
Oracle Fusion
Purchase Management
SharePoint
Adobe Acrobat
Mondaycom
JotForm
WebEx
DocuSign
Chat GPT
Perplexityai
Clarity Business Travel
Diversity Travel
Languages
English
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)