A TRIBUTE TO IMA by Claudia Ackermann, IMA Luxembourg member

 Hello, dear colleagues and friends, this is Claudia Ackermann writing, 63 years,German, Management Assistant for   40 years, IMA-member for 37 years,living in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for 18 years, and since recently…   retired.

  And this is the moment where I feel the need to share my story with you,especially with the new and younger       colleagues, for a simple reason:

My career would not have been the same without our professional network IMA! The role of an Executive or Management Assistant can sometimes be a lonely thing, especially in hard times, but with the association in my back, I felt never alone. The fact that I could contact members all over Europe at any time gave me a feeling of security and even “rescued” me sometimes. This is the emotional part of a network which is as important as the professional one in my mind.

Regarding the latter, our association was as of the beginning in 1974 an outstanding organisation. Our founder, Sonia Vanular, a British native, had the vision to empower professional secretaries (EAPS = European Association of Professional Secretaries) as she had seen the important role of this profession supporting top management in international organisations. The development from EAPS to EUMA (European Management Assistants) in 1998 at the AGM in Madrid, and some years ago to IMA (International Management Assistants) has proven that she was right to strengthen the image of assistants as partner of the management team, to develop the office profession by offering trainings and conferences, and to create a forum for highly committed and qualified executive assistants. This year, we celebrate our 50 years, and this is clearly a success story!

And the success I had in my job is clearly linked to our network: I attended numerous seminars on state-of-the-art office topics which supported me in my daily business where I was at the height of time, and appreciated by my bosses and team colleagues. When I started working after having studied languages (French and English) and Secretarial knowledge, there was still this cliche of a “typical secretary”, and we had to live with pejorative comments from people with prejudices. When I then discovered EAPS, I was immediately convinced that this is what I needed to pursue my professional path. It was a kind of relief for me, it strengthened my self-confidence and gave me the feeling to be a “modern” secretary or assistant. An additional advantage for the positive development of our profession was certainly the IT-evolution. With more technical know-how and responsibility for projects, we received at the same time more power with the consequence that job titles changed (Office Manager etc.) and salaries increased. This is an achievement, and I am grateful that I have got so much inspiration from our network allowing me to turn my professional life in a wonderful career. Of course, I have also given something to IMA as networking is not a one-way road, as we know:

From 1998 to 2002, I was Treasurer in the National Committee of EUMA Germany and regional leader for Berlin where I used to live at that time. This commitment made me grow in terms of personality, and this is not only enriching for your professional life, but in particular for your private life. To prepare trainings, events, board meetings, and speeches was a challenge on top of the daily job, but I was rewarded with unforgettable moments, especially with my fellows in the National and Executive Committee. There is one highlight of the very beginning of my membership which I want to point out: together with the founder of the German group, Helga Glatzel, I organized in 1989 a seminar in West Berlin. We started beginning of the year to choose locations and speakers, and the slogan of the city of West Berlin at that time was “Berlin turns on”. Well, the seminar was scheduled for mid-November, and one week before, on the 9th of November 1989, the Berlin Wall came down! So, we were not only turned on, we were thrilled!! Everything was organised, we could receive the participants from all over Europe, and had historic moments together, especially in the Eastern part of the city. This is what IMA is about.

Due to the reunification of Germany, we organized during my National Committee time in the late 90s trainings in the famous cities Dresden, Leipzig and Weimar in the Eastern part of the country. The most valuable seminar for me at that time was about “Emotional Intelligence” (the bestseller of Daniel Goleman made this topic aware to the world) which is until today a hot topic. I definitely can say that my best superiors had all a high EQ. The other ones (and sure: we all have our experiences with bad bosses as well) had a big ego, and were trouble makers. Due to my knowledge in this field, i.e., due to IMA-seminars, I could always cope with difficult bosses and “survived” them. In this connection, I want to recommend a book with the title “Nonviolent Communication: A Language to Life” by Marshall B. Rosenberg. This book was a revelation for me (for a life beyond drama).

IMA did not only accompany my life-long learning process, but led me to many capitals and wonderful cities in Europe. I attended annual conferences, AGMs and trainings during the years 1995 to 2019 in: Cyprus, Munich, Madrid, Lugano, Reykjavik (in 1999: 25 years anniversary with our Patroness Vigdis Finnbogadottir, former President of Iceland), London, Helsinki, Milan, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Athens (in 2004: 30 years anniversary), Nice, Brussels, Oslo, Berlin, Zürich, Paris (in 2014: 40 years anniversary), The Hague, Geneva (in 2019: 45 years anniversary). It goes without saying that the discovery of other cultures and people was an added value to the professional purpose of those events. Regarding financing, I paid them on my own - as investment in my future which I have never regretted. Only my last employer here in Luxembourg had the same attitude regarding “return of investment”, and sponsored all IMA-conferences I attended during the last years. This was a late recognition which I appreciated.

It is not only about performance improvement in our network, but above all about people and relationships, and the following IMA-colleagues who became friends over the years will always remain in my heart: Helga Glatzel, Irmtraud Schmitt, Kirsten Esdar, Maria Urbauer, Eva Holzhauer, Margareta Skog, Karen Nanninga, Corinne van Stipriaan, just to mention a few. I will never forget the magic moments during pre-conference tours (e.g. Blue Lagoon spa in Reykjavik) or get-togethers at hotel bars after an intensive meeting day. We also had sometimes tough discussions, but always kept respect for each other.

IMA would not make sense without a job behind or in front. I was never a job hopper, and had longstanding employments in several international companies, and my professional way led me from Paris (2 years), Düsseldorf (1 year), and Berlin (20 years) to Luxembourg where I have been living since 2006. I am happy without children, and have always worked fulltime, and with joy. My most important employers were: Egon Zehnder International (Management Consultants/Executive Search) during my Berlin time, and SES S.A. (Satellite Telecommunications Network Provider) in Luxembourg. Both firms are “employers of choice” in their countries, and successful in their areas. They have strong business ethics which was important to me, and I could live my potential at its best which was a fulfilling task. Especially SES was a stroke of luck for me. I was happy for the job offer from a wellknown company when I moved at the age of 44 for personal reasons from the German capital in this tiny country which is however “big in space” (with more than 70 satellites in orbit). 

I am grateful that I landed here, in an open, multilingual, and tolerant society. The international spirit at SES was “my world”, and I could improve my English and reactivate my French. A decisive argument was also the fact that you can reach out to Paris from here, just in two hours by train. A special thanks 3 goes to my Luxembourgish IMA-colleagues: Claudine Nembrini, Jane Barton, Annick Druart, Catherine Johansson, Valérie Aughuet helped me to feel at home here as of the beginning.

In the last years, I used to work in the Marketing & Communications-department with an American boss. This was my best time as we shared the same values. So, I definitely can say that I had a happy end in my career which is a fantastic feeling.

To conclude: The official language says I am on retirement now. I am saying: I have reached the “ultimate sabbatical” which sounds more positive to me. The right wording for a friend of mine is however: Pension = The Fine Art of Hanging around. Either way, it implies freedom, selfdetermination and time sovereignty. And the skills of a Management Assistant are not lost when you reach this stage. With our knowledge and experience we can open our arms to new activities, and at the same time enjoy idleness in a positive way, or should I better call it “Dolce Vita”… God willing!

Last but not least: Congratulations to our 50 years anniversary! This is the Gold. I trust that the younger generation is reaching out for the stars and will be achieving the Platinum Jubilee!

I sincerely wish our network a bright future and all members fulfilment in their work and life, and goodwill with each other!

Thank you, IMA!

Claudia

PS: What has Miss Moneypenny and a Management Assistant in common? They both are highly competent, can see around corners, and know that work and life are sometimes a game or film. So, let’s keep cool and collected!

Claudia Ackermann

Luxembourg, in October 2024