Written by Inger Wijnbladh, IMA Sweden

Thank you and good by dinner in Stockholm before my move to Luxembourg

I was invited to a very nice farewell party by my Executive Board.

To mention some of the people participating: Eva Bruce, Christina Holmström,Marie-Louise Swenson, Madelein Beckman, Anne-Marie Hellerström, Anna-Lena  Engdahl, Ann-Kersti Persson and Margareta Isacsson. 

Council meeting in Paris 1990

My last assigned as Executive Treasurer was in Paris. I read all the documents for the Council Meeting on the train from Luxembourg to Paris. The day before the Council meeting we were offered drinks at the Paris Bourse and the dinner we had at Maison Europe.

The day after the Council meeting  we went on an excursion to La Défense.

1990 Conference and AGM in Maastricht

The Conference theme: Networking Communication across the border was initiated by Baron Charles van der Straten Waillet. I was honoured to have him at my table.

A very strange thing happened.

After the dinner when we all should take the bus to our hotel my coat was missing.

It was discovered that the Baron, by mistake, had taken my coat and I had to take his. I tried to call him in the middle of the night but didn’t succeed. After this episode he left for South Africa for three weeks. Upon his returning he sent his private chauffeur from Brussels to Luxembourg with a nice bouquet of flowers and we could exchange our coats. Please read the card below.

Talking about Networking Communication across the border. We were in a Dutch castle, at the German Belgian border. I am Swedish but live in Luxembourg.

1991 Conference and AGM in Oslo

The AGM was in Oslo this year, which was very convenient for me as I worked as Ex Secr at Den Norske Bank in Luxembourg and had the opportunity to visit our mother company in Oslo.

The Executive Committee:

Hélene Bafé, Greece
Alessandra Lanza, Italy
Valerie Greet, UK
Eivor Lövgren, Sweden
Tove Jorgensen, Denmark

We also visited Braathens test station and it was very exciting to fly a Boeing 737!,

1992 AGM in Brügge

At the conference dinner I met with Sylvia Dymond and Christine Davis

1994 AGM in London

The day before the AGM we were invited to a Cocktail party at Garrard - the Crown Jewellers, where we got a little nice letherpurse as present which I still use every day.

After the AGM we celebrated the 20^th anniversary at Grosvenor house.

A visit to Madame Tussauds where I had the opportunity to meet with the Swedish king.

1997 AGM in Munich 

Official photo at the EAPS 23rd Annual Conference in Munich, September 1997

1998 AGM in Madrid

Wonderful friends enjoying the farewell dinner at Casino de Madrid

Written by Karen Nanninga, IMA Netherlands

EAPS, “European Association of Professional Secretaries”: That’s where it all started. Having graduated from the European Secretarial Academy, having worked abroad and always in an international environment, it was obvious that I would join an international association. I still have the official welcome letter by EUMA’s late Honorary Member Joke Snijders.

I was member no. 31 in a group that badly needed young(er) blood. I got involved in the organisation for the 1990 Annual Conference in Maastricht and that first fantastic international conference experience motivated me to volunteer for the position of National Chairman. Together with other new members we managed to create a new dynamic and professional image and four years later we had over 120 members. Many members signed up for committees and participated actively in the group’s life. It was fantastic to experience what motivated volunteers can accomplish when they believe in the shared goal.

A few years later, in 1997, I was asked to nominate for the position of Executive Chairman. The previous Chairmen Valerie Greet and Alessandra Lanza had much impressed me, I had a lot of respect for this position, and I was “only” 36. And I wasn’t the only candidate, so we had elections. I didn’t know then, what awaited me ... During the very same AGM in Munich in 1997 the meeting voted unanimously to proceed with the change of the name of the Association, in other words – I was responsible for steering EAPS through “Operation Name Change”, whether I liked it or not, that was my mission ....

My election turned out to be the beginning of a very exciting period in my life. I travelled to almost all our national groups, to some even several times, got to know their spirit and culture, met many members when I led workshops and discussion rounds, and was a speaker at conferences all over Europe and beyond.

My main issue from the start was to involve all members in the name change process. I wanted this to be democratic, open, creative and transparent. We had heated discussions about whether or not to abandon the word “secretaries” from the name, whether we should keep the EAPS acronym or even the colour green of the logo. All members could cast their vote for one of the final two options and during the AGM in Madrid in 1998 “European Management Assistants” was announced as the winner. And ... the new logo was chosen immediately after. What a celebration! This moment is a tremendous milestone to me, still.

What we achieve for our Association is always the work of a team. “My” Executive Committee members were all incredibly skilled professionals from whom I learned a lot, most of all what synergy based on trust really means ... and how to celebrate and have a lot of fun after the hard work!

I very much enjoyed all the interaction with the national groups and feel proud of the co-operation with the National Committees and the Council. Together we accomplished so much. These years were very rich, interesting, challenging and rewarding.

Some more highlights:

• The first International Training Day in Paris in 1998
• EUMA’s 25th Anniversary in 1999 in Iceland
• The new corporate identity and a total revision of the Statutes
• EUMA Pulse Poll in 2000 and the visibility it brought us
• The process of the EUMA Strategy definition, decision making and implementation in the groups
• The concept for more interactive and effective Council Meetings
• The work of the international project team for the 2-day Annual Conference in Amsterdam, 2003
• Representing Europe and EUMA during two International Secretaries Summits
• Being the Moderator for several World Administrators Summits in recent years

In the meantime, we have once more changed the name of the Association. “E” or “I”: It is still about the Management Assistant Profession. To inspire professional “to ride the waves of change” through continuous professional ànd personal development has always been and will always be our core purpose.

EAPS, EUMA, IMA, thank you! I have moved on as a trainer, consultant and certified coach. My professional life wouldn’t have developed the wonderful way it has without this enormous learning experience. I wish for our IMA members that they will continue to recognize the gift of active participation in the life of the Association. May IMA thrive by and for its members and always be a source of inspiration!

By Karen Nanninga, Member since 1989, Executive Chairman 1997-2001