Driving Success Amidst Uncertainty: Sofie Koark Reflects on Four Years as IMA's Executive Vice Chair

At the heart of global professional networking, the position of Executive Vice Chair holds a unique blend of responsibility and opportunity. Over the past four years, Sofie Koark has held this important position within IMA, guiding endeavors and international events. With her term drawing to a close, we caught up with Sofie to chat about her journey leading IMA. Join us as we delve into Sofie's proudest moments, toughest challenges, and the valuable lessons she's learned along the way.

Can you share with us some of the key initiatives you've led during your tenure as Executive Vice Chair of IMA?

As Executive Vice Chair I’m responsible for the training and education program of the Association. That includes all the international events. Since we have two huge events every year in different IMA countries - the International Training Day (ITD) in the spring and the International Annual Conference (IAC) in the autumn - it is the main focus for me. Having our first conference outside Europe, in Cape Town, South Africa was unforgettable! In addition, we have our regular international training webinars and various cooperations with training partners.

Looking back over the past four years, what accomplishments are you most proud of?

I’m most proud that we navigated IMA through the pandemic and into the new normal. It has been challenging financial years, and I am proud that we have managed that successfully and handled all the events. We also executed great online and livestreamed events. I’m also proud that we sourced a new Professional Conference Organizer (PCO) in 2023, Ursula Wartha/Strictly Business, that has brought a lot of expertise in financial management that has helped us to be more in control of the events.

How has your role in IMA affected your work? Have you learnt things in IMA that you have applied in your job as an executive assistant?

Yes, project management, event management, board work and people skills. In this role I am a leader, I set the direction, and I must make the overall decisions which I enjoy. I have also developed my communication skills.

What inspired you to take on the role of Executive Vice Chair, and how has your vision for the organization evolved during your time in this position?

I wanted to develop myself to drive results, getting a valuable understanding of how to run a complex international organization, and how to cooperate successfully with many different stakeholders. I believe IMA has a great foundation to build on for the future. It is based on engaged members, and we need to follow the times and make sure that we always stay relevant and provide value to members. Our mission is to connect and engage peers within and across borders and empower our members to excel.

In such a dynamic role, what strategies did you employ to navigate challenges and maintain momentum?

I drive things forward and I like to discuss my way through challenges, getting several perspectives and experiences on the matter and including people in the solution to keep everybody engaged. I guess it is the Swedish way – to build consensus!

Could you highlight a particularly challenging moment or decision you faced as Executive Vice Chair, and how you overcame it?

In 2020 we had to cancel and postpone events and that was a very tough and difficult decisions, not knowing how long the pandemic would last. I decided to only do digital events during 2021 and it turned out to be the right decision. After 2021 we launched our ITD in Luxembourg scheduled for the spring 2022 at the same time that the pandemic came back with the omicron virus! So, the whole event was very uncertain and impacted but we did manage to have it hybrid the end and in a responsible manner.

Then we launched the IAC in Helsinki scheduled for Autumn 2022 at the same time as Finland’s neighbor Russia suddenly started a war in Europe! Finland then quickly applied for a membership in NATO and we were very uncertain if people and sponsors would dare to come to our event, or what was going to happen next. When working with international events anything can happen, and that you need to be prepared for. I have had many nights worrying about our events and finances and trying to come up with creative solutions.

As you prepare to step down from your position, what advice would you offer your successor?

To invest time and energy into creating great and rewarding working relationships with the Executive Committee, the event Project teams, our PCO, and partners. Teamwork makes the journey fun!

How have you fostered collaboration and teamwork within IMA during your time as Executive Vice Chair?

I always try to bring positive energy. I’m results-oriented and whoever has the best solution I am happy to go along with. I try to adapt and make sure people feel appreciated to not lose motivation. I am always reachable and quick to reply to move things forward. I am ambitious and I work hard with several IMA meetings in the evenings most weeks.

Can you share any memorable moments or milestones that stand out to you from your time in this role?

The first-time meeting together at an international event in spring 2022 in Luxembourg after two years of only online meetings was fantastic! We were all in a party mood and we felt the bars closed too early! I also really liked the IMA Sustainability challenge we did twice together with our partner Deedster where we learned how our daily choices can impact the climate, and competed together cross-borders though a digital tool. Gamification is a great way to create engagement and learn new things.

Looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for the organization?

I think when you belong to an association you have to step up at some point and contribute, to give back to the community. An association is based on volunteers and it can be challenging to find people to fill the open positions. Even though it is a lot of work it is so rewarding and you will expand your network and get so much value in return!

As you transition from this role, what personal or professional goals do you hope to pursue next?

After four years in an international role and six years in a national IMA Sweden role on top of my fulltime normal job as Executive Assistant I will definitely enjoy having some more free time!

Finally, what message would you like to convey to the members of IMA as you prepare to step down from your position?

That IMA’s future depends on you and that together we can accomplish so much for our fellow Management Support Professional around the globe and elevate the role! Making sure that we learn the latest skills to be in demand in the market. “Ask not what IMA can do for you, but what you can do for IMA” haha. Step up and apply for an open IMA position to develop yourself professionally, you will not regret it!

Interview by Annika Hedström, IMA global social media team