A Day in the Life of.... Margaret Wright

Margaret Wright – PA to the Principal and Vice Chancellor of the
University of Strathclyde

"The job had my name written on it" are the words used by Margaret to describe her reaction to seeing an advert for the role of PA to the new Principal of Strathclyde University, Professor Andrew Hamnett. She has been proven right for the last two and a half years.

The University of Strathclyde is one of the biggest employers in the West of Scotland, with 3,500 staff and 15,000 students. Former students include Elish Angiolini, the first female Solicitor General in Scotland, Helen Liddell and Dougie Donnelly.

Margaret is responsible for the smooth running of the Principal's office and in particular his diary. Organising the life of a man who regularly puts in 80 hours a week is no mean feat - she's currently struggling to fit in a new appointment for September 2004! In a nutshell, Margaret controls "where he's going, when he's going, who he's seeing and who he's not seeing".

As most secretarial duties are covered by a colleague, Margaret is able to concentrate on providing the level of support vital to ensure that the Principal can fulfil the numerous engagements, meetings and ceremonial duties that come with the job of head of a major university.

As well as acting as the Principal's conduit to senior staff and outside contacts, Margaret has had to gain a rapid understanding of how the academic world works, as well as organisations such as the Funding Councils.

Margaret holds her own in academia, and doesn't find the lack of a degree any handicap. Coming from a family of pragmatic Ayrshire farmers, her 5 highers cut no ice with her father when deciding Margaret's future. He held the traditional view that a university place was wasted on a girl. Margaret says that she is grateful both she and her father lived long enough to prove him wrong!

While the University of Strathclyde did request that applicants have a degree, Margaret's depth of experience and skills were immediately apparent and the interview panel were obviously impressed. "When they asked what made me laugh, I knew the job was right for me".

Like many Personal Assistants, Margaret used the interview as an opportunity to assess the Principal and decide whether they would "fit" as a team. Luckily, the two work well together. Margaret screens all telephone calls and emails, and the Principal responds to these through Margaret. This obviously calls for a high degree of tact and diplomacy as well as the ability to constantly juggle shifting priorities.

There have been occasions when long-standing engagements have had to be cancelled at short notice due to the imminent arrival of a senior political figure. Guess who has to make sure that all arrangements are in place and that there are no ruffled feathers! Margaret thrives on the intensity of the role, and genuinely loves her job.

The Principal works tirelessly to promote and represent the University of Strathclyde. Margaret takes this aspect of the job very seriously - whether handling a student's parents who have insisted on speaking to the top man, or extricating the Principal from a prior engagement when circumstances demand it. Margaret believes that her appearance has to reflect the public nature of the role - which is not a problem for the woman who confessed, "I live to shop!"

Outside the University, Margaret fulfils a number of public speaking engagements, and has given talks to various branches of the Association of Secretaries as well as speaking at Burns Suppers. Margaret is often invited to talk about her experience of living with Cushing's Disease (a condition caused by a brain tumour leading to an excess of male hormones) for nine years, followed by recovery from major surgery to remove the brain tumour.

Margaret's sense of humour and clear-sightedness make her story inspirational, but perhaps most importantly of all, the experience informs every aspect of her current life. Nothing is taken for granted, whether it is good health or her considerable abilities in the work arena. Margaret acknowledges that she has always been ambitious, but it must be particularly sweet that she fought back from major brain surgery to "the best PA job in the West of Scotland".

Lynn Ballantyne has worked for 20 years in a variety of industries including agriculture, oil & gas, publishing and recruitment. She is particularly interested in work-place issues and how they impact on office professionals.