Sotiris Polyzopoulos

Experience

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  Thessaloniki International Fair

  Dec 2005 - Nov 2009

  Account Executive

  • Responsible for developing relationships with clients to increase use of exhibition centre.• Worked closely with external suppliers & vendors to discuss and secure favourable rates.• Coordinated the expansion of floor space within the centre to accommodate more exhibitors.• Ensured all exhibitors remained compliant to internal H&S regulations within the centre.

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  Thessaloniki International Film Festival

  Dec 2009 - Apr 2010

  Ticketing Master

  • Managed, supervised and trained employees.• Prepared budget breakdown spreadsheets.• Problem solving when conflicts arise in the counters.• Evaluated the members of the team.

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  5* Mykonos Luxury Hotel Cavo Tagoo

  May 2010 - Sept 2011

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  South West London Academic, Health and Social Care System at St. George's, University of London

  Jul 2013 - Oct 2014

  Executive Assistant

  • Responsible for proactively managing a range of administrative matters, identifying priority items of business for immediate attention, taking action where possible or suggesting proposals for the Director.• Produced reports and drafted correspondence and committee papers to a high standard.• Organised meetings and venues for the SW London System Board, prepared and distributed agendas and related papers and took formal minutes.• Promoted the activity of the SW London System locally and nationally. Acted as an information exchange - engaged members and identified other useful networks, arranged seminars and events to disseminate good practice and shared the learning from projects and activity supported by the System.• Responsible for updating the SW London System communications tools, edited website, identified appropriate communication strategies, produced communication materials.• Responsible for setting up systems for monitoring financial spend, maintained accurate records and produced financial information. Show less

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  King's College London

  Oct 2014 - now

  • Leading and managing activities on behalf of the Executive Dean, the outcomes of which have a direct impact on the achievement of the faculty’s strategic priorities. • Managing and leading a team of Executive Officers, providing direction, guidance, and support to ensure that the daily operations of the Executive Dean and faculty leadership such as inbox and diary management and associated preparatory activities are managed effectively.• In working closely with the Executive Dean and the faculty’s senior leadership team, use initiative and work proactively to anticipate their requirements. • Providing advice and guidance for the Executive Dean and undertaking a range of value-added activities that provide them with strategic support and assists with decision making. Such as: forward planning; inbox horizon scanning; drafting correspondence; report writing; drafting and preparing briefings and materials; preparing presentations; and presenting management information.• Undertaking research and analyse information to produce succinct, evidence-based reports on a variety of issues, providing options and proposing actions. • Working collaboratively with the faculty’s Executive Board and the faculty leadership team to ensure that faculty priorities are delivered, and Executive decisions are recorded and implemented. • Proactively establishing, building, and maintaining networks and representing the Executive Dean internally and externally, acting as an ambassador and communicating with impact to influence outcomes. • Supporting the development and evolution of the faculty, in actively seeking opportunities for building long-term relationships with stakeholders. • Providing secretariat support for the monthly Executive Board meetings, committees and meetings as required, ensuring that appropriate governance arrangements are in place. • Preparing evaluation documents and reports. Show less • Provided executive support with accuracy and precision to the Heads of Department to enable fulfilment of their academic, research and administrative duties.• Acted with professionalism and as an ambassador for Departments and the Faculty when responded to external enquiries and when liaised with a wide range of colleagues across the university.• Triaged a broad range of time critical and competing issues to help ensure swift resolution, the smooth flow of information and appropriate communications, applied initiative and referred upwards where required.• Acted as a gateway to help manage and protect the time of the Heads of Department, ensured accurate, proactive, and efficient diary management, including the coordination of any appropriate travel arrangements and schedules, anticipated upcoming commitments, and managing any complexities.• Established ownership of administrative processes and systems for the faculty senior team member’s office, ensuring they were efficient, effective and fit for purpose and proactively identified opportunities to improve and simplify processes across a wide range of activities.• Supported the senior team by coordinating activities related to the recruitment of staff, including interview and induction planning.• Ensured project management support for members of the Faculty Senior Team and particularly where Executive members were identified as project sponsors.• Supported HR, Finance, and other business processes in line with King’s guidance and any appropriate regulations, understanding compliance and due process in relation to data, financial management and other internal policies and procedures.• Proactively developed the role and value added to the wider Faculty, contributed to, and promoted ideas that helped to improve business support provision and ways of working.• Ensured team priorities were planned and covered during absences to ensure a consistent high level of professional and continuous service. Show less • Provided efficient and proactive EA support, including diary management, correspondence, travel arrangements, preparation of papers for meetings.• Supported the VP in fulfilling various responsibilities, including the leadership and direction of departments for which the VP was responsible.• Provided background desk research to prepare briefings for the VP’s public presentations and appearances, sourced information as required from administrators, managers, directors and communications staff in the departments for which the VP was responsible.• Analysed and summarised papers, statements and other documents as required, including research findings and policy papers.• Prepared evaluation documents and reports.• Proactively identified and delivered improvements to office and team processes and the services provided by the VP’s Office, ensured they were efficient, effective and fit for purpose and identified opportunities to improve and simplify systems across a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.• Dealt effectively with a wide range of incoming communications via email, telephone and in writing, using judgement and discretion to prioritise and categorise requests and react accordingly.• Supported communications coming from the VP’s office.• Tracked the VP’s meetings, events and projects across a range of criteria for use in annual reporting.• Supported the management and updating of the webpages, drafting copy and preparing briefing notes for blogs and newsletters, and actively engaged in the maintenance of the directorate’s lively social media presence.• Managed expenses, in accordance with university policies and guidelines and adhered to record keeping systems in place within the directorate.• Proof read and checked materials.• Used agreed systems and processes for data management within the directorate. Show less • Coordinated and delivered an audit of university-wide activity with London across the research, education, international and service themes.• Led on data and evidence collection from across faculties, the students’ union and London-facing portal units to inform the university’s understanding of existing relationships with London.• Conducted an independent research project to identify strong case studies of good practice regarding civic engagement in other UK and international universities.• Prepared written reports, data summaries and other analysis to ensure effective reporting to Director, Vice President & Vice Principal and into Senior Management Team.• Supported the production of briefings, letters and printed materials, such as highlight reports, including proof reading all copy. • Ensured that emerging data and evidence were reflected in the London web pages, working with Head of Communications and other key staff.• Established and maintained templates and guidelines to support the efficient running of the London office.• Was the first point of contact, dealing with all incoming communications (email, telephone and in writing).• Managed events related to the London strategic priority (such as annual report launches, workshops and network meetings etc.).• Maintained and updated relevant databases/Dynamics/CRM.• Provided support for the Director, London Engagement including basic administration support (such as management of budgets and diaries). Show less • Co-ordinated arrangements for a variety of meetings, internal and external, including booking venues, assembling appropriate material for meetings, obtaining information and arranging briefings from appropriate staff, chasing important enquiries and other staff input to reports.• Took an active role as a member of a number of committees and working groups associated with the COO, providing secretarial support (co-ordinating agenda, contacting attendees, booking rooms and refreshments, minute taking) and occasional research.• Dealt with correspondence and telephone messages, calls, emails, and report requests, and liaised with a very broad range of both UK and international organisations.• Set up office practices and systems and established working procedures for effective administrative support, managing secure manual and computerised filing systems.• Provided support for all engagements including travel and processing expenses.• Liaised with both internal and external stakeholders with tact and sensitivity and responded to requests for information or assistance, including being the first point of contact for advice regarding complex issues. Exercised initiative to identify creative solutions to novel situations in a timely and professional manner.• Responsible for organising events such as annual away days, including the booking of venues, catering, speakers and ensuring within agreed budgetary constraints.• Proactively managed COO’s diary, adapting to shifting priorities at short notice. Show less

  • Senior Executive Officer

    May 2024 - now

  • Executive Assistant to Head of Department (Chemistry) and Head of Department (Physics)

    Oct 2023 - May 2024

  • Executive Assistant to Vice President, Research & Innovation, Professor Bashir Al-Hashimi

    Jan 2023 - Oct 2023

  • Executive Assistant to Vice President, Research, Professor Reza Razavi

    Jul 2022 - Dec 2022

  • Executive Assistant to Baroness Deborah Bull, Vice President, Communities & National Engagement

    Feb 2017 - Jul 2022

  • London Engagement, Partnerships Audit Coordinator

    Oct 2016 - Feb 2017

  • Executive Assistant to Chief Operating Officer

    Oct 2014 - Oct 2016