Testimonials

“Shorthand continues to be a rare but exceptional talent amongst Executive Assistants globally. During the recent Rio Tinto Alcan merger, transcripts from shorthand notes prepared by Tanya Battel, of staff addresses made by the Rio Tinto Alcan CEO and myself in Australia were available to staff who were absent from the workplace at the time but keen to be kept updated with the progress of the new Rio Tinto Alcan and the information given to staff. I fully endorse the notion by Tanya Battel to teach this unique skill to our young and upcoming Executive Assistants."

Jean-Christophe Deslarzes
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Rio Tinto Alcan, Montreal

"As an Executive, the ability to quickly relay the tasks of the day, important action items and the content of communications and reports and have this recorded in shorthand immediately proves extremely beneficial to the busy Executive in terms of time. Whilst shorthand may be regarded by some as a skill of the past, it is certainly alive and worthy of promotion to the modern day Executive Assistant."

Alistair Field
Chief Operating Officer, Pacific
Rio Tinto Alcan, Brisbane

"Tanya's use of shorthand to quickly record important messages and tasks proved invaluable in her role as my Executive Assistant. I was also amazed to watch the pages of scribble transform into the precise and accurate records that underpin the content of our Management Meetings and addresses to staff, etc.”

Kurt Thurnherr
President - Pacific Operations
Alcan South Pacific 

Tanya worked as my Personal Assistant for 7 years – her first Personal Assistant role, after a long, impressive history as an International Court Reporter. It was obvious that Tanya’s commercial background, abilities and professional approach to every aspect of Office Management were going to result in a successful future career path. Her exceptional shorthand talent, in particular, proved extremely advantageous for me personally in terms of managing the day to day business operations of the Company.

I have remained apprised of Tanya’s career to date and wish Tanya every success in her own business. I commend her initiative to mentor the Personal Assistants of the future, sharing her vast knowledge and
experience, especially her in depth knowledge of shorthand.

Patrick Gay
Chairman
Gay Group of Comanies

Shorthand is obviously a tool still used by many of Brisbane's Senior Executive Assistant Community. I have no doubt that Tanya Battel's ability to efficiently transcribe the shorthand notes of complex Management meetings into meaningful records was attributable to her exceptional shorthand skills. On a personal note, the use of shorthand in Management Meetings proves far less distracting than the sound of a laptop keyboard being used!"

James Gillard
General Manager Trading
Arcadia Energy Trading

Lee Rigg
PA to Partners
PricewaterhouseCoopers, Brisbane

“As Managing Director of a Company that is growing from strength to strength, time really is of the essence. My previous and current Executive Assistant both use Pitman Shorthand and this has proven to be an essential skill that I would find difficult to lose. The speed with which my ideas and workloads, are dealt ensure that my time is used efficiently. Definitely a skill that gives those who use it the edge at senior management level.”

Avraam Solomon
Managing Director
Solomon Food Group

“As a Pitman Shorthand Tutor myself at TAFE some years ago, I appreciate only too well the benefits of Pitman Shorthand, not only for Personal/Executive Assistants, but for all Office Personnel and many others, all too numerous to mention (e.g. Journalists, University Students, etc.) I commend Tanya Battel on her efforts to re-introduce this remarkable skill into the Workplace. Tanya was well-known and highly regarded within Alcan circles for her professionalism and outstanding ability as a Senior Executive Assistant. She has a great deal to offer as a Mentor / Coach to anyone contemplating a Senior Executive Assistant Career. Our Administration Staff here at Gove were treated to an extremely motivational morning when Tanya visited the site in October of last year to share her diverse experience with us whilst also offering sound advice for career opportunities as an Executive Assistant.”

Lee Peters
Human Resources Advisor
Alcan -Gove

Tanya was my Personal Assistant at Greenslopes Private Hospital.  In that time she demonstrated all the traits essential to such a position in a very busy, often hectic work setting. Tanya had a number of strengths:  diligence, organisation, reliability and a very strong work ethic. Tanya also had other qualities that endeared her to all she encountered. Hospitals have a way of putting people on edge, Tanya had a way of relaxing them. Tanya was highly regarded by her superiors, peers and subordinates.

Robert Glynn
Chief Executive Officer
Greenslopes Private Hospital

"Tanya is a talented individual who is not only highly technically competent in organising and managing busy business environments for demanding senior executives; she is also very people orientated. I worked with Tanya at Ergon Energy as a Culture and Change Manager and found her to be diligent and precise in her work and also very warm and friendly to everyone that she met. I am so pleased that Tanya has decided to share her expertise and experience with other up and coming EA's. I am sure that you will not only learn a great deal from Tanya but also enjoy the experience."

Shellie King
Change Manager  Ergon Energy

"My time with Tanya amounts to 8 hours in the flesh, 8 hours on the phone and over 18 emails. I have stumbled upon a resource and a new friend with more information than a Google search and better advice than my Mum. As a mentor there is no other choice."

Cassie MaCallister
Administrator - Corporate Services

Leighton Contractors - Sydney

"I became the Executive Assistant to the CEO and Office Manager of Equigroup in June of last year.  Six months into the role my boss, as part of his KPI (Key Performance Indicator) requirements started looking for a mentor and I decided that I, very much, would like (and needed) one too.

I'm based in Sydney and surprisingly there simply wasn't anyone in town who could give me the personalised service that I so desperately desired. That was until I found Tanya Battel of Elite EA's (based in Brisbane).  From from the moment we spoke on the phone, I knew I was in excellent hands. Tanya's welcoming, friendly demure and passion for the job got me straight away, I instantly felt at total ease and this was a sign of a great teacher to me.

The program that Tanya runs is exceptional, from her tips on organising yourself, how to organise your boss (without them noticing too much), to her tips on office politics, office conflicts, how to handle change, work place etiquette and ethics. I feel that what I have learnt from Tanya will not only make me a shine that much brighter as an EA but as a human being too. I would recommend that the topics Work Place Attitudes, Conflict In The Workplace, Workplace Etiquette, Corporate Presentation & Professionalism, Process & Systems and Communication be part of every induction program for every employee across every industry, it's that universally brilliant!

I would like to thank Tanya so very much for sharing some of her wisdom with me."

Donna Hayword
EA to CEO
Equigroup Pty Ltd - Sydney

"Tanya, I found your Mentoring Course for Office Professionals very relaxed & easy to participate in, whilst remaining professional too (if that makes sense!)  I found you very clear & easy to follow & I appreciated your warm personality.  I appreciated you sharing your personal knowledge & history with us - very inspiring.  I found the 'people' stuff very useful, especially the tips on dealing with conflict resolution!  I appreciated you sending us the templates that make office life more efficient and for following up on everything you said you would.

Yvette Rigney
Office Services

Leighton Contractors - Sydney


“Tanya provided a high level of reliability to the Executive General Manager, Retail at Ergon Energy – an extremely busy and hectic environment, managing a variety of competing interests during a period of significant flux. Tanya was known for her professionalism and for being an outstanding Executive Assistant. Tanya is very down-to-earth and has the ability to build a rapport with individuals from the Mailroom to the Boardroom. Delighted to hear she has started her own business teaching Pitman Shorthand and offering Mentoring Services to other PAs and EAs - You'll learn from the best.”

Stephen Goyen
Commercial Development Manager
Ergon Energy Pty Ltd

Excellent... one of the most efficient people I have ever worked with. Importantly though, Tanya could galvanise diverse teams with her quick wit, positive outlook and her good old British humour. I thoroughly recommend Tanya to any business looking to engage a Mentor and Guide for Office Professionals.”

Mark Henderson
Management Consultant
4Impact Contracting and Careers

“I had the pleasure of working with Tanya on many projects whilst she was EA to our President and Vice-President. Tanya is an extremely efficient EA with a unbelievable ability to transcribe using shorthand. In my experience her ability is unparalleled. I have no doubt that she will make an excellent tutor in this area and an extremely positive mentor for young people seeking a career as PA or EA.”

Holly DeRooy
Communications Advisor
Alcan Australia

“I worked with Tanya here at Alcan for a period of a year. During this time it became quite obvious that Tanya had the respect of her peers and superiors and is a professional operator with a broad skill set built up over her career. Whether it was dealing with general enquiries or organising corporate events involving Senior Executives, she dealt with both in the same professional manner.”

Matt Maddison
Mobilisation & Recruitment Leader
Alcan Australia

"I first became acquainted with Tanya Battel in October 2007 when, as Executive Assistant to the President and Vice President of Alcan Australia, she expressed an interest in Alcan supporting my work in Cambodia. It was obvious that Tanya was an exceptionally busy lady in her role, yet she found the time to coordinate and raise the grand sum of $20,000 with her Alcan peers. Along the way I got to know Tanya personally and truly believe she is a woman with the highest integrity; she delivers what she promises and every interaction is carried out in the most professional way. I was delighted to learn that she has directed her talents towards her own business teaching Pitman Shorthand and also Mentoring PAs and EAs. As an Executive Assistant myself, spending many years working with the Foreign Office in Australia and overseas, I am aware of the skill base required to provide exceptional Executive Assistant support for busy Executives. As for the Shorthand - I learned Pitman Shorthand myself years ago and not one day goes by when I do not use it. For those of you interested in learning Shorthand and having the opportunity to learn from an ex Court Reporter/Executive Assistant - you've found the best around!"

Geraldine Cox
President
The Australia-Cambodia Foundation