As we ease in to 2020 & welcome the new decade, we are keenly aware of many changes surrounding us.
Following the landslide victory of the Conservative Party in the General election just before Christmas 2019; we are now on course to leave the EU by the end of January 2020. With uncertainty abound with regards what this will entail for all of the UK; we are mindful of the need to carry on with our business needs & focus on a successful outcome for everyone.
Over the past two years, Helena Parrott – Director & VA for Virtually Smart Ltd has been supporting Dolphin N2, a spin out company from Ricardo PLC. Just before Christmas 2019, FPT Industrial, the global powertrain brand of CNH Industrial, acquired 100% of Dolphin N2 & the startup company moved forward in to 2020 with secure investment for their game changing & disruptive CryoPower split cycle powertrain technology.
Helena Parrott VA has been an essential & core part of the Dolphin N2 team since it’s inception & has supported Simon Brewster – CEO, Nick Owen – Technical Director, Benjamin West – Operations Manager & the rest of the Dolphin N2 team, with a wide array of Executive Support needs.
As we move in to 2020 with the Dolphin N2 team forging ahead, we take some time to review the vast array of support Helena Parrott VA & Associate VA Katy-Jane have given the Dolphin N2 team over the past few years.
Below is a list exploring some of the support Helena Parrott VA & Director of Virtually Smart Ltd has given to the Dolphin N2 team.
Executive Support
Helena Parrott VA has supported the Dolphin N2 team from the beginning with all of their administration & business support needs. From diary & email management, to everyday business support solutions, to filing expenses, acting on purchasing requests, organising membership for various organisations & any other Executive Support & Business Support needs as the team require them.
International Travel & Itineraries
The Dolphin N2 team require considerable travel/hotel bookings & VISA arrangements to be made, as they attend various key meetings & events, both nationally & internationally.
Helena Parrott VA ensures that all of the relevant VISA’s are in place & gives the team assistance with cultural advise, dependant on where they are travelling. Every booking comes along with a full itinerary for each traveller, in both digital & physical printed format.
Despite us living in a digital age, there have been times when international digital access has been difficult & therefore the team are greatly appreciative of a physical itinerary. In addition, Helena Parrott VA is always on hand while the team are attending international events & seminars in case their needs change while they are abroad.
Meetings
Helena Parrott VA arranges meetings both of a national & international nature, using either physical meeting spaces, or video conferencing platforms. Helena Parrott VA is in constant contact with the Dolphin N2 team on an individual basis, but also attends Video Conferences weekly to support the teams needs.
Patents
During the Dolphin N2 spin out process, Helena Parrott VA was asked to support the patent process for the Dolphin N2 technologies. This not only entailed considerable legal paperwork options, but also physical movement of documents by Helena Parrott VA, to ensure the patent paperwork was physically delivered, monitored & approved in a secure fashion.
Contracts
Helena Parrott VA support’s the recruitment process, orientates new starters, helps them get up to speed & trains them on internal systems. In addition, Helena Parrott VA liaises directly with agencies & prospective employees on behalf of the team, to ensure the recruitment process runs smoothly & efficiently.
Policy Presentation & Writing
During the lead up to the spin out from Ricardo, Helena Parrott VA was tasked with writing & implementing policies & procedures to help the Dolphin N2 team move forward, become autonomous & Helena Parrott VA ensured that all the regulatory policies required for the spin out were legally sound.
Event Management
Helena Parrott VA has been responsible for arranging various events on behalf of the Dolphin N2. In May 2019, Helena Parrott VA was responsible for the event management for The Institute of Diesel & Gas Turbine Engineers (IDGTE) as they attended a seminar at the Ricardo Centenary Centre, Shoreham, to explore the Dolphin N2 project.
Data presentations
Helena Parrott VA ensures that the Dolphin N2’s data sets required for the investors are prepared on a weekly basis & that any relevant notes are prepared in advance of the regular meetings the Dolphin N2 team have.
IT & facilities requests
Helena Parrott VA supports the team with IT, equipment & facilities requests & follows up to ensure works are completed. During the spin out from Ricardo, Dolphin N2 have had several presentations from IT companies & all of the research, set up of presentations & meetings have been organised & instigated by Helena Parrott VA for the Dolphin N2 team.
Content Writing & Social Media
Katy-Jane Associate VA has been Content Writer/Researcher/Social Media Manager for Dolphin N2 since September 2018. In that time Katy-Jane has written & accrued a considerable library of blogs & articles for the Dolphin N2 team website, seeking to create a balance between writing about the Dolphin N2 team’s news & tapping in to the international environmental & climate science advances, technologies & climate related news stories.
This list is not exhaustive & Helena Parrott VA has such a vast array of skills which she supports the Dolphin N2 team with, this represents a snapshot of the support options she has in place for the team.
Helena Parrott VA recently spoke about her flexible approach to working alongside Dolphin N2
“By acting independently & supporting the team in the background, I continue to embellish upon & strengthen my existing skills. I’m very adaptable though, so pretty much whatever they ask I can get done. As the team are so busy, I often use my own initiative to make decisions for them & am given carte blanch to do so by the team.” Helena Parrott – Director/VA Virtually Smart Ltd
The Dolphin N2 team have the final say when asked if they could say a few words about the support network Helena Parrott VA provides for them:
Benjamin West – Operations Manager, Dolphin N2. “Helena brings a wealth of experience in managing aspects including: event management, recruitment, SAP data entry queries, expenses, booking travel… the list goes on. This is my first time working with a virtual assistant- (i.e. not co-located) and it suits our working pattern since we are all have a certain amount of travel and Helen is only a call/ mail away. Helena has a good attention to detail and it is reassuring to know that we have someone so capable working in the background.”
Nick Owen – Technical Director Dolphin N2 “Very efficient and anticipates my needs well. Couldn’t ask for more!”
