ROSE M. GARGANO
Woodbridge,Canada
Summary
Professional with strong background in executive support, adept at managing complex schedules, coordinating meetings, and handling confidential information. Highly skilled in communication, organization, and problem-solving, ensuring seamless office operations. Focused on team collaboration and achieving results, adapting flexibly to changing needs and priorities. Dependable and resourceful, consistently delivering high-quality outcomes.
Overview
31
31
years of professional experience
Work History
Executive Assistant, HR Assistant & Event Planner
Jan K. Overweel Limited
10.2014 - 10.2019
- Facilitated communication between president and senior management to support effective leadership and operational efficiency.
- Achieved seamless calendar management and travel coordination for international and domestic trips, enhancing operational efficiency. Delivered well-structured itineraries and expense reports, facilitating effective communication through memos and emails. Successfully organized corporate events, including golf tournaments with around 200 attendees, strengthening client engagement. Prioritized urgent email correspondence and coordinated impactful donations for the company. Fostered relationships with customers, suppliers, and sales representatives through proactive communication. Contributed to board meetings by preparing and transcribing accurate minutes, ensuring clear documentation. Optimized filing systems through efficient e-filing and hard copy management. Supported CFO and HR manager in achieving departmental goals. Provided essential reception relief to ensure smooth office operations.
- Streamlined executive scheduling processes to enhance productivity and ensure effective time management.
- Streamlined communication channels between executives and stakeholders, ensuring timely and accurate information dissemination for improved decision-making.
- Implemented and managed organized filing systems, significantly improving document retrieval processes.
- Developed and managed travel plans, ensuring optimal itineraries that balance convenience and budget considerations.
- Organized and recorded meeting agendas and minutes, promoting accountability and driving completion of assigned action items.
- Processed confidential information while ensuring compliance with privacy standards and protocols.
- Oversaw travel expense and reimbursement processing, ensuring compliance with company policies for executive team and senior management group.
- Coordinated and streamlined executive communication processes, including email management, phone call handling, and appointment organization.
- Coordinated communication efforts between departments to ensure alignment and information flow throughout the company.
- Managed logistics and scheduling for conferences and monthly meetings, ensuring seamless execution.
- Managed comprehensive administrative tasks during board meetings, ensuring accurate agenda preparation and detailed minute documentation.
- Conducted in-depth research to support executives in informed decision-making, delivering findings in organized and accessible formats.
- Designed and polished presentations on behalf of executives, enhancing engagement and understanding for both internal meetings and external conferences.
Legal and Executive Assistant
Lafarge Canada Inc.
03.2014 - 09.2014
- Assisted president and CEO with strategic projects. Supported general counsel and vice president in preparing legal documents. Collaborated with senior counsel and secretary on executive committee initiatives.
- Coordinated calendars and arranged travel for 11 team members. Assisted legal department with document preparation and meeting agenda creation. Supported logistics for off-site events and communicated with international colleagues and stakeholders. Prepared and shared meeting notes and action items from executive committee meetings. Organized legal files and managed subscriptions while processing accounts and expenses for payment. Revised presentations and communicated on behalf of the president to the company.
Senior Legal Assistant
McMillan LLP (formerly Lang Michener LLP)
01.2009 - 2014
- Delivered comprehensive support on short and long-term legal assignments, enhancing departmental efficiency in employment law, banking, finance, franchising, and competition law.
- Oversaw file management, calendar coordination, and arranged conference calls while liaising with high-profile international clients and court personnel.
Senior Executive Legal Assistant
Goodmans LLP
01.2004 - 01.2009
- Facilitated successful outcomes for partner business law executive committee through effective collaboration. Achieved consensus on key legal strategies that advanced organizational objectives. Strengthened relationships among committee members to enhance overall performance.
- Achieved efficient communication through precise drafting and revision of correspondence and documents. Enhanced workflow by prioritizing urgent emails and managing related tasks effectively. Improved file management and calendar organization to support operational efficiency. Elevated client engagement by coordinating successful events and liaising with high-profile international clients and court personnel. Facilitated effective communication among boards of directors through organized conference calls. Delivered well-prepared agendas and materials for board meetings. Maintained comprehensive document briefs and produced accurate court reports. Organized exhibits and arranged seamless travel logistics. Optimized conference call arrangements and ensured accurate docket entries and account processing.
Senior Legal Assistant, HR Team Representative
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
01.1998 - 01.2004
- Assisted partner and national departmental chair in project coordination. Supported team efforts to achieve departmental goals. Collaborated with stakeholders to facilitate communication and workflow.
- Assisted in drafting correspondence, pleadings, and memoranda. Supported preparation of expense reports and managed filing systems. Helped maintain document briefs and organized exhibits for court reports. Reviewed incoming correspondence to assess urgency and relevant dates for scheduling. Aided in calendar management and implemented organizational systems. Drafted responses to audit inquiries and coordinated with international clients while maintaining confidentiality. Arranged travel logistics and entered dockets. Facilitated conference calls and prepared marketing proposals for clients. Maintained client database and organized events for conferences and clients. Acted as HR team representative for department assistants by coordinating issues with human resources. Resolved team member issues and escalated concerns to supervisors when necessary. Mentored new hires through job shadowing experiences. Participated in focus groups to redefine assistant job descriptions and performance evaluations. Troubleshot technical problems within the department.
Senior Legal Assistant
Lang Michener LLP
01.1993 - 01.1998
- Collaborated with partner on complex commercial litigation cases.
- Assisted in drafting correspondence and court documents. Supported coordination of service and filing of documents. Aided in summarizing transcripts and preparing lists of undertakings and refusals. Attended court sessions to take notes. Collaborated with clients to commission affidavits. Helped with trial preparation and met strict court deadlines. Reviewed incoming correspondence to assess urgency and diarized relevant dates. Implemented organizational systems for efficiency. Coordinated law clerk reviews and managed calendars. Entered dockets and processed accounts. Prepared marketing proposals for clients among other responsibilities.
Legal Assistant
Gowlings LLP
01.1989 - 01.1993
- Assisted in drafting legal correspondence and pleadings. Compiled affidavits and maintained litigation database. Summarized transcripts and prepared lists of undertakings and refusals. Met court deadlines consistently. Communicated with international clients regularly. Organized service and filing of legal documents. Supported collection of outstanding accounts receivables for department. Entered dockets and processed accounts efficiently.
Education
Bachelor of Arts Degree - Social Sciences, Geography
York University
Toronto, ONLegal Assistant Diploma - undefined
Shaw Colleges
Toronto, ONGrade 12 Diploma - undefined
Downsview Secondary School
Toronto, ONSkills
- Achieved typing speed of 120 words per minute, facilitating rapid transcription and information processing
- Achieved a keyboarding speed of 90 words per minute, facilitating efficient data entry and documentation
Languages
English: Fluent
Italian: Fluent
French: Limited
Timeline
Executive Assistant, HR Assistant & Event Planner
Jan K. Overweel Limited
10.2014 - 10.2019
Legal and Executive Assistant
Lafarge Canada Inc.
03.2014 - 09.2014
Senior Legal Assistant
McMillan LLP (formerly Lang Michener LLP)
01.2009 - 2014
Senior Executive Legal Assistant
Goodmans LLP
01.2004 - 01.2009
Senior Legal Assistant, HR Team Representative
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
01.1998 - 01.2004
Senior Legal Assistant
Lang Michener LLP
01.1993 - 01.1998
Legal Assistant
Gowlings LLP
01.1989 - 01.1993
Legal Assistant Diploma - undefined
Shaw Colleges
Grade 12 Diploma - undefined
Downsview Secondary School
Bachelor of Arts Degree - Social Sciences, Geography
York University