Tim Pearce is a male rarity in the PA world, but it is not a distinction that worries him: “I am aware that people are sometimes taken aback, but I see no reason why men should not make good PAs. I get a lot of job satisfaction in enabling my boss to do his job more effectively. I also believe that a PA role can evolve, as my own has.”

Tim is PA to Patrick Doyle, chief executive officer of Syntaxin, which came out of the Health Protection Agency at Porton Down, Wiltshire, which now has headquarters in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Syntaxin, a biotech firm, researches new medicines, including Botox, to treat chronic diseases.

Tim’s path to being a PA was unconventional. He grew up in Wiltshire and took a degree at the London College of Fashion. He has worked in the London fashion scene, selling Gucci and Louis Vuitton goods, and at one point was a personal shopper. He also worked on Wallpaper* magazine as PA to its publisher Alasdhair Willis, a period he describes as one of fun, chaos and unpredictability.

A stint as PA in a London advertising agency followed, before Tim moved back to Salisbury, his home city, to join a creative agency where he was researcher and office manager. Then he joined Syntaxin, where his boss says: “Tim is completely dependable. He is more than your everyday PA, being totally trustworthy and always one step ahead. Sometimes, it feels that he is thinking for me. Tim’s role is developing fast, from PA to investor relations — an opportunity I know he will relish.” Tim says that he loves his job: “It’s exciting, vibrant, fast-paced, and priorities change all the time. The biotech sector was new to me but my background has been useful. I was given the job of overhauling the brand’s corporate image, including the logo, new business cards, stationery templates and website. We won two awards. I’m also responsible for HR — another new area for me.

“Patrick trusts me and is happy to delegate to me in his absence. Whether I have to attend meetings, take minutes, take part in conference calls or respond to contacts on his behalf, I can be trusted with sensitive and confidential information.

“As his PA, I’m the linchpin of the office. People treat me as their confidant. It’s very rewarding to be regarded as an essential part of the company.”

And Tim’s touch-typing isn’t bad either, at 55 words a minute.

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