People of Beam Suntory: Jackie Ferrer
People of Beam Suntory: Jackie Ferrer
“Everything I do is for my kids. I’m a divorced, single mother of two and my kids are my motivation, both personally and professionally. Being a single parent can be difficult at times, but when I think about how my father instilled in me to never give up, even when life gets extremely tough, I keep striving and moving forward, which is something that I’ve passed on to my kids.
Growing up, my mother was sick, and my father was busy running his business to support our family, so that catapulted me into a caretaker role at an early age. Through this experience, I learned how to be extremely organized and how to manage people’s day-to-day activities. That’s part of what led me to become an executive assistant (EA). I like taking care of people, and you can learn a lot from the leaders you support.
I’ve been at Beam Suntory for less than a year, but I’ve learned so much in that short time. Coming in as a new person supporting our CEO, Albert Baladi, in an industry I was not familiar with was intimidating at first. But the support I get from the other administrative assistants, and from Albert himself, has been invaluable.
In my time at Beam Suntory, I’ve been able to get hands-on experiences that I never had before, from assisting in planning off-sites for the Executive Leadership team to learning about the industry. This has allowed me to further develop my skillset and expand on my passion for people development.
I think one of the biggest misconceptions about being an EA is that all you do is manage calendars. It’s so much more than that, and it’s a position where you not only have to be personable, but also strategic and deliver on high expectations. Similarly, there are also a lot of misconceptions about being a single mother. I’m working to dispel them, and I’m proud of everything I’ve accomplished and will continue to strive for more – just as my dad taught me.”
- Jackie Ferrer, Executive Administrative Assistant to the CEO, New York City