PA PROFILE DRESSING UP AND DANCING IS NOT USUALLY
PART OF A PA’S ARSENAL OF SKILLS, BUT IT DOES LEAD TO OVERSEAS ADVENTURES, AS SARAWAK CONVENTION
BUREAU’S ELYNNIE DOMINIC JAY TELLS LOUIS ALLEN...
ON HER TOES
DRESSING UP in traditional costume to dance for a promotion with “zero skills” as a dancer has been one of the more unusual assignments (albeit voluntary) for Sarawak Conven- tion Bureau executive assistant Elynnie Dominic Jau. “If people think being PA is boring, then I would say they
are wrong,” she says in her introduction on the bureau’s web- site (
www.sarawakcb.com). “Most PAs would just sit and man the office for their bosses, but for me I get to do more than that here ... With excellent office culture coupled with a supporting boss, being a PA is rewarding and gets me to travel around – beyond what I ever dreamed of.” On Borneo Island, Sarawak Con-
vention Bureau was established by the Malaysian state’s government in 2006 to boost the region’s profile in the international meetings, corporate events, conventions and exhibition market. To date, the bureau has supported 193 convention bids repre- senting 87,809 delegates and 325,840 delegate days, and has won eight international awards for its marketing as well as promo- tional videos. Jau’s role involves supporting the bureau’s board of direc-
take her in such an interesting direction. From Miri, the second largest city in the northern part of Sarawak and the birthplace of Malaysia’s petroleum industry (see page 32), she accepted a government scholarship to pursue her tertiary education in Australia under the AUSMAT program. “Because of the global financial crisis then, unfortunately the
You need to be serious while having fun and vice- versa, all at the same time
government decided to halt the program so I had to finish my degree at a private university in West Malaysia. Interestingly, I obtained a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, a far cry from my current role. But I must admit it has been really helpful in grasping concepts quickly when new technology or software is introduced.” Before joining the bureau as a
personal assistant, her first job was as a personal secretary to the managing director of a construction company. “Honestly, I did think of working as
an executive assistant when in high school, but ended up choosing an IT
tors and committees as well as the managing director, plus liaise with the government. Her original boss was CEO Robin Henry, herself a former PA, and now her immediate boss is Mike Cannon, who came aboard this year as managing director after being executive director of the Association of Australian Convention Bureaux. After gaining an IT degree, Jau did not expect her life would
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course as it was the most popular then. Being in the tourism industry was also on my wish list, and I tried my best to answer the state government job ads when they were setting up the bureau in 2006. Somehow I had faith in getting the job. Now, I’m really happy that my wish has been fulfilled – I am both a secretary and working in the tourism industry. “I look up to my previous CEO, Jill Henry as a role-model
– she started out as a PA but didn’t let that stop her from mov- ing up and becoming a well-known identity in the business events field. Thus, I myself am curious as to where I will end up in years to come.”
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