MEET YOUR VIRTUAL ASSISTANT TEAM
Emma founded Athena Business Support to help businesses and their owners in taking control of their time throughout the day. By taking care of a range of administrative tasks, we relieve the pressure on you, allowing you the headspace to focus on growing your business.
EMMA PORTER
FOUNDER & VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
Emma’s career has been varied, starting with a 2:1 degree in Management and Business Administration from The University of Reading. Following uni, Emma went on to work in a range of office-based agency roles, growing her skills in account management, project coordination and client relations.
For the past seven years, Emma’s built her Virtual Assistant business, now branded as Athena Business Support. The success of the business has recently allowed us to expand, and we’re thrilled to be a growing team.
While Emma’s early roles gave a good foundation for becoming a Virtual Assistant, Emma’s taught herself many of the key skills clients have come to rely on. From bookkeeping to website management, fleet coordination to HR and payroll, there’s not much Emma can’t do!
“I thrive on helping my clients grow their businesses by taking away those time-consuming tasks that aren't where their skill sets lie. Knowing that I can help someone’s business flourish and grow keeps me going. I also enjoy portraying a strong female role model to my two young boys.”
FLORA EDGAR
VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
After leaving school, Flora completed a Level 3 Apprenticeship in Business Administration while working for an education provider. After completing her apprenticeship, Flora took on many roles within the business, with a strong focus on Administration, including recruitment, email management and website updates.
The next step of Flora’s career was to run the Adult Skills department, managing a team of seven to coordinate courses, liaise with shareholders, manage government contracts and bids, and report on budgets.
The move to work with Emma as a Virtual Assistant was the next natural step, in 2023. With so many transferable skills, Flora’s been honing and expanding her skills, supporting across a range of tasks for our clients. She’s also been developing her natural creative flair, supporting clients with social media management and copywriting.
“By taking away the everyday tasks that take up business owners’ time, we help our clients to focus on moving their businesses forward. I really enjoy building new relationships with our clients, and being able to offer them an array of business support to suit them.”
ALICE BARRETT-LLOYD
VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
Alice’s career began as a Personal Assistant to a Marketing Director and quickly progressed into a marketing career, highlighted by her CIM qualification. With thirteen years of experience in marketing across financial services, tech, travel, and med comms, Alice has honed her skills in content creation, event management, the full marketing mix, administration, organisation, and system and process building.
Alice’s career encompasses both in-house and agency experience, working with stakeholders at all levels, including C-suite executives. Her expertise extends to PLC and board-level engagements, demonstrating her ability to navigate complex corporate environments.
Enthusiastic about bringing order to businesses, Alice thrives on tackling the tasks that hold teams back, enabling them to focus on their core responsibilities and drive success.
“I love being a virtual assistant because it allows me to bring organisation into a business and tackle the tasks that hinder teams. Enabling others to focus on their core responsibilities and drive success is incredibly rewarding, especially when I'm able to use my diverse marketing experience and organisational skills to do so.”
izzy short
VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
Izzy began her career in media and advertising, developing a strong interest in Insight. With over 18 years of experience, she expanded into marketing in 2012. For the past decade, as a Marketing and Insight Manager, she led impactful trade marketing and insight strategies, from building brand awareness to managing websites and coordinating campaigns.
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She excels in analysing data, conducting research, and creating engaging brand content. Her strong interpersonal skills have helped her build valuable relationships with media, agencies, stakeholders, and suppliers.
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Izzy is committed to continuous learning, holding an NCTJ Level 3 Certificate in Journalism and completing Marketing Week’s Mini MBA. Her diverse skills and dedication make her a key asset to the Athena team!
“Working as a Virtual Assistant allows me to leverage all the skills I've developed over the years in marketing, insights, and media. I love the flexibility and variety it offers, and it’s incredibly rewarding to support clients in achieving their goals while building strong, collaborative relationships."
SPOTTED A YOU-SHAPED SPACE
AT ATHENA?
We’re keen to hear from people who are interested in joining the Athena team. Maybe you’re already a Virtual Assistant looking to expand your client base. Or perhaps you’re right at the start of your Virtual Assistance career, with admin experience and looking for a route in. Reach out for a chat, we’d love to hear from you.