^{It’s only Q1, yet 2026 is already proving to be a momentous year. International trainer Shelagh Donnelly is joining us from Vancouver, Canada with a clear-eyed look at some of the challenges, priorities and pressures boards and management teams are facing as this year advances. A look at what’s coming our way would be incomplete without paying attention to the inroads agentic AI is projected to make in white collar careers, and how your human intelligence/EQ can differentiate you in a world increasingly steeped in AI.}

^{You’ll learn about something Shelagh calls informed optimism, a practical mindset that served her well over almost three decades in our profession. She spent much of that time working alongside C-level leaders, and was responsible for board/governance operations over the final decade of her office career. It’s Shelagh’s conviction that, the better informed we are, the better positioned we are to navigate career challenges and align our development in order to elevate both personal and career resilience.}

^{Learning Outcomes:}

• ^{Understand board and management priorities, so you can align your development and build acumen where it counts.}
• Anticipate how agentic AI and digital teammates may impact your role, now or in the not too distant future.
• Navigate the evolving workplace with a roadmap of 11 recommendations to elevate your impact, and your personal and career resilience.

Date: Friday 6th February 2026

Time: 12.00PM AEDT

Format: 45-minute webinar + 15-minute live Q&A

Registration: Online registration here (zoom link provided day prior to webinar)

Ticket Prices:

• Members - No charge
• Non-members - $15.00 per person
• ZOOM opens 5 minutes prior to the commencement time

Meet Your Speaker - Shelagh Donnelly:

^{Canadian speaker and trainer Shelagh Donnelly speaks from experience as she equips assistants and leaders to thrive and amplify their value. She’s worked alongside senior executives during economic booms and recessions, a corporate merger and the dissolution of a higher education institution. She spent the last decade of her office career as a governance professional responsible for board operations.}

^{Over the course of almost three decades, Shelagh consistently advocated for and facilitated conferences and other professional development opportunities for assistants. She led multiple initiatives and co-founded internal networks at two workplaces. These networks continue to thrive after a combined total of more than 36 years. Shelagh chaired a national board of directors and further honed her adult learning expertise through formal education.}

^{She founded and has been publishing the globally read Exceptional EA website since 2013, and has presented in person in 11 countries since 2019. Globally, assistants recognise and trust her for her inspiring, insightful training. Known for her healthy sense of humour, Shelagh delivers clarity, perspective and practical strategies that help assistants and leaders navigate change with confidence and perform at a high level.}

Rachel Hall FAIOP

National President