Jennifer Cuppers-Smith

Executive Technology Assistant at Brainport Development | Strategic Partnership & Management Support | Native in English, Dutch & Afrikaans

Geldrop, North Brabant, Netherlands

About

I am an intrinsically motivated, proactive and positive professional with the endurance to “run the race.” With a strong sense of responsibility and loyalty, I thrive as a valued team member and sparring partner, contributing ideas and solutions with energy and commitment. Professionalism, client focus, and accuracy guide my work, while my attention to detail ensures consistently high-quality results. I anticipate needs before being asked, taking initiative to deliver value and support colleagues and management alike. Tactful and sensitive in stakeholder management, I build constructive relationships that foster collaboration. Inspired by teamwork, problem solving and possitive energy, I approach every challenge with dedication and my guiding motto: Plan slowly to act quickly. Open to the following positions: Executive Assistant | Senior Management Assistant | Personal Assistant | Executive Secretary | Office Manager

Experience

  • Executive Technology Assistant at Brainport Development
    Oct 2025 - Present · 9 mos

    • Plan and monitor complex calendars and coordinate appointments efficiently. • Manage inboxes, filter priorities, and assign actions in a timely manner. • Prepare meetings and appointments and ensure all required documents are available. • Draft action lists and monitor the follow-up of agreed tasks. • Organize practical matters such as expense claims, overviews, cards, and team activities. • Maintain oversight of ongoing matters and create structure and calm, even under high pressure. • Anticipate needs and proactively signal what is required to optimally support management and the team. • Support the Lead Innovation & Technology in daily operations and act as a sparring partner. • Safeguard discretion and accuracy in handling confidential information and processes.

  • Philips (Hybrid)
    • Business Support Officer
      Jan 2023 - Oct 2025 · 2 yrs 10 mos

      • Created and maintained projects in Clarity/Planisware and SAP tools to ensure accurate project tracking. • Generated sales orders to enable timely monthly invoicing for internal and external clients. • Prepared quotations in Salesforce to support business development and client engagement. • Liaised with business partners to review and discuss the financial status of ongoing projects. • Issued monthly invoices for internal and external clients, resolving exceptions in consultation with business partners.

    • Executive Assistant (Senior Vice President - Innovation Manager)
      Jan 2001 - Jan 2023 · 22 yrs 1 mo

      • Provided professional support and acted as sparring partner to the Innovation Program Manager, handling sensitive, complex, and highly confidential information. • Demonstrated a high level of flexibility, responsibility, and discretion in all tasks and communications. • Proactively and independently managed requirements to enable the manager to perform effectively. • Oversaw lean agenda management, coordinated travel plans and arrangements (including visas), processed expenses, filtered emails, organized events, meetings, and conferences, and managed department purchase orders. • Solved operational challenges by sharing observations, questioning the status quo, and driving efficiency and lean ways of working within the department. • In my role I was responsible for communicating with international stakeholders and for organizing and facilitating off site’s, high-level meetings, annual meeting schedules and customer visits across Europe, Asia and the USA. This allowed me to apply my language skills at a professional, high-impact level in complex international environments. • As a native speaker of English, Dutch, and Afrikaans, I use my language skills as a bridge in international environments, easily connecting people, cultures, and perspectives. Achievements : Identified inefficiencies in organizing recurring project success events and developed a comprehensive checklist to ensure no steps were overlooked. Shared the tool across the organization, reducing preparation time, minimizing errors, and establishing a standardized protocol now used by multiple teams and updated collaboratively. Highlight: Asked to do voiceovers as native English speaker for: - Training modules: eg. Claims management Learning – part of Philips University Trainings (three modules). - Voice overs done for various Research project – some demo’s incl. voiceovers used during international conferences: eg. CES (USA – Las Vegas)

  • SANS Fibres (City of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa)
    • Personal Assistant to Technology Director
      1998 - 2000 · 2 yrs

    • Department Secretary (Manufacturing Capability Technology Department)
      1996 - 1998 · 2 yrs

      Personal Assistant to the Technology Director and New Product Development Managers Department Secretary (with an Assistant) to the Manufacturing Capability Technology Department.

    • Department Secretary (Apparel Business Unit)
      1994 - 1996 · 2 yrs

      Personal Assistant to the Apparel Business Unit Manager Department Secretary (with an Assistant) to the Apparel Business Unit.