CP3 Architecture · Martigny · Valais
Where architecture meets excellence.
01 Contents
Today I have the pleasure of talking to you about the following points.
02 About me
Thirty, from Vernayaz, fourteen years in the same practice.
I joined the practice in 2012 as an administrative assistant, when it still traded as Cittolin Polli, and I grew the role from inside. In 2020 I enrolled in the executive assistant course — on my own initiative, with a friend — to deepen the work I was already doing.
My aim was to acquire more knowledge in the role that I currently perform in my company.
03 My role & my functions
Management assistant. Personal assistant to the director.
- A
Legal management
Acting within the legal framework of the architecture contract, on the client's behalf.
- B
Administrative management
The running of the office, and of the director's own affairs.
- C
One desk, developed year by year
Administrative assistant in 2012; management and personal assistant to the director today — the same practice throughout.
04 Three core tasks
Let me turn now to my three most important tasks.
-
01
Financial monitoring of projects
A very important task of the architecture contract. It is my responsibility to keep the cost tracking up to date, all the time.
-
02
Disputes on construction projects
As the client's representative we must defend the client's interest. I am responsible for intervening, where necessary, on the basis of the legal framework.
-
03
The director's cash flow
Every month I establish the cash flow of his financial assets and those of his company — and highlight any potential liquidity problem.
05 Self-management
How I stay organised, productive and focused.
This method helps me be productive and prevents burnout.
Eisenhower Matrix
Tasks sorted by urgency against importance. The matrix is the overview — deadlines and colour codes at a glance.
Microsoft To‑Do
Every email becomes a listed task, so nothing is overlooked and nothing lives only in the inbox.
Pomodoro
For work that needs real concentration: twenty-five minutes, then a short break.
Email, three times a day
Morning, lunch, evening. Batching the inbox removes the constant interruption and protects the main tasks.
Locked & password-protected
Sensitive documents live in a secure folder only I can access — and stay protected when handled or printed.
06 Strengths
Having covered my technical skills, my key strengths.
- 01
Discretion
First and foremost. All sensitive information handled with the utmost confidentiality — not least the director's cash flow.
- 02
Stress management
Calm under pressure, applying tried-and-tested strategies. I have stood in for my manager at a last-minute client meeting.
- 03
Organisation
A range of tools and methods, used consistently, to hold tasks and deadlines.
- 04
Proactivity
Foreseeing issues before they become problems — anticipating future expenses and the liquidity they will need.
- 05
Availability
For the director and for colleagues alike, whenever needed. They know they can rely on me in an emergency.
07 Areas of improvement
Three areas I am working to improve.
Named openly, because naming them is the first step to fixing them.
- 01
Delegating
With so many responsibilities, delegating would let me concentrate on what matters most — and let colleagues take on more varied roles.
- 02
Boundaries — saying no
I still take on tasks outside my core duties, such as reviewing final invoices. Learning to say no keeps the focus where it belongs.
- 03
Estimating time, and speaking up
I sometimes underestimate how long a task will take. Better time management avoids unnecessary stress — and I am building confidence in new challenges and in group settings.
08 Conclusion
It's a position that lets me support my director and make a meaningful impact.
I still carry a number of tasks from my previous role, and they take time away from my current responsibilities. They have given me valuable experience — but I recognise the need to focus on my main role.
My recent training has given me new skills and knowledge that can be a real asset to the company. Going forward, I plan to delegate the tasks that no longer align with my position, so I can concentrate on my duties as an executive assistant — and make the most of the new expertise I have gained.
09 Colophon
Built from the talk itself, not from notes.
- Source
- A single spoken rehearsal of this presentation, 9 min 04 s. Every sheet here follows its order and its content.
- Transcription
- Whisper
large-v3andlarge-v2run independently and entirely on this machine. Nothing was uploaded. - Reconciliation
- The two transcripts were arbitrated minute by minute, each correction challenged by an adversarial pass, then checked for dropped content against both originals.
- Imagery
- Project photography from CP3 Architecture / CP Groupe. Vernayaz photographed from the Tête-des-Crêtes path above the village.
Resolved & open points
- Resolved — the 2012 company name. Both models heard “Citel Empoli SA”. The practice was founded in 1997 as Cittolin Polli, which became CP3 Architecture — that is what was said.
- Open — “MMS technique”, spoken at 03:02. Both models agree on the sound, but it is not a recognised method; from the sentence that follows it is the email-batching habit, shown here as “Email, three times a day”.
- Open — “Legal manager”, spoken at 01:12. Most likely responsable juridique carried straight into English. Kept as stated.
Sandra Guanziroli · CP3 Architecture Presentation deck · 2026