Empowering people. Supporting businesses. Creating opportunity.

SmartPA strongly believes that when people are supported, organisations perform better.

We provide professional virtual assistant services and outsourced business support that help organisations operate more efficiently while creating meaningful career opportunities for the people who deliver that support.

Today, SmartPA is an international community of PA, admin and automation professionals working across the UK, South Africa, and worldwide, supporting organisations of every size — from sole traders and charities to growing SMBs and global corporate teams.

Our purpose is to help people and organisations thrive.

View our services

Our story: a people-first business built on opportunity.

SmartPA was founded in 2008 by Sarra Bejaoui.

Sarra began her career working as a receptionist at just 16 years old. From the front desk she saw first-hand how essential administrative professionals are to the smooth running of organisations yet how often their contribution is overlooked.

She saw the talent, ambition and resilience within the profession along with the lack of clear career pathways available to many people in administrative roles.

SmartPA was created to change that.

Sarra’s vision was to build a business that recognised the value of administrative professionals while delivering exceptional support to the organisations they serve.

Today SmartPA has grown into an international organisation with professionals across the UK and South Africa, united by a shared purpose: creating opportunity, building careers and helping businesses succeed.

Our mission. Unlocking potential.

Opportunity changes lives.

Our mission is to unlock potential, particularly for young people and women around the world.

We believe access to skills, education and opportunity can transform lives. When people are given the right support and encouragement, they can build careers, businesses and realise possibilities that once felt out of reach.

Through our training programmes, partnerships and employment pathways, SmartPA aims to create opportunities that allow people to develop professionally, build confidence and shape meaningful careers while setting the standard for the future of the industry.

Meet the leadership team

Behind SmartPA is a leadership team that believes strongly in opportunity, collaboration and building a business with lasting impact.

Sarra Bejaoui

Sarra Bejaoui - Founder & CEO

Sarra founded SmartPA with a vision to build a business that creates meaningful career opportunities while delivering exceptional administrative support to organisations.

Under her leadership, SmartPA has grown into an international community of professionals across the globe.

Sarra continues to shape the company’s strategy and culture, championing opportunities for people to grow their skills, confidence and careers.

Contact Sarra

Andrew Wright - Co-founder & Director

Andrew is Co-founder of SmartPA and is proud to lead SmartPA on our mission to transform the way businesses handle admin and business support, while driving meaningful impact through strong ESG values.

As a leader, Andrew is committed to building an organisation that delivers both commercial success and positive change, creating inclusive opportunities for women and young people, and championing ESG at the heart of how we operate.

Contact Andrew

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Mags McPherson - Executive Chair

Mags provides strategic guidance and governance for SmartPA.

She works closely with the leadership team to support the company’s continued growth while ensuring the organisation remains grounded in its purpose and long-term vision.

Contact Mags

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Jo Styles - Chief Commercial Officer

Jo leads SmartPA’s commercial strategy and client partnerships.

Her focus is on building strong relationships with organisations and ensuring SmartPA continues to evolve alongside the changing needs of modern businesses.

Contact Jo

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Clayre Campbell - Finance Director

Clayre ensures SmartPA grows sustainably, with strong financial foundations and a focus on measurable impact.

She believes finance is more than numbers -it's about enabling better decisions, building resilience, and creating real growth opportunities.

Contact Clayre

Murray Bremner

Murray Bremner - Non-Exec Director

Murray brings over two decades of senior financial leadership to the SmartPA board, having spent 23 years as a Managing Director at JP Morgan.

He is now Co-founder and Director of HIT Recognition, a wearable sports technology company, where he leads investor and commercial strategy.

Murray's experience across global finance and early-stage ventures makes him a strong strategic voice as SmartPA scales.

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Stuart Wallace - Non-Exec Director

Stuart is an experienced Executive, Non-Executive and Board Chair, with a track record in transformation, change, turnaround and governance.

He is a senior leader in professional services with over 25 years experience in taxation and leading large, complex multi disciplinary teams through change and transformation.

Social impact and CSR. Creating opportunities that last.

SmartPA believes businesses have a responsibility to create positive impact beyond commercial success.

At our core, we believe development is a powerful tool for empowerment and long-term economic growth. We focus on expanding access to skills, education, employment and entrepreneurship, helping people build sustainable careers while strengthening the communities we operate within.

By improving access to digital learning and career-focused education, we aim to remove barriers that limit opportunity and economic imdependence.

Through education, technology and partnerships, we contribute to a more inclusive global workforce where talent and ambition are not limited by geography, gender or economic background.

Our approach

Our approach focuses on four key areas:

Expanding access to skills and education

A central part of SmartPA’s social impact work is klar by SmartPA, a digital learning and career development platform designed to help administrative professionals build skills and confidence.

The platform provides CPD-accredited training and practical learning resources. To increase access to professional development, klar is provided free of charge in regions including South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe, helping individuals develop new skills and build career pathways.

Supporting people and communities

SmartPA also partners with organisations that provide support to individuals facing challenging life circumstances.

We are proud to work with Refug e and the Homeless World Cu p helping raise awareness and supporting initiatives that assist women and families experiencing domestic abuse and homelessness.

Through these partnerships, SmartPA helps empower individuals, rebuild confidence and create pathways towards independence and opportunity.

Enabling entrepreneurship

SmartPA also supports individuals who want to build their own businesses.

Through the SmartPA Franchise, professionals can launch and grow their own virtual support businesses under the SmartPA brand.

Franchisees receive training, mentoring and ongoing support from a wider community that understands both the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship.

For many, a SmartPA franchise represents a chance to build a career that fits around family life, personal ambitions and the future they want to create.

Investing in people

Learning and development are deeply embedded in SmartPA’s culture.

Through the SmartPA Training Academy, team members and partners can access programmes that support both professional growth and personal confidence.

Recent training initiatives have included:

• Inclusive workplaces and neurodiversity
• Leadership and line management
• Cyber security awareness
• Customer experience
• Responsible use of AI and emerging technologies