Our Team
Stacey Karue
Stacey’s career began in the legal world, where organisation, precision, and discretion are everything. Starting as a legal secretary and later progressing to Paralegal, she developed a sharp eye for detail and a naturally methodical approach to her work.
After taking time out to focus on family, Stacey returned to the workplace within Family Law, a fast-paced and emotionally nuanced environment that further strengthened her ability to manage complex tasks with care, accuracy, and professionalism.
As her family grew, so did her experience. Stacey expanded into administrative support for marketing and commercial businesses, bringing with her a unique blend of legal-grade attention to detail and adaptable, real-world business support.
In 2019, Stacey co-founded The Practical Secretary, built on a shared passion for helping businesses feel more organised, efficient, and in control.
Stacey is known for her calm efficiency, reliability, and unwavering commitment to going the extra mile. She has a particular strength in streamlining financial processes, managing credit control, and proofreading — the behind-the-scenes essentials that keep businesses running smoothly.
Her focus is simple: to take the pressure off business owners by creating structure, clarity, and breathing space in their day-to-day operations.
Lucy Seaton
Lucy has spent more than 20 years working behind the scenes in the entertainment industry — an environment where organisation, adaptability, and problem-solving aren’t optional, they’re essential.
As co-founder of The Practical Secretary, she now channels that experience into helping businesses run more smoothly, efficiently, and confidently.
Lucy thrives on untangling messy processes, improving workflows, and finding practical solutions that make day-to-day operations feel easier and more manageable. She’s known for bringing structure, clarity, and calm to fast-moving businesses.
Challenges don’t faze her — they’re often where the best improvements begin.
Collaborative by nature, Lucy enjoys working alongside clients and teams to create systems and processes that genuinely support the way people work.
When she’s not immersed in operations and strategy, Lucy is juggling family life herself — giving her a grounded, real-world understanding of why flexibility, efficiency, and balance matter so much.
Vanessa Lam
Vanessa is an astrophysics graduate with a natural passion for learning, problem-solving, and education.
Alongside her work with The Practical Secretary, she tutors a wide range of students — from 11+ and Year 6 SATs through to A-Level — specialising in mathematics and science. She enjoys breaking down complex ideas into clear, engaging lessons and takes pride in creating thoughtful classwork, homework materials, and assessments that genuinely support student progress.
Working with a busy and varied tutoring schedule has sharpened Vanessa’s organisational skills, time management, and ability to juggle multiple priorities — strengths that translate seamlessly into her role within The Practical Secretary.
Beyond tutoring, Vanessa plays an active role in coordinating a team of tutors and organising schemes of work at the tuition centre she helped to establish, combining structure, collaboration, and attention to detail.
As a valued member of The Practical Secretary team, Vanessa thrives on the variety and pace of the work. She enjoys the ever-changing nature of each day, where new challenges bring fresh opportunities to learn and grow.
What she values most is being part of a supportive community of inspiring, driven women who share her love of creativity, problem-solving, and meaningful work.
Laura Sherwood
Laura brings a wealth of experience in events and project management, along with a calm, capable approach that keeps even the most complex projects running smoothly.
Her career has been shaped by delivering high-standard work in fast-paced environments, where organisation, adaptability, and clear communication are essential. Laura is known for building strong relationships with clients and consultants alike, supported by a natural “can-do” attitude and a genuine commitment to getting things done well.
From fee negotiation and budget management to keeping projects on track and meeting deadlines, Laura combines strategic thinking with meticulous attention to detail.
Highly organised and naturally proactive, she thrives when juggling multiple moving parts — ensuring nothing slips through the cracks while maintaining a consistently high level of customer service.
Throughout her career, Laura has worked across all levels of organisations, bringing clarity, structure, and a thoughtful, solutions-focused mindset to every project.
Driven by curiosity and a desire to continually improve, Laura’s ability to communicate with precision and professionalism makes her an invaluable member of The Practical Secretary team.
Kat Craggs
Kat holds a BSc (Hons) in Dietetics from Leeds Metropolitan University, the starting point for a career built on expertise, precision, and a genuine passion for nutrition and healthcare.
She began her professional journey as an NHS Dietitian, where she made a meaningful impact supporting patients with her specialist knowledge and thoughtful, evidence-based approach.
Kat went on to work with Compass Group (Medirest) and King’s College Hospital, expanding her experience across both clinical practice and healthcare education. During this time, she was also invited to contribute as a guest lecturer at King’s College, sharing her insight and experience with future healthcare professionals.
Her dedication to the field led to her work being published in the Manual of Dietetic Practice, recognising her contribution to best practice within the profession.
Following a career break and a desire for a more flexible working environment, Kat brought her meticulous nature, analytical mindset, and attention to detail to The Practical Secretary as one of our consultants.
Kat has a particular strength in research-led projects, where her thoroughness, curiosity, and depth of knowledge make her an invaluable asset to both our team and our clients.