I learnt about a new idea today that I quite liked....it's called "REM", or "Retrospective Excuse Management". REM describes the situation where when faced with a choice, you make a decision based on instinct rather than fact, and then you look to justify that decision afterwards. I think there are some very good examples of REM even on this blog! :-)
Highlight of the upcoming weekend? Biarritz Olympique versus Munster in the H-Cup Semi Final in San Sebastien. The travelling hoards of the Green Army have managed to secure me a ticket so I'll be off to Spain on Sunday, although I don't think I'll be consuming as much alcohol as a few friends who are currently enjoying Queen's Weekend in Amsterdam.
Friday, 30 April 2010
Monday, 26 April 2010
Chocolate Feet
Not wishing to make everyone envious but sleeping in till 11AM on a Monday morning definitely has a lot going for it (although I would not recommend the 7.45AM - 8.45AM interlude where you have to get up and feed a screaming baby boy).
I never sleep in late, but I was very grateful this morning because I was up at 4.30AM yesterday to go off riding horses all day. Overall a good day was had by all, except for my favourite horse Mambo de Chiouleben. In the "big" event of the day he lost a shoe and as a result managed to injure himself - it was a sorry sight to see him limping back to the truck afterwards. His somewhat frustrated owner lamented the fact that there was always something going wrong with him at the minute, and that he had "chocolate feet". (Note for any Belgians reading - given the tension in the air at the time, I did not ask whether this was dark, milk or white chocolate).
The rather better news was the emergence of a little grey horse called Quolchique St Aubin. She's only 6 and hasn't really done much at all, but we were all clear in the 1m and only had 1 bar down in the 1.10 test. We really did much better than anyone had predicted or could have hoped for. Her owner was very cautious afterwards and he refused to give me a price for her....I think he sees what I felt as she glided over the fences.
I never sleep in late, but I was very grateful this morning because I was up at 4.30AM yesterday to go off riding horses all day. Overall a good day was had by all, except for my favourite horse Mambo de Chiouleben. In the "big" event of the day he lost a shoe and as a result managed to injure himself - it was a sorry sight to see him limping back to the truck afterwards. His somewhat frustrated owner lamented the fact that there was always something going wrong with him at the minute, and that he had "chocolate feet". (Note for any Belgians reading - given the tension in the air at the time, I did not ask whether this was dark, milk or white chocolate).
The rather better news was the emergence of a little grey horse called Quolchique St Aubin. She's only 6 and hasn't really done much at all, but we were all clear in the 1m and only had 1 bar down in the 1.10 test. We really did much better than anyone had predicted or could have hoped for. Her owner was very cautious afterwards and he refused to give me a price for her....I think he sees what I felt as she glided over the fences.
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Correction
I have just completed a 75KM bike ride to the foot of the Pyrenees Mountains and back from Pau. Absolutely splendid and really spectacular scenery - I'm all set up for a delightful siesta in the sunshine now.
That said I'd like to correct, or more refine, my key point in the last posting - slowing down is good but only when it is you who chooses to do so; I can confirm that a forced slowing down because your legs refuse to pedal any faster up a stupid great big hill is decidedly frustrating rather than uplifting.
That said I'd like to correct, or more refine, my key point in the last posting - slowing down is good but only when it is you who chooses to do so; I can confirm that a forced slowing down because your legs refuse to pedal any faster up a stupid great big hill is decidedly frustrating rather than uplifting.
The Battle of the Foot
This holiday lark isn't too bad. Yesterday was a lovely day riding a few horses followed by a slap up lunch. Clouds of volcanic ash are a thing of fiction and TV reports down here in the South of France.
In fact one of the most enjoyable things I did yesterday was to clean and brush a white horse for almost an hour. I don't even like white horses (because of their tendency to get very dirty), and I certainly don't have any sort of special relationship with this particular horse or its owner. The horse is actually quite badly injured and he has been confined to his box for almost 4 months now - he is in danger of losing his hoof which would mean he would need to be put down. My own recent stay in hospital reminded me of how unpleasant it is to not feel fresh or sufficiently well groomed, hence my decision to spend a bit of time with Monsieur Lutin du Faget.
On reflection I think the most enjoyable thing about the whole experience was being able to take the time to do something; Lutin certainly seemed to appreciate it too (or maybe that was just the carrots). Some feedback I've had recently was the need to learn how to slow down (linked to the idea that effective leaders are able to alter their pace depending on to whom and exactly when they are talking to people). My single pace over the last 32 years has been "turbo". Maybe it is time to give some other gears a whirl. Hopefully both Lutin and I will be able to win our own little battles and challenges over the coming months.
In fact one of the most enjoyable things I did yesterday was to clean and brush a white horse for almost an hour. I don't even like white horses (because of their tendency to get very dirty), and I certainly don't have any sort of special relationship with this particular horse or its owner. The horse is actually quite badly injured and he has been confined to his box for almost 4 months now - he is in danger of losing his hoof which would mean he would need to be put down. My own recent stay in hospital reminded me of how unpleasant it is to not feel fresh or sufficiently well groomed, hence my decision to spend a bit of time with Monsieur Lutin du Faget.
On reflection I think the most enjoyable thing about the whole experience was being able to take the time to do something; Lutin certainly seemed to appreciate it too (or maybe that was just the carrots). Some feedback I've had recently was the need to learn how to slow down (linked to the idea that effective leaders are able to alter their pace depending on to whom and exactly when they are talking to people). My single pace over the last 32 years has been "turbo". Maybe it is time to give some other gears a whirl. Hopefully both Lutin and I will be able to win our own little battles and challenges over the coming months.
Monday, 19 April 2010
Cliff Richard – Part 1
My 7 weeks of holidays starts here. As of June I will have a French contract of employment. Often in France when you start a new job you don’t have any holidays for the first year. As an “executive” this is not necessarily the case, but I am not yet sure what Wipro’s view on the topic will be. Hopefully I will be able to take a (shorter) break with the family in August and if so, then I’ll be going on a summer holiday and there will be a Cliff Richard – Part 2 posting….
Sunday, 18 April 2010
Icelandic Volcano: Nul Points; French Train Strikes: Douze Points!
For those of you who have known me for a while, you’ll know that I’ve always said that if you’re going to own a volcano, then you really need to control it. Iceland obviously failed to heed my advice and decided to bring Europe to a halt on Thursday. Since then I’ve received a number of mails from friends stranded in Bangalore and Johannesburg amongst other places, but thankfully young O’Brien was one step ahead of the game and managed to circumvent a host of different challenges….
Step 1 – British airports closing on Thursday after the eruption. O’Brien quickly decides that his ticket to fly on the Friday from London to Biarritz is as much use as a chocolate fireguard.
Step 2 – O’Brien sells the family silver in order to bribe someone to get him a ticket for the Eurostar on Thursday afternoon. Once that transaction has been completed he then proceeds to charm a young lady from Air France into giving him a free flight from Paris to Biarritz on the Friday morning (true). O’Brien’s liver lets out a huge sigh of relief because this means the night out in London has to be cancelled at the last minute. The rest of him is bitterly disappointed not to be seeing a host of old friends.
Step 3 – Things are going ok until France decides to shut its airports 45 minutes after O’Brien arrives in Paris on the Thursday evening. Undeterred, and still feeling supremely confident that he will get to the south of France before the weekend despite there being no train tickets from Paris to Biarritz as a result of a reduced service due to national strikes, O’Brien strolls off to hire a car. Pulses rise slightly when it appears that there is not a single hire car left anywhere in the whole of Paris.
Step 4 – At about 9PM on the Thursday evening O’Brien manages to get help in finding an alternative train ticket to Bayonne which is about a 10 minute drive from Biarritz. Seeing that the train is not until 7.40 the next morning, O’Brien decides to organise an impromptu dinner and drinks session in Paris. A sharp intake of breath from his liver is heard all around Paris.
Step 5 – The train races down to Bordeaux in record time on the Friday morning despite the national strikes. What a wonderful country – they can’t even be bothered to strike properly! The only fly in the ointment was the need to take a clapped out 1980s bus from Dax to Bayonne for the last 2.5 hours of the journey. To be honest I was quite happy when we took the bus – it wouldn’t have felt enough of a challenge if we hadn’t, plus I needed the additional 1.5 hours to make it a nice round 24 hours of travel.
So did I manage to do any useful thinking during this mammoth final journey at the end of my Accenture career?
Overall I think it was not as sad as I expected to be – the cockles of my heart were warmed throughout the week with the kind messages I received. Maybe things will only hit me next week when everything goes quiet again.
They also say that the end is always very impersonal – exit interview with HR and hand over your laptop to a faceless technology services representative. Maybe it’s just me, but I actually know my HR rep quite well so it was nice to have a candid conversation with an old friend, and even more surprisingly I also know the technology services guy (the only benefit from having broken 5 laptops during the course of 2009), so it was nice to shake his hand and say thanks in person….Plus my hasty exit meant that I actually kept my laptop and that I will courier it back to Accenture next week so the umbilical chord is not yet completely severed.
The final thing that struck me towards the end of the week was the feeling that I should no longer define myself by the company I work for. I am beginning to realise that my personality and some of the qualities I have are not exclusively linked to Accenture, and that they will go with me wherever I work in the future. Leaving Accenture has only strengthened my awareness of my own “personal brand” and also the fact that I need to protect that brand because I like it.
Step 1 – British airports closing on Thursday after the eruption. O’Brien quickly decides that his ticket to fly on the Friday from London to Biarritz is as much use as a chocolate fireguard.
Step 2 – O’Brien sells the family silver in order to bribe someone to get him a ticket for the Eurostar on Thursday afternoon. Once that transaction has been completed he then proceeds to charm a young lady from Air France into giving him a free flight from Paris to Biarritz on the Friday morning (true). O’Brien’s liver lets out a huge sigh of relief because this means the night out in London has to be cancelled at the last minute. The rest of him is bitterly disappointed not to be seeing a host of old friends.
Step 3 – Things are going ok until France decides to shut its airports 45 minutes after O’Brien arrives in Paris on the Thursday evening. Undeterred, and still feeling supremely confident that he will get to the south of France before the weekend despite there being no train tickets from Paris to Biarritz as a result of a reduced service due to national strikes, O’Brien strolls off to hire a car. Pulses rise slightly when it appears that there is not a single hire car left anywhere in the whole of Paris.
Step 4 – At about 9PM on the Thursday evening O’Brien manages to get help in finding an alternative train ticket to Bayonne which is about a 10 minute drive from Biarritz. Seeing that the train is not until 7.40 the next morning, O’Brien decides to organise an impromptu dinner and drinks session in Paris. A sharp intake of breath from his liver is heard all around Paris.
Step 5 – The train races down to Bordeaux in record time on the Friday morning despite the national strikes. What a wonderful country – they can’t even be bothered to strike properly! The only fly in the ointment was the need to take a clapped out 1980s bus from Dax to Bayonne for the last 2.5 hours of the journey. To be honest I was quite happy when we took the bus – it wouldn’t have felt enough of a challenge if we hadn’t, plus I needed the additional 1.5 hours to make it a nice round 24 hours of travel.
So did I manage to do any useful thinking during this mammoth final journey at the end of my Accenture career?
Overall I think it was not as sad as I expected to be – the cockles of my heart were warmed throughout the week with the kind messages I received. Maybe things will only hit me next week when everything goes quiet again.
They also say that the end is always very impersonal – exit interview with HR and hand over your laptop to a faceless technology services representative. Maybe it’s just me, but I actually know my HR rep quite well so it was nice to have a candid conversation with an old friend, and even more surprisingly I also know the technology services guy (the only benefit from having broken 5 laptops during the course of 2009), so it was nice to shake his hand and say thanks in person….Plus my hasty exit meant that I actually kept my laptop and that I will courier it back to Accenture next week so the umbilical chord is not yet completely severed.
The final thing that struck me towards the end of the week was the feeling that I should no longer define myself by the company I work for. I am beginning to realise that my personality and some of the qualities I have are not exclusively linked to Accenture, and that they will go with me wherever I work in the future. Leaving Accenture has only strengthened my awareness of my own “personal brand” and also the fact that I need to protect that brand because I like it.
Saturday, 17 April 2010
Missing In Attachment
Well my final working week in Accenture is now over. I am sure it won’t surprise anyone to hear that it was far from uneventful even before the eruption of a volcano in Iceland!
I sent out my departure mails on Tuesday. Unfortunately a severe case of Outlook Sausage Fingers meant that I sent them out in the wrong order, and that I even sent out the main email without the necessary attachment. It’s the sort of thing that I never do….what a cock up at the final hurdle – I’d been writing those emails for 10 years only for them to be ruined by a sticky “alt” key. The whole event gnawed away at me for a whole hour and a half, and it prevented me from concentrating in a rather important planning meeting. What a cock up, grrrrrrrr.
However on my return to my desk I was taught a useful lesson and life was put back into perspective. I had over 100 replies to my “cocked up emails”, and I was bowled over by the kindness and humour of peoples’ responses. I also looked at somebody else’s inbox and I even saw that the exchange server had delivered them in the “wrong” order (which was of course the order I had initially intended). It seemed like I’ve really had an impact on certain people over the last 10 years – I had never really appreciated that – I should have resigned years ago! Whereas many of the responses really touched me, 3 in particular made me laugh out loud; “sorry to see you go but there is life outside the asylum”; “remember, a bad with a horse is beats a good day with a client”, and the message on MSN the next day from a friend who asked whether or not I had seen the fall in Accenture’s share price as a result of my leaving announcement. You’re a good bunch all in all. I just hope the next lot are up to the mark!
I sent out my departure mails on Tuesday. Unfortunately a severe case of Outlook Sausage Fingers meant that I sent them out in the wrong order, and that I even sent out the main email without the necessary attachment. It’s the sort of thing that I never do….what a cock up at the final hurdle – I’d been writing those emails for 10 years only for them to be ruined by a sticky “alt” key. The whole event gnawed away at me for a whole hour and a half, and it prevented me from concentrating in a rather important planning meeting. What a cock up, grrrrrrrr.
However on my return to my desk I was taught a useful lesson and life was put back into perspective. I had over 100 replies to my “cocked up emails”, and I was bowled over by the kindness and humour of peoples’ responses. I also looked at somebody else’s inbox and I even saw that the exchange server had delivered them in the “wrong” order (which was of course the order I had initially intended). It seemed like I’ve really had an impact on certain people over the last 10 years – I had never really appreciated that – I should have resigned years ago! Whereas many of the responses really touched me, 3 in particular made me laugh out loud; “sorry to see you go but there is life outside the asylum”; “remember, a bad with a horse is beats a good day with a client”, and the message on MSN the next day from a friend who asked whether or not I had seen the fall in Accenture’s share price as a result of my leaving announcement. You’re a good bunch all in all. I just hope the next lot are up to the mark!
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Flash B@stard
One thing that I have always loved since I got involved with Biarritz was flying into the airport late at night at the end of the working week and being greeted by the "Biarritz Anglet Bayonne Aeroport" sign in neon blue. Despite the neon blue sounding all very 1980s, I have to say that when I see that sign, I just feel like I'm home.
There is only one "entrance" to Biarritz that is better than that. My father in law has his pilot's licence and every now and again I am lucky enough that he picks me up and flies me back to Biarritz. On Friday he picked me up from Bordeaux and we flew 60 minutes in a little 2 seater plane down along the Atlantic coast and into Biarritz. The view on a clear day sitting next to the pilot from above even the clouds is nothing short of spectacular. That 60 minute journey was also enough to quell any lingering doubts about changing companies and having a job where I am based in Biarritz.
Roll on 7 weeks of holiday and a French contract starting on June 7th, but first, a week of goodbye parties in the UK! Roll out the barrels.
There is only one "entrance" to Biarritz that is better than that. My father in law has his pilot's licence and every now and again I am lucky enough that he picks me up and flies me back to Biarritz. On Friday he picked me up from Bordeaux and we flew 60 minutes in a little 2 seater plane down along the Atlantic coast and into Biarritz. The view on a clear day sitting next to the pilot from above even the clouds is nothing short of spectacular. That 60 minute journey was also enough to quell any lingering doubts about changing companies and having a job where I am based in Biarritz.
Roll on 7 weeks of holiday and a French contract starting on June 7th, but first, a week of goodbye parties in the UK! Roll out the barrels.
Friday, 9 April 2010
Multi-Dimensional Success
A conversation with Sandie a couple of weeks ago has been playing on my mind ever since (my selective deafness button must have been on the blink at the time). At the end of the conversation, she said that she had been moved by what I had said, and that she thought that I was maturing and becoming more normal. That whole prospect worried me and has been eating away at me ever since.
Needless to say the conversation was about my upcoming move to Wipro. I told her that I was hopeful that the upcoming change would give me the opportunity to be successful in other areas of my life, not just at work. At the age of 32 one senses a sea change afoot……
Let’s cut a long story short and ignore a number of valid caveats…As with many motivated, young European / Anglo Saxon in their 20s, and without necessarily verbalising it as such, success has essentially always been a function of my career level and size of pay cheque. In addition to these professional objectives, which will remain and are now funnily enough even clearer in my own mind, I have also identified objectives in terms of being a good husband, a good father to Maxime and a successful horse rider. Whilst it may sound to some that life is getting more complicated, in actual fact I suspect it is going to become more enjoyable. Success has now become multi-dimensional…..
Needless to say the conversation was about my upcoming move to Wipro. I told her that I was hopeful that the upcoming change would give me the opportunity to be successful in other areas of my life, not just at work. At the age of 32 one senses a sea change afoot……
Let’s cut a long story short and ignore a number of valid caveats…As with many motivated, young European / Anglo Saxon in their 20s, and without necessarily verbalising it as such, success has essentially always been a function of my career level and size of pay cheque. In addition to these professional objectives, which will remain and are now funnily enough even clearer in my own mind, I have also identified objectives in terms of being a good husband, a good father to Maxime and a successful horse rider. Whilst it may sound to some that life is getting more complicated, in actual fact I suspect it is going to become more enjoyable. Success has now become multi-dimensional…..
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Parting is such sweet sorrow
Parting company with my bed this morning was particularly difficult after an excellent night out with the team. I realise that at the age of 32 I'm just not built for only 5 hours of sleep anymore - it's going to be a long day. In addition to the tiredness, I also woke up with a tinge of sadness for the first time - last night's celebration dinner was clearly the beginning of the end for me - I've now got 8 days of leaving drinks and goodbyes which I think will be increasingly difficult. Last night also reinforced in my own mind what an excellent bunch the team are, but I am sure our paths will continue to cross in the coming years.
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
The straw that broke the camel's back
So you know what I've done over the last 10 years (well some of it at least - I didn't mention diving into a swimming pool in Miami fully clothed, a dirty sink at EuroDisney, or the drunken night at a train station in Munich), and you now know why I am excited about what's coming up later this year. The remaining question now is, why did I ever think about leaving Accenture?
I need to be careful to ensure people are clear about what I wonderful place I think Accenture is. The reasons I am leaving are personal to me, and they don't mean that Accenture isn't a super place for everyone else who chooses to stay. It's been two paragraphs since my last list, so here goes:
1) Short term - my non project supervisor's evaluation of my work was not in line with my own evaluation of it, so that immediate lack of recognition prompted me to have a look and see what was going on in the wider market.
2) Medium term - I've got a super project but what was the real path to senior executive? I had at least another couple of years doing delivery work and being away from home every day of every working week whilst Maxime and my as yet un-purchased horse grew up without me.
3) Longer term - I was most probably in the wrong place within Accenture to achieve my long term objective of becoming a client account partner. Therefore if I were to move to another group and create a new network, why not do that in a new company that could also answer some of my other needs (family, horse, South of France)?
Just to reinforce the fact that I think Accenture is a wonderful place full of opportunities, here are the top 3 things I am going to miss...
1) The people - there are some wonderful people, smurfs, Chinamen, Belgians, and others who offer to write LinkedIn recommendations for me now that I'm leaving without me even asking, who will continue to make Accenture the success it is.
2) Projects & Clients - I've had the opportunity to work in many different places around the world - that chance is not available to everyone. I've also been fortunate because I've had the chance to work with some wonderful clients who have subsequently become personal friends.
3) The respect that Accenture commands - I'm proud to have worked here and I would like to think that I leave with my head held high. I've proud that I've been here 10 years and that I've been successful during that time. I think we were a good fit for each other while it lasted.
I need to be careful to ensure people are clear about what I wonderful place I think Accenture is. The reasons I am leaving are personal to me, and they don't mean that Accenture isn't a super place for everyone else who chooses to stay. It's been two paragraphs since my last list, so here goes:
1) Short term - my non project supervisor's evaluation of my work was not in line with my own evaluation of it, so that immediate lack of recognition prompted me to have a look and see what was going on in the wider market.
2) Medium term - I've got a super project but what was the real path to senior executive? I had at least another couple of years doing delivery work and being away from home every day of every working week whilst Maxime and my as yet un-purchased horse grew up without me.
3) Longer term - I was most probably in the wrong place within Accenture to achieve my long term objective of becoming a client account partner. Therefore if I were to move to another group and create a new network, why not do that in a new company that could also answer some of my other needs (family, horse, South of France)?
Just to reinforce the fact that I think Accenture is a wonderful place full of opportunities, here are the top 3 things I am going to miss...
1) The people - there are some wonderful people, smurfs, Chinamen, Belgians, and others who offer to write LinkedIn recommendations for me now that I'm leaving without me even asking, who will continue to make Accenture the success it is.
2) Projects & Clients - I've had the opportunity to work in many different places around the world - that chance is not available to everyone. I've also been fortunate because I've had the chance to work with some wonderful clients who have subsequently become personal friends.
3) The respect that Accenture commands - I'm proud to have worked here and I would like to think that I leave with my head held high. I've proud that I've been here 10 years and that I've been successful during that time. I think we were a good fit for each other while it lasted.
Monday, 5 April 2010
Western India Palm Refined Oils
Why on earth did I join Wipro? I'm in the mood for some more lists so here goes....
1) I'll be doing more sales work and less delivery work - people tell me I will be good at sales, so let's see.
2) As a result I'll hopefully have more flexibility over my schedule. I'll be going to Paris, London and Zurich but I won't need to be in any of these locations every day every week.
3) I'll be exposed to a new culture (India) that I have absolutely no experience of.
4) I'm excited by the idea of joining a company that is entrepreneurial - in addition to this reputation there are only 250 people in Wipro in France, so I am hopeful that this means it will be fast moving.
5) I am hopeful I'll be successful there largely because I have good communication skills. This is not always the case there by all accounts.
6) I will have a French contract and will officially be based from Biarritz. This will make life so much simpler and also paves the way to buy a horse (that negotiation with Sandie was by far the hardest of this whole process).
Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wipro for more information.
1) I'll be doing more sales work and less delivery work - people tell me I will be good at sales, so let's see.
2) As a result I'll hopefully have more flexibility over my schedule. I'll be going to Paris, London and Zurich but I won't need to be in any of these locations every day every week.
3) I'll be exposed to a new culture (India) that I have absolutely no experience of.
4) I'm excited by the idea of joining a company that is entrepreneurial - in addition to this reputation there are only 250 people in Wipro in France, so I am hopeful that this means it will be fast moving.
5) I am hopeful I'll be successful there largely because I have good communication skills. This is not always the case there by all accounts.
6) I will have a French contract and will officially be based from Biarritz. This will make life so much simpler and also paves the way to buy a horse (that negotiation with Sandie was by far the hardest of this whole process).
Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wipro for more information.
Friday, 2 April 2010
Statto
Right, a few posts coming up on what and why. Firstly 10 key facts and figures - 1 for each year I've worked in Accenture.
1) Time in Accenture - exactly 10 years - 2nd May 2000 - 30th April 2010.
2) Number of offices I have been based in - 4 - London, Paris, Manchester, Newcastle.
3) Number of major projects - 10 - Resources Launch Centre, BACS, Centrica, Inbev, ABN AMRO, Novo Nordisk, Credit Agricole Structured Asset Management (CASAM), SG Private Banking, Fortis and Lloyds Banking Group (LBG).
4) Number of industry verticals I've worked in -3 - Resources, Finance, Products (Retail & Pharma).
5) Number of countries in which I've worked (major projects only) - 4 - UK, Belgium, France, Denmark.
6) The furthest I've ever had to go to work - Malaysia - CIO Conference sponsored by the Economist for 4 days.
7) Best Projects - BACS, Fortis and LBG.
8) Worst Projects - Inbev, CASAM.
9) Number of journeys to Chicago – 6.
10) Best Training Course - Oxford University Business Economics Programme (OUBEP) 2008.
It's funny to see all the sweat, tears and blood summarised into such a succinct list....more on the reasons why I've decided to move on in the next posting.
1) Time in Accenture - exactly 10 years - 2nd May 2000 - 30th April 2010.
2) Number of offices I have been based in - 4 - London, Paris, Manchester, Newcastle.
3) Number of major projects - 10 - Resources Launch Centre, BACS, Centrica, Inbev, ABN AMRO, Novo Nordisk, Credit Agricole Structured Asset Management (CASAM), SG Private Banking, Fortis and Lloyds Banking Group (LBG).
4) Number of industry verticals I've worked in -3 - Resources, Finance, Products (Retail & Pharma).
5) Number of countries in which I've worked (major projects only) - 4 - UK, Belgium, France, Denmark.
6) The furthest I've ever had to go to work - Malaysia - CIO Conference sponsored by the Economist for 4 days.
7) Best Projects - BACS, Fortis and LBG.
8) Worst Projects - Inbev, CASAM.
9) Number of journeys to Chicago – 6.
10) Best Training Course - Oxford University Business Economics Programme (OUBEP) 2008.
It's funny to see all the sweat, tears and blood summarised into such a succinct list....more on the reasons why I've decided to move on in the next posting.
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