As part of Coleman’s Point-to-Point program, I had the wonderful and exclusive opportunity to spend a week abroad in the London office in May 2017. The experience was beyond memorable, given it was my first time in the UK. Despite an outbound flight from Newark that was delayed for 3 hours (and extended my jetlag), I arrived into London on a Monday morning. Once at the airport, I hailed one of London’s traditional black cabs to chauffeur me to my hotel. The local drivers are quite interested in hearing our perspective on the current political landscape in the US.
After taking a most circuitous route to Coleman’s London office, I was greeted by several of my UK colleagues. Above all, every employee in the office made me feel welcome and at home during my time in London. I can’t thank them enough for their hospitality.
As a Sr. Events Associate on our Hosted Events team, I spent quite a bit of my time engaging in conversation about our product offering. Over the next few days, members of the EMEA Client Management team and I (over lunches, dinners, coffee dates and drinks) discussed the various manners and avenues in which we could further promote and expand their ability to cross-sell our Hosted Events product into new and existing Investment Management accounts. We also held a meet and greet session for the Client Associates in our Gdansk office. I gave them a view into my workflow, the process by which I generate call ideas, and how I decipher which are the most germane and qualified experts from within our network to run a Hosted Event on said topics.
I also had the opportunity to spend some time with one of our power users, a current PM at a large Financial Services Company. He provided us with great insight into his investment style, feedback on our product and how it fits within his overall research process.
From a cultural and foodie standpoint, London’s eats were top-notch. The plethora of options available was overwhelming but I made sure to sample enough Indian, Turkish and Greek food to last me a lifetime. The city’s overall layout was amenable to walking and I took advantage (in part to not feel as guilty for overeating). Overall, my time in London was both pleasurable and productive. I am thankful for the opportunity and encourage my eligible colleagues to pursue the opportunity as well.