The Eye (Summer 2016)

12
THE MAGAZINE FOR FTI EMEA ISSUE 8 | SUMMER 2016 RIDING THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY WITH OUR TELECOMS REGULATION TEAM PREDICTING THE FUTURE WITH PERFORMANCE ANALYTICS OVERSEAS ASSIGNMENT ON SECONDMENT WITH FTI MADRID OFFICE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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Transcript of The Eye (Summer 2016)

The magazine for FTI EMEA

ISSUE 8 | summer 2016

RIDING THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAYwITh oUr TElEcOMS REGUlATION TEAM

PREDIcTING THE FUTURE with Performance analytics

OvERSEAS ASSIGNMENT on secondment with fti

MADRID OFFIcE in the sPotlight

PlEASE NOTE this newsletter is for internal reference only within fti consulting and not for external distribution to clients or any other third Parties.

02 |

As we reach the midway point of the year, we are delighted to look back on what has been a very successful six months for our business.

our revenues and profits rose significantly compared to last year, and what makes these results even more special is that they are not driven by changing market conditions, but by the collective efforts of us all. we are winning more great projects, building stronger client relationships and strengthening our position in the market.

of course, this is not by chance. it’s because of the deliberate investments we are making in our business, in both attracting, retaining and promoting highly talented people, and through the sustained efforts we are making to promote the fti brand in the marketplace.

in this issue, you can read about just a few of the areas of our business which are contributing to our success.

in our regional spotlight we talk to our colleagues in spain. thanks to a sustained period of investment, we now employ over 50 people in madrid. with most of their business and clients being cross-border, theirs is a fantastic example of how to effectively leverage the global reach offered by our international network of offices and experts to achieve growth.

our telecoms regulatory team is operating in perhaps one of the most quickly evolving industries of all. with the rapid development of mobile phone and broadband technologies, governments, institutions and companies are now investing in technology more than ever before. this is an exciting and challenging area for us to be involved in, and we are making great strides in securing a first class roster of clients in this sector.

we also highlight our Performance analytics team, who combine deep expertise and analytics-based principles to help clients increase profitability, reduce cost, generate growth and manage complex risk. in the best traditions of fti, they offer from their emea bases in dublin and london a highly specialised capability which delivers tangible improvements for clients.

as we said earlier, our success is based principally on the quality of the people we attract and retain. every year our graduate recruitment scheme looks to bring the very best candidates into fti, and in this issue we ask some of them why they joined us and what they are getting from, and giving to, our company.

and with offices in 28 countries, one of the most attractive things about working at fti is the opportunity to work in different places around the world. two colleagues who are currently on secondment tell us about their foreign adventures.

these are exciting times for fti, and we are gratified by the efforts that you are all making to ensure that our company goes from strength to strength. thank you for your hard work and your many achievements so far this year. let’s all now maintain our focus to ensure our continued growth and success through the remainder of 2016 and beyond.

we hope you enjoy the magazine.

welcome to the summer issue of The Eye.

in this issue...

03regional sPotlight: madrid

04-05sector overview: telecoms 2.0

06-07definitive exPertise: Performance analytics

08-09life at fti: KicKstart your career

10life at fti: overseas assignments

11events at fti

12what i Know now...

welcome to the world

ntegrity

reativity

chievement

espect

mpathy

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our values

Firstly, can you tell us how long FTI has been active in Spain??our history in the country can be traced back to the opening of lecg’s competition practice in 2004, led by Jorge Padilla. lecg was acquired by fti consulting in 2011, and the team was integrated into compass lexecon. our flc practice was opened in 2008, and in 2010 we integrated alvarez & marsal’s senior team in spain to launch our corporate finance practice. this is led by sergio velez and has now extended its offering to insolvency services.

How large is your team now????well, we have grown considerably in both size and scope over the past year, in order to pursue our ambitious growth plans, and now number fifty three people.

as part of our recent strategy to extend our offering to non distressed services, last summer we welcomed andrea brentan as our non-executive chairman. he brings a wealth of experience as the ceo of several large multinational companies in the energy, engineering and construction sectors. andrea’s arrival closely followed the appointment of Juan valderas from deloitte who is leading the expansion of our flc practice.

as a consequence of this growth we have recently opened wonderful new offices for our cf and flc teams in the centre of madrid, close to compass lexecon’s office.

What are your team’s’ key areas of expertise????our compass lexecon team is heavily involved in merger proceedings and antitrust cases, both before the spanish and european competition authorities. we are also working on a number of damages cases, and are especially proud of our strong expertise in energy economics (which encompasses regulation, arbitration and litigation support).

our corporate finance work meanwhile specialises in restructuring (in-court and out-of-court), transaction and transformation advisory including debt restructuring on the creditor side, performance improvement and interim management driven by Pe s. finally our flc team is undertaking a range of fraud and forensic investigations, litigation support (expert witness, international arbitration), corporate intelligence, compliance and regulatory advice.

What projects and clients are you working on????we have some fantastic projects on at the moment, which are very challenging and highly rewarding. in particular corporate finance has taken a lead debt advisory role on the well-known abengoa case (the spanish global leader in renewable energy). it is also acting as the administrator for a large tourist operator, which was the second largest insolvency in spain last year.

compass lexecon has been advising on the competition aspects of a worldwide and highly reported transaction, which involves filings in the eu, south africa, latin america and the us. they are also helping a consumer goods company to develop a tool in order to ensure that its policy of discounts does not violate competition law. finally, flc has a number of cases in spain, including a potentially significant litigation support project.

How do you work with colleagues from across FTI???one of our unique selling points, which sets us apart from many of our rivals, is indeed our ability to draw on the expertise of our colleagues around the world. for example, our

cf team worked with their tmt colleagues in denver to help advise the second largest media group in spain, while our latam & emea construction solutions friends are assisting us with an rfP for a spanish construction company in canada.

another outstanding example of collaboration is the work of our fti-cl energy team, which includes experts from across our businesses and offices, and which has led to a number of good wins, especially in the renewables sector. finally, our flc team is engaged with colleagues in london on a range of cross-border projects and is exploring potential opportunities in the spanish market with the international arbitration practice.

We know the Spanish economy has experienced some difficult times recently. What are the prospects for FTI in this market over the coming years????there can be no doubt that the country and the spanish people have suffered considerably since the crash of 2008. however, as a business, we have been largely insulated from the downturn and our business has been growing strongly thanks to fti’s cyclical and counter-cyclical services. we have earned a strong reputation thanks to the outstanding expertise of our people and our main challenge now is to continue on this path of growth, and ensure that we enhance our strong position as the market continues to recover.

FTI Consulting in Spain is expanding considerably, offering clients a range of services from our Compass Lexecon, Corporate Finance and FLC practices. SMDs Andreas Fluhrer, Jorge Padilla, Juan Valderas and Sergio Velez explain how they are successfully combining their expertise.

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reg

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Madri

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Jorge Padilla

(l-r Juan valderas, andreas fluhrer,

andrea brentan, sergio velez)

PlEASE NOTE this newsletter is for internal reference only within fti consulting and not for external distribution to clients or any other third Parties.

04 |

Can you tell us a little about your team??our core team comprises ourselves, together with alberto carpani, lau nilausen and scott morrison, and we all focus primarily on telecommunications regulation, although we work across other regulated industries such as post and water. we all bring a variety of skills and previous experiences to fti, comprising as we do of economists, accountants, former regulators and other specialists.

our client base is strong in the uK, but our team has experience of working internationally in europe, the middle east, africa, asia and the caribbean, and we are keen to leverage our experience and contacts to grow our client base.

we are also able to draw on the skills of our colleagues in the wider technology, media and telecoms industry group, including from corporate finance, strategic communications, transfer Pricing, technology, compass lexecon and Performance analytics.

What are your particular areas of specialism?we focus mainly on supporting telecom and postal operators, such as bt, virgin media, vodafone and the royal mail, in their discussions with regulatory authorities on the design of regulatory incentives and interventions, helping to ensure they get fair treatment. this may be through the design and implementation of different accounting and cost modelling solutions, or it may involve devising a strategic response to regulatory consultations and decisions.

we also help clients understand the approach that the regulator is likely to adopt when analysing their performance and defining the parameters of regulation. this enables them to tailor their submissions and to reduce the risks from measures that would disrupt their operations.

finally we can act as independent experts in regulatory disputes with the authorities or their competitors, or in disputes where regulation is an important factor affecting the quantum related to the claims.

What are the particular challenges facing these companies at the moment??well, if we consider one of our most high profile clients, bt, then they have been faced with a number of regulatory issues which we are helping them with.

firstly, in their dialogue with the uK telecoms and postal regulator, ofcom, who are considering regulatory interventions aimed at reducing the price of fibre broadband. the outcome of this decision could very well dictate the pace of innovation in broadband services in the uK, since a decision that heavily penalises bt may reduce its investment incentives to innovate even further.

together with our colleagues at compass lexecon, we have also been helping bt secure approval from the competition authorities for its £12.5bn takeover of the mobile phone operator ee. this transaction combined the uK’s largest fixed line and mobile operators and was the most significant change to the uK telecommunications landscape in more than a decade.

Our EFC Telecoms Regulatory team works with some of the most recognisable communications companies in the world, helping them to meet the challenges of this rapidly changing sector. Neil Clements, Schellion Horn and Hugh Kelly, the leaders of our practice in London, explain more.

Telecoms 2.0se

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case study:: BT

while the national economic benefit of superfast broadband is substantial, high construction costs make the commercial business case difficult in rural areas.

while government subsidies currently ensure that the networks can reach commercially unprofitable parts of the country, fti consulting has been helping bt and its openreach division to understand how the profitability of these rural networks might evolve in the future. this involves complex modelling to understand the variations in installation costs and consumer demand profiles which affect the subsidy framework.

Neil Clements

The telecoms sector is clearly changing rapidly. What opportunities does this bring you??undoubtedly the single biggest issue dominating the uK telecoms sector at present is ofcom’s digital communications review, in which ofcom recently concluded that it was not minded to break up bt and separate out its regulated business. this is compounded by the european commission’s parallel digital single market initiative.

between them these two reviews will bring about fundamental changes in the regulation of networks and services, and the way in which consumers and businesses use them. in europe, and further afield, the regulatory authorities are seeking to create conditions in which everyone can enjoy fast, reliable and affordable services. their challenge is to maintain incentives to invest in the infrastructure, whilst ensuring that consumers have a choice of providers through fair and competitive markets.

so much is at stake for investors, operators, regulators and governments, since getting it wrong will have wide ranging economic implications. we want to ensure that fti continues to act at the heart of the debate.

What are your plans for 2015//16? like all parts of the business, we are focussed on expanding our client base and ensuring that fti becomes known as one of the leading advisers, both in the uK and across emea.

to help us achieve this, we have recently welcomed richard hooper cbe to our team as a special adviser. richard has had a distinguished career in government and industry in this sector, and will help us provide distinctive expert advice to clients on a wide range of issues

and of course, we will be looking to strengthen our relationships right across our business. our work naturally lends itself to collaboration, not only with other colleagues in efc, but also with other

practices and offices, especially in brussels, the middle east and south africa. ultimately, we are aiming to hone our multi-disciplinary offering so that we can compete effectively against the big four firms and economic consultancies that have traditionally dominated this space.

so if you’re talking to clients who face regulatory uncertainty, have investors who need to understand the impact and risks of the regulatory environment or are looking to understand cost/pricing questions in relation to new technologies, then please do get in touch with us.

Schellion Horn Hugh Kelly

PlEASE NOTE this newsletter is for internal reference only within fti consulting and not for external distribution to clients or any other third Parties.

06 |

You are one of FTI’s youngest practices, aren’’t you??yes, our business, then called distinct, was bought by fti in 2013. at the time we were a boutique consultancy focusing on data driven growth and performance improvement solutions for our clients. in the two and half years since, we have grown to over 50 people working in dublin, london and new york.

So what does Performance Analytics actually mean??in short, we generate insights from data to help clients achieve commercial gains. we have expertise in key aspects of data management, advanced analytics and operational performance improvement.

the work involves catering for the often ignored and quality challenged aspects of client data. we harvest these underutilised assets, applying advanced analytical models to predict outcomes and behaviours. we then help our clients turn these insights

into proactive strategies for performance gains on key business drivers, such as customer retention and fraud prevention. the end solution typically involves implementing new processes, skills or technology within our client’s businesses.

our practice has four key offerings, focusing mainly across the insurance, telco, banking, utilities and airline/transport industries.

1. Predictive Analytics – predicting future behaviours and outcomes to inform growth and financial strategies.

2. Enterprise Data Management – ensuring that businesses maximise the value gained from organisation-wide data, by developing the right strategies, technical architecture and operating structures.

3. customer value Management – improving customer insight to drive targeted retention, cross/up-sell strategies and enhanced engagement programmes.

4. Performance Excellence & Delivery – advising clients on their strategy development, operating model design, process improvement and organisational structures.

So how does this work in practice??well, one of our current clients, a global insurer, wishes to reduce claims costs and increase profitable premium growth in their business. to achieve this, they are keen to develop a number of analytical and decision-making capabilities across multiple functions in their business including:

• Predictive models - to reduce the cost of bodily injury claims;

• Supplier analysis - to spot linkages across suppliers that adversely impact the cost of claims;

• Propensity to win models - to identify business that they are most likely to convert (and to be profitable); and

• Propensity to churn models - to identify business that is most likely to churn.

A little known area of our business is our Performance Analytics practice, which is run from Dublin by SMD Mark Higgins and his team. Here Mark tells us how they work with some of the largest companies in the world to turn their customer data into profits!

Performance Analytics

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we successfully won the tender competing against the ‘big four’ consultancies and the contract will run for the next 2 years.

in another case, we were hired by an international bank to run a customer value management diagnostic. this found that the business was not able to source qualified cross sell and win-back leads from their existing customer database. we developed this capability for the client, taking nightly feeds from their systems and generating sales and customer retention leads for targeted outbound campaigns.

What differentiates you from your competition??

we are known for delivering sustainable, measurable commercial benefits for our clients, which has ensured that the majority of our work is repeat business. we have a number of multi-

year partnership deals, where our clients view us as trusted advisors in helping them achieve real performance improvement.

the source of our competitive advantage is almost entirely down to the quality of our people. we can offer clients a range of skills and expertise, including consultants, data scientists and architecture specialists, process engineers, project management and customer management professionals.

to ensure that our consultancy services are based on real-world commercial knowledge, we recruit from industry, and look for people who have managed businesses, delivered operational change and know the associated pitfalls.

So how do you work with other practices within FTI???collaboration is fundamental to our growth strategy, and

we work regularly with other

parts of our business. our

approach has been to develop

a shared understanding of

how our respective offerings

fit together to produce

enhanced client propositions.

we work together to develop

a leads pipeline, teaming

on pitches and subsequent

client engagements. we have

enjoyed considerable success

through this approach, in

particular with our corporate

finance and flc colleagues,

with clients including sensis,

level 3, earthlink, slater and

gordon and deutsche bank.

from experience to date, we

know that our capabilities

and propositions are highly

complementary to the offerings

of other fti practices. we have

ambitious plans in place to

accelerate this collaborative

activity in the coming months,

and would love to hear from any

of our colleagues in this regard.

(l-r) Orlaith Ryan, Mark Higgins, Jonathan Hayes and Emma Pitt

PlEASE NOTE this newsletter is for internal reference only within fti consulting and not for external distribution to clients or any other third Parties.

08 |

We are extremely proud of our graduate recruitment programme which has seen us welcome some of the best and most capable people into our firm. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds and specialisms, and all are making a real contribution to our continued success and growth.

Here, a few of our recent graduates explain why they joined FTI and the type of work they have been involved in.

Kickstart your career

life

at

FT

I

TOBY Chidavaenzi

Consultant

SAM FARLEY Consultant

“ after graduating, i looked for a job which would let me continue pursuing my interest in technology. the technology team at fti consulting gave me the opportunity to work hands-on with industry experts from day one.

“ I already feel that at FTI Consulting, I will be limited only by my own ability and aspirations.”

the culture focuses on developing your talents and playing to each individual’s strengths. this meant that within only a few weeks i was actively participating in client meetings and presenting to partners at some of the uK’s leading law firms. the open door policy to the senior management team means that they value ideas on their merit, not their origin.”

“ i joined the tax team as a new graduate after completing a bsc in biochemistry at exeter university. i was looking for a role that was intellectually stimulating, challenging and offered excellent career prospects and i felt that a job in tax would give me all of these.

“ Every day in the office has been an exciting learning experience.”

i have already been involved in numerous projects ranging from transfer Pricing to capital allowances, helping me integrate into this fantastic team. i am excited to be studying towards the new aca cta Joint Programme. after three years i will be a chartered accountant and a chartered tax adviser, which will equip me perfectly to excel in my client work and progress my career.”

NIKKI WELLS

Associate

“ i joined the strategic communications graduate scheme in september 2015 having graduated from the university of nottingham with a degree in geography and business economics.

“ The graduate training sessions helped equip us with the skills we’d need on a day to day basis, and our teams are excellent at exposing us to as broad a variety of work as possible.

fti’s global footprint and the stature of its clients was a big draw for me, as the opportunity to work with some of the uK and the world’s biggest companies is something few other agencies offer.”

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“ i joined the economic & financial consulting practice as a new graduate after completing a degree in Philosophy, Politics and economics at the university of oxford.

“ The work is challenging, but people in the office are always quick to offer their help which makes a big difference when you’re starting out.”

much of the appeal of the job for me was the extent to which the work engages your creativity and requires initiative, while the variety of it keeps things interesting. the opportunity to work abroad has also been fantastic as i have recently finished a six month secondment in Paris.”

ash sharmaResearch Analyst DUGIE YOUNG

Research Analyst

“ fti consulting’s strategic communications graduate scheme encourages you to take responsibility early on in your career. after my first month, i ran an event at a uK property conference escorting boris Johnson through the crowds!

“ Having progressed to be a permanent member of the Financial Services team, these experiences have prepared me well for running important events like results days.”

in my first year, i presented at buckingham Palace to a forum of some of the most inspiring women in the city.”

“ i joined the forensic & litigation consulting practice shortly after completing my mathematics degree at ucl.

“ Working with very experienced professionals has proven challenging yet extremely rewarding.”

i have been given the opportunity to work on numerous high profile cases including a multi-jurisdictional asset tracing investigation as well as travelling abroad to investigate the disappearance of a substantial amount of commodities. although the work is often extremely complex and requires you to grasp concepts quickly, a strong sense of support from my colleagues has always put me at ease.”

LOUISE HARVEY

Consultant

We are currently recruiting for our graduate programmes across all our practices, and for more information, please visit our website at

fticonsulting.co.uk/careers

PlEASE NOTE this newsletter is for internal reference only within fti consulting and not for external distribution to clients or any other third Parties.

10 |

life

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Victoria Barr from our EFC practice transferred from London to Cape Town in January 2016.

i joined efc in 2012 and have specialised in regulatory economics, with a particular focus on the healthcare sector. i very much enjoyed the work, but by 2015, my love-hate relationship with london life had started to become more of the latter than the former and i decided to see if i could move abroad again, while still continuing to develop my career with fti.

fti has been present in south africa since the acquisition of financial dynamics in 2006 but strategic communications was our only segment until John lisle relocated to cape town to launch our efc practice in april 2015. we had been serving a number of high profile south african clients from our london office, and a decision was taken to establish a presence

in the country to develop further opportunities in south africa and the wider continent. i was asked if i would like to support John in this venture, and i jumped at the chance.

i arrived in cape town in January, exchanging the british winter for a south african summer. and that wasn’t the only shock to the system. the london office now has over 600 people, while in cape town, we are a team of nine. John and i share an office with seven great colleagues from our strategic communications team, who have all gone out of their way to help me settle in.

at the moment we’re working hard to get the practice off the ground, and are particularly focusing our efforts on the energy, telecoms, healthcare and transport sectors. building a business takes time, but i feel we are making good progress and nikki gordon Jones in marketing has provided great support.

outside of work, i am trying to make the most of all that cape town has to offer. it really is a spectacular city, dramatically positioned between table mountain and the ocean. south africans are generally extremely outdoorsy and it’s not hard to see why when there is such stunning countryside so close to the city (and even within the city itself). i’m hoping things don’t shut down too much during the winter but even then there are things to look forward to. for example, winter is the season for whale watching.

my first few months in cape town have been extremely rewarding from a professional and personal viewpoint, and i’d love to be part of the team here for a good while yet.

Working for a global firm such as FTI Consulting opens up the possibility of working in some fantastic cities and offices. Here we meet two people who have been able to take advantage of just such an opportunity.

Overseas assignments

Cape

To

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Luke Broadbent from our Corporate IT team transferred from London to Brussels in January 2016

i joined the it team in January 2015 as a technical support engineer, and was the first line of help for employees who were

experiencing any it problems .

my role spanned all of our emea offices, and when the brussels office began experiencing recurring and very frustrating it issues, it quickly became clear that the problems required a full time person on site. i therefore applied for the secondment and came out to brussels in January 2016 for an initial six months.

my role here is to support the 85-strong strategic communications and compass lexecon teams with all of their it needs. it is much more wide-ranging than my previous role in london, and covers everything from helping to update the it infrastructure, installing servers and routers, rebuilding laptops and general trouble shooting. so this secondment has enabled me to develop some crucial skills and knowledge, and has provided me with a steep and hugely rewarding learning curve.

as for the city itself, before i arrived i didn’t actually know too much about brussels. however, i have quickly discovered lots of great places to go for drinks and a bite to eat after work. now that summer is approaching and the weather is starting to improve, there are

loads of options for things to do at weekends. for example, last weekend i went to the iris festival outside the royal Palace, which had live music, food and fireworks.

the secondment has been a fantastic experience and made even easier by the considerable support i received from fti throughout the move. i was given help in finding a flat just a 10 minute walk from the office, and my manager flew out during my first month to make sure i had settled in well. the guys in the office have also made me feel very welcome and i now feel part of the team, and have made a lot of good friends since moving here.

i’d like to thank everybody in brussels for making my secondment so enjoyable, and am absolutely delighted that my time here has now been extended for further 6 months.

Bru

ssels

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At the end of June our London office once again held their highly successful Summer Party at the Royal Academy of Arts.

the party is one of the flagship events in the legal calendar, and is highly popular among our clients from law firms, as well as in-house legal counsels.

we were delighted to welcome almost 1000 people to the event, who enjoyed champagne, canapes and music by a jazz duo, while viewing the famous summer exhibition. and with the party this year taking place on the same day as the eu referendum , there was definitely no shortage of conversation!

In June our Strategic Communications team took part in a charity football tournament organised by Brookfield Multiplex, the leading global contractor who are a client of the corporate property team.

thirty two teams representing companies working in the building and construction industry were involved in the competition at london’s hackney marshes. fti’s team was made up of richard stocks, James styles, andrew scorgie, tom hufton, emmanuel ofosu-appiah, tom white, andrew todd, toby chidavaenzi and michael rosen.

the team went through the tournament undefeated, but in

typical english fashion, lost in a heart-breaking penalty shoot out to the eventual winners.

most importantly, all the money raised by the tournament will go to the chickenshed theatre which provide education courses and outreach projects for both adults and children, together with the willow foundation who provide very special days for seriously ill young adults.

Volunteers from our London office recently spent a day maintaining the beautiful garden at Maggie’s Centre West London, located on the grounds of the Charing Cross Hospital.

maggie’s centres provide free practical, emotional and social support to people with cancer and their family and friends, in a relaxed domestic atmosphere. the charity was founded by maggie Keswick Jencks who, before she died in June 1995 was determined that “ people should not lose the joy of living in the fear of dying.”

the team of nine fti volunteers were stephanie blott, Pamela wadi, hannah gilkes, caitlin macmurray, michael rosen, elizabeth burnham, nicola Kraft, sergy maltsev, miles

guildford and Zander swinburne who all spent the day clearing and tidying flowerbeds, planting bulbs and pruning the flowers, and in so doing helping to create a calm, peaceful space for people to sit in, relax and enjoy.

if you would like to know more about how you can help maggie’s centres, speak with natalie ashwood, csr Project manager or visit their website at maggiescentres.org

Royal Academy Summer Party

Charity Football

Green Fingers at Maggie’s!eve

nts

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image courtesy of gillian ayres and alan cristea gallery

www.fticonsulting.com ©2016 fti consulting, inc. all rights reserved

cele

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te welcome to the world…...

PlEASE NOTE this newsletter is for internal reference only within fti consulting and not for external distribution to clients or any other third Parties.

12 |

what I know now…...

Julia, daughter of emma Pitt (flc, dublin) on 9 march

Cillian, son of david o’brien (flc, london) on 7 april

Darcy, daughter of mark higgins, (flc, dublin) on 15 may

Reisha, daughter of Ketan vaghjiani (tech, london) on 19 may

In our regular series, Julia Sherlock, Chief Operating Officer EMEA tells us the most valuable lessons she has learnt from her career... and from life!

Networking is crucial, and you often don’?t know you are doing it.networking is not about asking for a job, or for a favour. rather it’s about meeting a wide range of people, deepening your knowledge, and broadening your horizons. one of the best pieces of advice i have been given is to leave a meeting knowing more about the other person than they know about you. so show an interest in them, ask questions and try to remember something specific about them for the next time you meet.

networking enables you to build a group of people – in your personal and professional lives – who will be advocates on your behalf. such a group is one of the most powerful tools you can have.

Calmness is always a virtuewhenever i have needed to resolve a crisis at work or at home, i always try to take a step back and remain calm, no matter how serious it seems. by doing so, people have confidence that you are in control of the situation and can be trusted to come to the right decision. most problems in life are relatively inconsequential, and it always helps to remember this as you are trying to resolve them.

Life doesn’t happen in a straight linein the modern world, it is all too easy to think of our lives as a simple linear progression, where we must move upwards in order for us to progress and grow. yet often taking a step sideways, or even down, can be the best thing at a particular time of our life.

it may be that we want a different career, or a better boss, or family commitments dictate a change. what’s important is that such a move is not viewed as career limiting, but as an opportunity to continue growing and learning. when you

are ready to step up again, have confidence in your ability and seize the opportunities as and when they arise.

Success always favours the bravelike for many women, lack of confidence is something i have often experienced in the past. we often don’t like to put ourselves forward for jobs or opportunities if we feel we don’t have all the right qualifications or experience. i have learnt how important it is to have the confidence to grab new opportunities and experiences, even if they are out of your comfort zone. it’s only by challenging yourself that you will ever progress in your career, and in life.

Be true to your valueswhile my two sons were growing up i made sure that i was always home every evening to have dinner with them, and attended all their school plays, concerts and sports events. not once was this ever a handicap in my career.

we all need to decide what is really important in our lives, and not sacrifice or compromise those beliefs, no matter how difficult it may seem at the time.

Julia DarcyCillian Reisha