I’ve been remiss, I haven’t written my monthly update, and in short it's because I’ve been too busy. The financial services industry was “lucky” with regards to COVID. People could work safely from home and, after some initial disruption, the industry sailed along avoiding any downturn. Markets were up, M&A activity has been frenzied, and the summer was unusually busy. I seemed to get a lot of out of office replies, but somehow things kept on moving. However, many firms were starting to suffer from a drop off in productivity with fully remote working. Leaders were actually worried about their teams, because colleagues had worked so hard during the pandemic that they were beginning to struggle. The productivity gains of working from home also dropped and many felt they lived at the office. So the opening of offices has come not a moment too soon, and I hope readers of this update managed to take some time off and recharge over the summer.

For the most part, most firms have now re-opened their offices favouring a hybrid working model, and in my opinion this will really help drive the economy forwards. It’s not just about helping city centre businesses recover, but being together occasionally helps with problem solving, building culture, variety and gives us laughter - many essential ingredients for a fulfilled life. I think there are huge wins to be had if we can make it work. I accept there will be short term challenges, but if we get it right it could improve productivity, diversity, and supercharge the economy. I wrote this article for Wealth Tribune on the subject. This transition will take patience and goodwill from both employers and employees, and I hope all parties work together to make this happen. We get more done when we collaborate, the world is a better place when people focus on being helpful and understanding.