Let’s grab that cup of coffee

So, it happened. Faster than we had anticipated, but here we go, the UK government has announced the end of Covid restrictions, in line with other governments on the Continent. For many of us working in the City, this probably means a gradual – if not sudden – return to the office life.

We welcome this move with a mixed feeling of relief, anticipation, and curiosity. We feel relief and anticipation at seeing people in person again; catching-up on almost two years of personal and business stories, beyond what we were able to see only partially through the limited box of our Zoom screens; rekindling and reviving our network, in the office and throughout the City and beyond; and enjoying the fluidity and pleasure of live relationships, which are core to building and doing business.

Yet we remain curious, not so much at the timing and rationale of this seemingly sudden move, but more prosaically at how the City will navigate the changes brought by the pandemic, and the questions it raised on our way of doing business. Topics range from the ability to work flexibly and remotely, pushing to the fore not only the questions of data and technology, but also that of operational resilience and organisational dynamics; to the questions of the sense-making of the industries challenging future opportunities and innovations, captured in the unavoidable question of ESG on one hand, and the range of regulations aimed at aligning and preparing the City to new societal paradigms on the other hand (climate change, diversity, geopolitical shifts, to name a few).

Yes, it sounds that there is much positive change to plan and organise in the months to come, and we look forward to working on these undertakings with you. But for the moment, let’s make time to meet and grab that cup of coffee. We want to enjoy again the smell of freshly brewed beans, and ask you genuinely: “How are you?”