Blogs
And NOW we’re flying!
May 2022
Second physical regional conference held by Russell Bedford International since the pandemic. In March, you may have read about our fabulous reunion in Cancun for our Latin America region. And this month we experienced another joyous occasion of getting back together.
I’d almost forgotten what it was like; standing on a stage, speaking to a live physical audience without any notes staring back at me from my PC screen. Catching up after breakfast, before the sessions begin… Networking during coffee… Discussions over lunch… Meeting at the bar at the end of a day… The evening entertainment… And the final celebration: One two three; One, two three; Drink…Throw 'em back 'til I lose count. (Well, maybe not quite… After all, we’re still professionals, right?!)
But that’s a very important point I’d like to make. Take the most technically proficient professionals in the world… The most talented sports stars on the field… The greatest musicians of all time… None of these will necessarily make you a Dream Team.
Collaboration is optimised by connecting people who are committed to common core values and, in our case, who share an authentic business culture, yet albeit come from different backgrounds, with different ethnicity, gender, race, religion… #diversity #equity #inclusion; but where a relationship has been built on trust and evolves naturally into friendship.
It was an absolute delight being reconnected in Geneva with our people from our European, Middle East and African region, as well as those international tax experts who came from further afar.
It might have seemed strange when I first stepped onto that stage to welcome everyone (in fact, at one point I almost fell off it - and that would have made another story!) But, by the end of the conference, it was very much like: “What pandemic? What lockdown? What 2 & a bit years?”
This is why our network prides ourselves on connectivity and relationships.
Additionally, there were so many new faces, since we had been recruiting heavily over this period. And it simply reminded me that these new colleagues were friends-in-waiting; those we had yet to meet. Well, now we have!
Flying higher than ever! Literally (on an airplane), metaphorically (from a chandelier…), emotionally (with positive spirits) and yes - still professionally, of course (despite the well-deserved vodka and champagne celebrations!)
And still very much taking you further.