26 April 2018
The financial trek to London has truly been one of the most enriching experiences during my time here in Edinburgh.
London, regarded as one of the most influential financial hubs in the world, boasts the likes of JP Morgan, S&P Capital, and Bloomberg Inc. to name a few. Being an avid traveler and possessing a keen interest for finance, the opportunity to participate in the London Trek was an added bonus for a person like me—providing me with a chance to combine two things I’ve always been passionate about.
Our trip began with a visit to the office of , followed by an evening at the . The Sky Garden, on the 37th floor, hosts some breathtaking panoramic views of the London skyline.
Day 2 comprised visits to and offices respectively, and Day 3 took in a visit to the beautiful office of . All the events were well planned and our evenings were relatively free to relax and explore the city.
The most interesting and unexpected event, for me, took place on the evening of Day 2. We had just finished our visit to The City UK and had a bit of free time. While some students were planning to unwind at a nearby pub, or shop on the popular Oxford Street, I took the opportunity to drop in at the office of my previous employers, Grant Thornton International Limited. They had recently moved into their new office at the “Walkie Talkie” towers. I messaged my boss, based out of London, and he was quick to respond with a welcoming invitation. As I cleared the security checks at reception, little did I know that I would be walking into a live open board meeting with the Global CEO and senior partners from the Europe practices. I remember vividly how thrilled I was to learn about this. Standing in the crowd, I witnessed the CEO and senior partners discuss global strategies and agendas for the coming year. It was heartening to see the involvement of employees at a board meeting of such importance, and how highly Grant Thornton valued transparency as one of its core principles.
After the meeting, I got a chance to catch up with the global CFO whom I had worked with in the past on multiple projects, and we talked about my studies, future plans and life in Edinburgh. I also met with some of my former colleagues whom I had worked with before and it turned out to be the perfect platform for networking.
All in all, while bidding farewell, I was pleased that I had taken the decision to come back and visit Grant Thornton, and to reconnect with all the wonderful people I used to work with.
Ritwik, MSc Finance 2018