We had to adapt. The idea was to still serve Europe, but not from London. It was quite a heavy exercise. From what we do on private banking, it’s so far so good. People will have to change bankers, and we sent bankers also to Dublin from London.
What’s your strategy for Europe?
We want to work with family offices. Barclays is already in Paris, Milan, Madrid and Frankfurt, and we did a big roadshow to all of these offices with Gerald Mathieu -- head of private banking for Europe, Monaco and Switzerland -- just before the crisis. It’s not about working with high-net worth or retail clients. It’s about working with quasi-institutional, ultra-high net worth and family offices in this area. We’ll do it, but we’ve been slowed a bit by the pandemic of course.
Europe is a very competitive market. We know how the local brands resonate a lot, so the idea is to bring what we know will be of interest to clients. We’ll compete with local and international names, but we’ll pick our battles in Europe. We have a clear investing banking position there, and we can leverage our U.S. colleagues in the investment bank. We want to bring this investment bank link.
What’s your view on remote work?
I’m mixing now: half in the office, half at home. If there were some positives from the crisis -- and I say this with full respect for people suffering -- it questions the way we’ve been working. Feedback I have from colleagues is: Working from home is appreciated, but they want a mix.
Everybody is thinking: Is it possible to have mixed weeks? What are the consequences? You heard Jes Staley talking about this topic recently. In my opinion, if we can have a mixed approach from what I’m hearing from my teams and from what I’m experiencing myself now, that would be fantastic.
How did you spend the lockdown?
I discovered walking. After the day at home, I would just go out alone or with my partner and do a long walk -- closer to nature where possible: in forests, by a river or a lake. I enjoyed it a lot. If I don’t have a walk, I miss it. Today, the challenge is: How do I do this? I can’t do it now at 7 p.m., so I’m trying to keep one hour when I’m at home to go out for a walk during daylight and come back to continue work.
What’s the last book you read?
To tell the truth, during the pandemic, I have spent a lot of evenings catching up on all those Netflix series that I missed in the past. I guess that was one of the benefits of having more time at home versus traveling abroad or having the usual social life.
Saying that, it was also a good opportunity to read the latest novel from John Grisham, “The Reckoning.” He is a fantastic author and I have read all his books. I heard his novel “Calico Joe” is being adapted soon to a movie directed by George Clooney with Bob Dylan’s involvement. That would be fantastic, as this is probably his best book, about how lives can be transformed so quickly.
Where do you miss eating out?
I really miss the usual noisy and crowded French brasseries. There are a lot in Paris, but also a couple of excellent ones in London. You go there for the classic dishes of course, but mainly for the ambiance.
Some of those places have not changed for a long time, and this is probably what people look for. You will probably queue a bit before having a table, and you will also likely be sat very close to your neighbors. It’s hard to imagine these places quiet, not crowded and with people wearing masks, but of course you need to be prudent. They are supposed to represent the city’s vibes, so I’m really looking forward to going back when the crisis is behind us. Hopefully soon.