Every year, the world gets smaller. Many of us can remember a time when the office was their world, where even working with colleagues in different counties, no matter countries, felt unusual and even exotic.
But in the past five years, driven in part by technology and by economic trends, global has really started to mean global. Clients are always seeking to expand their footprint and we are keen to mirror their journey – and with this we meet new challenges and new opportunities along the way. Our growth in Europe has been significant in recent years and the next stage of the BPS journey has taken us (and in particular has taken me and my family) to America. So what does that mean for me and for BPS?
On a personal level, this has been one of the most exciting times of mine and my family’s lives. We have a new house, in a new country, new schools for the kids and are slowly establishing a new way of life. On the one hand, this has been radical and at times not without its challenges: when you see a sea container filled with all of your worldly possessions, it certainly makes you realise you have made a significant life choice! On the other, so much remains constant. Our life has pivoted but in many ways, with family at its centre, a lot remains constant too. For anyone considering a similar move my most significant piece of advice is: be ready to fill in forms. Hundreds of them! But the admin has been worth it.
Professionally, work mirrors home. In my role, I believe it is critical that our culture should be consistent no matter where we are in the world: the core BPS ‘family’ may be further away and very active while I am still asleep, but on a fundamental level nothing on a day to day basis has changed. I really believe that as we grow internationally this point is critical – we may adapt to new cultures, to new laws, to new ways of working, but we should remain true to ourselves. Clients engage with us because of who we are and our culture should (and will!) transcend borders.
In short, I am excited about my personal and professional adventure and look forward to the opportunities it will bring me personally and to the business as a whole. Our first employee is on-board so that makes two of us Stateside. And we have only just got started…
To hear more from Rachael and her new opportunity please contact her on: rachael.allen@bps-world.com