Ali Dehaine - Day in the life

My day starts early (depending on the alarm or when the kids wake us up!) but usually with some sort of exercise (running or cycling) before getting ready for the working day.

On the train and on my way into the office – with a quick check of emails to know what to expect for the day ahead. A quick stop into the coffee shop downstairs and I’m on my way.

The day starts with reviewing of emails and a relatively quick check-in with the team to ensure everything is tracking well. Updating our cashflow is usually how Mondays start and reflecting on the previous week.

This usually includes a finance team meeting followed by a lap around the office to touch base with some of the fee earners in the business, or other business heads. My focus is continuing the open communication between finance and other teams in the business.

Depending how organised the weekend was, determines what’s for lunch! I always aim to get out for a walk after eating lunch just to break-up the day and come back refreshed to tackle the afternoon.

Mondays involve a meeting with other business heads and some of the partners to plan for the week ahead. This usually includes discussing any projects or tasks that require collaboration between our various teams.

I spend some time reviewing and approving payments for the day, and ensuring any outstanding tasks for the day are completed before the team wraps up for the day.