A Day In The Life

Hayley Corcoran

Posted 26 September 2018

New York Program

August 2013 Intake

Current Post: Director of Sales at Institutional Investor Conferences & Memberships

My Alarm Goes off...
Around 7 am. My commute takes around 25 mins (on a good day) to our office, which is next to St Paul’s Cathedral. I’m lucky to see this London icon on a daily basis but not so lucky to have to battle the tourists taking photos of it from outside our office door.


I'm Responsible For...
EMEA sales and business development for our fixed income and legal forum businesses. These peer group memberships connect heads of teams at European asset management firms. I also work on selling our Trader and Derivatives focussed events.


I Got The Job...
By working my way up through the business after completing my placement year in New York. I started out as an assistant, got a permanent role in the London office at the end of my year, and progressed from there. I’ve been here five years and in my current role for just over a year.


My Typical Day...
Meetings, meetings, meetings! I’ll brief clients and prospects about upcoming events, and find out what they are working on. We have regular internal catch ups with the programmers, client service teams and investor relations to discuss future events. The marketing team partly reports to me, so we will work together to plan out the sales and campaign strategy.
A typical event day starts much earlier and ends much later! Our programmes are filled with guest speakers, panels and breakouts, and an evening activity followed by dinner. We’ll do something fun at the end of the day – over the years, I’ve found myself riding rollercoasters, taking part in treasure hunts, and Segway racing. Event days often end up 18 hours long, but it’s important for me to be onsite to make sure clients are happy. I also find it useful to listen to the sessions and speakers as it’s vital to know what’s happening in the industry, and what challenges my clients are facing.


The Culture Of My Workplace...
We turned 50 a few years ago, but the office culture feels like that of a startup! We are a small team who run around 40+ events annually which means we all pitch in to help each other out. As a team, we spend a lot of time together when travelling so we are quite a close knit bunch!


My Most Memorable Work Moment...
Meeting (very briefly) Hillary Clinton who was the keynote speaker at one of our events this year. It was inspiring to hear her speak so candidly on a number of issues, particularly as it was on International Women’s Day.


My Role Models are...
My mum has always been my number one role model. I have so much respect for how she managed a demanding job with raising two children as a single parent. She has always encouraged me to take advantage of the opportunities life gives me. While instilling a strong work ethic in me, she also taught me the importance of balance and finding joy in the everyday.


The Most Challenging Part of My Job...
Is not taking no for an answer! Or rather, keeping a positive attitude when faced with rejection.


The Best Part of My Job...
The travel! Our events have taken me to Europe, the Middle East and North America. Through work, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit some fantastic cities, and stay in some amazing hotels.


After Work...
I’ll socialise with colleagues, taking advantage of the endless things to do in London. To relax post work, I’ll cook with my boyfriend (whom I met on Mountbatten), and do a quick yoga practice.


Plan B: If I wasn't doing this, I would...
Have trained to be a counsellor or therapist. I’ve always had an interest in psychology and really enjoy mentoring new team members. It’s fantastic to see someone grow while developing their skills and confidence!