Adrienne Seaman, Managing Director and Associate General Counsel, International at CME Group
What’s one significant way coronavirus has affected your work?
The most obvious way the virus has impacted my working day is the time I spend on the phone. The move to remote working is easier for lawyers than many people – much of what we do is email advice and talking through projects and challenges with the business, which is as easy from home as in the office. We’re slightly challenged on the more casual and quick conversations to check on points and coordinate with colleagues, and bouncing ideas off the dog isn’t proving all that helpful. Printing, on the other hand, is a big challenge – though I’m proud of the reduction in unnecessary paper. Many trees will survive now we are forced to read documents on screen!
What’s a typical day like for you right now as we “shelter in place”?
A typical day is fairly similar to before – just without the two hours on the train and running across London Bridge in the rain! The time saved tends to get used up on the additional calls to keep up with colleagues – but not having to worry about travel delays makes the day much easier.
What’s something that has given you hope for the future after this pandemic?
Dealing with the challenges of the pandemic has expanded my mechanisms for dealing with lots of things, including how to manage my time. I have become tougher at prioritising and focusing on deadlines and deliverables. I’m also having to be stricter with myself at switching off at the end of the day to make sure I have had a break and recharge before it all starts again. And seeing my kids learn how to motivate themselves and manage their time is quite inspiring. I’m hoping that means I won’t have to chase them to do homework when this is all over – though that might be wishful thinking!
