Pros
I've been with the firm for over 10 years now and, just as the group has grown and evolved, so too has my role. Working in a Group support function, I've been involved in a wide variety of initiatives while honing specialist expertise and building my profile internally as a subject-matter expert. I've received multiple promotions over the years and particularly appreciate the flexibility afforded to me - including a move between international offices; a period of unpaid leave to travel the world; a switch to full-time remote working (before Covid); and a shift to compressed hours after having kids. I have a great relationship with my line manager, my team, and various other colleagues/stakeholders across the group. I feel empowered to share my opinions, make decisions, and implement change where it's needed. I also find the senior leadership very approachable and, while there's no denying there is a hierarchy, it feels relatively 'flat', with a clear sense that good ideas can come from all levels. Through innovative programmes like Accelerate, Explorer and the Shadow GMT, there's significant Group support for talent development, and I think the business is also really good at facilitating global, regional and local recognition for jobs well done.
Cons
Naturally the job varies in its enjoyability and there have been highs and lows over the years. At the end of the day, it's a private equity backed organisation so the workload is high and the pace is fast. That said, the culture is such that it's OK to raise the white flag when needed and manage delivery expectations.