Yahoo Lifestyle Hour-by-hour, here's how Amex VP Caroline Bouvet gets her working day done
As the vice president of products and partnerships at American Express, Caroline Bouvet has her hands full. Not every finance company offers theatre tickets, business-class flights and early access to events like Wimbledon and BST Hyde Park, but this one has always defined itself by its differences. Swiping an Amex is something of a byword for exclusivity – and when you're responsible for every single card in the UK, that reputation is yours to uphold.
"There's no such thing as a typical day for me," says Bouvet, laughing. "One of the best things about my job is just how varied it can be. What drives me is ensuring that we offer the best rewards and benefits in the industry; every day, I think about how I can make our customers' experience with us even better than before."
While her working life is ever-changing, there are certain habits Bouvet keeps that ensure she's always performing at her best – whether that's fitting in her morning workouts, making time for her family (including her rambunctious cocker spaniel, Jasper), or relaxing in front of a crime documentary in the evening.
In the first instalment of our new series, My Working Life, Bouvet shares her daily routine.
Morning
5.45am: I'm an early riser, because of my young family, so my alarm usually goes off at this time during the week – either that, or I'm woken by my youngest!
6.15am: I try to get to the gym early, usually for a HIIT class or workout. This means I can get a train into the office if I need to, and be at my desk by 8.30am. It's hard some days, especially in the winter, but getting up early means that I've got my exercise done before the working day begins – which is really important to me. Having three children under 10 means it's almost impossible to do anything once they're awake!
8.00am: If I'm in London for the day, I'll catch up on the news and any life admin (all those school text messages, for example) while I'm on the train. Then, I'll pick up a coffee and breakfast on my way into the office.
8.30am: I usually start work around this time, whether that's in the office in London or at home, where I work at the end of my garden in a wooden cabin office. Jasper, my cocker spaniel, likes to keep me company there, which is really calming – until he hears a squirrel on the roof... Usually, I'm in the office three or four days a week, and most of my team are hybrid, too.
9.30am: My time at work is really varied: one day, I might be leading a meeting with a travel partner, or working with my team to develop a new benefit for one of our premium cards. The most prestigious card in our portfolio is the Centurion Card, which is celebrating 25 years in the UK this year. I love attending Centurion events in the evening where I get to talk to customers about their experiences as a member – I still get a real buzz when I hear all the positive feedback. We had a brilliant Centurion event recently at the National Theatre, where we went behind the scenes of a production and met the whole cast and director. Another great event was a diamond masterclass, hosted by a top Parisian jeweller, at a New Bond Street boutique.
10.30am: I have a big team – almost 50 colleagues – and it’s important to me that I spend time with each and every person. I might start off by running a full team meeting, or attending a one-to-one. Staying close to what our customers experience as cardmembers is crucial, so I also regularly meet with our customer care teams and listen in to calls to better understand the enquiries they are dealing with.
Afternoon
12.00pm: Midday might be time to get out of the office, perhaps for a lunchtime catch-up: I run regular offsite meetings for my team where we focus on development and look at ways we can support career growth, something that’s really important to me having been with the business for more than 15 years.
3.00pm: After lunch, I could be working on some of the extra projects I'm involved in at American Express. I'm incredibly proud to be the executive sponsor of our women's interest network in London, which is called WIN. I had a very positive experience when I went on maternity leave and as such, feel a great responsibility to pay this forward. After my first mat leave, I returned to work with increased flexibility and compressed working hours. I want my team to know that they are supported and can adapt and flex their careers at Amex, whatever point they are at in their lives.
5.00pm: I try to leave the office as close to 5pm as possible, so that I can spend time with my children and do their bedtime routines. Depending on how much work I have to get done, I'll log back on later in the evening to tie up loose ends.
Evening
7.00pm: It's a critical part of my role to ensure that I’m well informed about our customers and their interests, so I try to attend as many events as possible – whether that's a high-end dinner, a shopping trip or an entertainment experience. We have some amazing events planned: a luxury wilderness retreat in Suffolk, where cardmembers are flown in on a helicopter, with a menu cooked by the head chef at Kol, for example. I'm also looking forward to a mindful flower-arranging workshop, a Paul Smith shopping evening, and several dining experiences at the best London restaurants including Skof, Hide and Kitchen Table.
8.00pm: If I'm not going out for work, this is my time to relax. It's really important to me to find time to disconnect from work in the evenings and recharge. Once the kids are asleep, I enjoy watching a crime documentary and when I really need to unwind and switch off, my guilty pleasure is reality TV.
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