This is called ‘The Beach’,” says Natalie Blyth, global head of trade and receivables finance at HSBC, gesturing towards a comfy two-seater sofa to her right. Blyth meets Euromoney at HSBC’s dedicated floor at the WeWork in Southwark, London.
The sofa is nestled in a recess to one side of the office and is surrounded by pictures of white sandy beaches and blue skies. Posters with bright and encouraging affirmations on them are tacked to the wall.
“Anyone can take a seat here, chat to colleagues or sit alone if they wish. It’s a place for thinking,” says Blyth.
Across the way, workers in trainers and T-shirts sit at desks in the open-plan office. A state-of-the-art kitchen in one corner provides workers with micro roasted coffee, fruit water and artisanal biscuits. On another floor, there’s free beer on tap, a games room and what appears to be the office dog.
The WeWork office space is a far cry from the formal, sometimes sterile, conference rooms that Euromoney is used to visiting in Canary Wharf. The relaxed working environment feels more like a fancy new fintech than a 150-year-old bank.