Our member, Meirion Lewis, today gave us the 2nd. Instalment of his talk entitled “Anecdotes from a Business Life”, about his time in business from the 80’s through to the 00’s.
He recalled being asked during a job interview by his soon-to-be- boss at Chronos if he was a drinker, and realising all too soon that if he had not been, then he would not have gone very far when dealing with prospective clients, especially in Easter Europe, where morning meetings began at 08.30 with Slivovitch!
Business practices in these areas, especially Poland, were not above room bugging to discover negotiating strategies, and currency regulations led to some interesting moments!
He visited Berlin whilst the wall was in use, but turned down the opportunity to visit East Berlin via Checkpoint Charlie, preferring solidarity with a German colleague who was obliged to use the much more inconvenient underground railway.
His trips around the globe have seen him visit 52 countries, ranging from South Africa, India, China, Thailand, and eventually Brazil. One overriding impression left on him from many of these visits was the determination not to consume too many Chinese meals, which, although far from authentic in the UK, nevertheless still remind him of the very unwholesome ingredients he has come across during his travels.
His last photograph was a selfie taken underneath the statue of Christ the Redeemer on Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, and we were left wondering who indeed was “The Redeemer”!