ACEVO’s digital leadership festival is back this year from 2-4 November. The full programme is available on the website and in this blog series, you will get to know our speakers a little bit better.
Melanie Roberts, partner, Sarasin & Partners
At #ACEVOFest21, Melanie will talk about the long-term themes set to shape investment markets over the next decade and how we might identify and influence sustainable companies set to benefit from these changes.
What makes you hopeful?
That technological developments go someway towards solving some of the world’s greatest challenges. My youngest child asked me: “Do you think Covid will have gone away by the time I’m in year 8?” – that’s two years away. “Oh yes, I’m sure it will” I replied “Well, I hope so…”
What do you know now that you didn’t know in the beginning of 2020?
How critical it is to understand how your computer works (I still don’t really know and am in constant debt to our IT helpdesk) and to have superfast broadband.
What message you’d like to send to yourself to read a year from now?
Don’t give up trying to get your family to eat aubergines, chickpeas and butternut squash – they’ll thank you one day.
Can you recommend: a book, a series/film, a podcast?
Can I recommend one of each? The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix, utterly brilliant to be able to make a film about chess so gripping. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize 2021 and beautifully written. I’ve not yet finished but it’s the first book I’ve started and actually wanted to finish for a while. Any podcasts by Prof Tim Spector – if you don’t know about him, you really should. Or try his audiobook Spoon-Fed.
Did you incorporate a new habit in your day to day routine in the past 18 months that you can share with us?
I’d love to say meditation and that I took up an instrument, but the best new habit is probably a cup of green tea every morning – it’s meant to be good for you.
What do you miss the most from working at the office and what you love the most from working remotely?
I miss the chatter around the desk with my colleagues – I’m sure I drive them mad, but it makes coming to work so much more fun. At home, I love being able to run before work in the morning – so much easier as no need to faff around bringing your gym kit into the office.
What’s your favourite thing to do for your own wellbeing?
Eat chocolate daily – although Tim Spector insists on it being the darkest kind!
