Hermes gets a head spin with a BT Tower soiree
Owned by the BT pension fund, you’d think Hermes Investment Management would have free rein in the telecoms giant’s famous tower, but last night the firm had only its second event there ever.
It’s inaugural autumn party gave employees (and The Capitalist) a chance to enjoy the views and celebrate Hermes’ recent rebrand.
“I remember being up here as a child, when it was a restaurant,” chief exec Saker Nusseibeh told The Capitalist as the 34th floor revolved, revealing multiple views of London’s foggy skyline. “I mostly remember feeling sick.”
The relationship between Hermes and BT certainly didn’t afford the firm any special treatment when it came to the rules. Security was high and once the 90th guest arrived, Hermes had to split its party over two floors, spilling down to the 33rd. “You’re number 84,” the lift operator told The Capitalist, as Hermes’ comms team ran around with clicking counters.
Hermes recently changed its logo and name, to reflect its ambitions as a global firm and the new logo, only a few weeks old, was still a hot topic. “We went from Aston Martin wings to the Lib Dems’ bird,” joked one Hermes veteran, pointing at the new, bird-like logo. “We’ve got nothing to do with the Lib Dems though!” he added. With Nusseibeh having recently stood as a Labour councillor in Chelsea, you can say that again.