Leaving on a jet plane

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Leaving on a jet plane

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Ask bankers about what most irks them in the industry today and it won't be long before they utter the word "compliance". Whenever I hear such complaints I like to trot out the following story from a very different time.

We were planning our annual off-site to an exotic destination in Asia, and because our department had swelled in numbers, we decided to charter a plane from Cathay Pacific to make sure that everyone arrived in good time.

However, at the last minute, compliance stepped in and said that, for safety reasons, we couldn’t put everyone on the same plane, just in case tragedy struck.

So we went and chartered two planes from Cathay, barely filling a quarter of either — but of course with enough booze for even the empty seats. The compliance team happily gave us their blessing.

These days you’re more likely to hold an off-site in nearby Lamma Island. The ferries aren’t quite as roomy, but there is one consolation: 7-Eleven still serves beer on the cheap.

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