Employee Spotlight with Caitlin, Montreal Workplace Manager

What was your path to DRW?

DRW was my first full-time corporate job out of university. Prior to working at DRW, I had internships that gave me event planning and brand management experience and I was seeking an opportunity that would allow me to hone in on those skills. Thankfully, I found that here at DRW where I’ve been given many opportunities for growth.

Can you tell us about your current role and day-to-day responsibilities/projects?

I’m currently the Workplace Manager in the Montreal office. My team is comprised of the food team who provides catered meals and snacks daily, the reception team, and the workplace coordinators who provide various support to the facilities and the firm. My day-to-day is making sure the office is functioning at its best, working on construction projects and build outs to keep up with our ever-expanding headcount, and helping to make sure that DRW is the best place to work by expanding the employee engagement experience in terms of extracurricular activities, events, and more.

How does the Workplace team keep DRW’s culture fresh, exciting, and collaborative?

Lots of research and scouring our city to see what’s happening to make sure we’re offering various activities our employees will truly enjoy. We also like to survey our employees to gauge their interests - receiving their buy-in is important. Team building events are a big one in our office and our employee’s really get a lot out of spending time with their colleagues outside of the workplace. Helping build camaraderie and bringing people together in a fun and social environment is one of the things I love most about my job, it feels good to help foster those relationships.

How have you grown in your career at DRW? What tools/people helped?

Every year it seems that more growth opportunities come my way, I can’t believe I just hit my 6-year mark working for the firm! I started my career at DRW as an Office Coordinator, then I took over as the Special Events Planner and soon after that I was approached to become the manager of the team I was a part of. My superiors have always encouraged my career growth and have had such faith in my capabilities that although I was nervous for the change, I took it on happily and here we are over three years later. I feel very lucky to have had a few leaders in both the Chicago and the Montreal office look out for me and help me along the way. They have all had a part in shaping how I've grown professionally, and they never shy away if I need advice or support in navigating my ever-evolving responsibilities.

What is your favorite part of your job?

There is never a dull moment, and nothing stays stagnant, as there always seems to be something new coming down the pipeline. I get to leverage different skills daily, from project management, to event coordination, to office buildouts and more.

What is something that you have collaborated with your Montreal colleagues on that you are most proud of?

One of my favorite projects I worked on was when we hosted over 200 global external counterparties for a Cumberland event in the Montreal office. This multi-day event gave me the opportunity to collaborate with a lot of people I had never worked with before, maintain my regular responsibilities, and plan a weekend full of events which was a challenge but very rewarding experience.

What's your favorite thing about the Montreal Office?

Undoubtedly the best thing about the Montreal office is the people and the culture they bring. I am very fortunate to be in the position where I have tons of exposure working closely with teams across the organization, even when we work in vastly different capacities. Having a strong bond with the people you work with help make the workdays brighter!