Christian Bien

Associate - Corporate Finance & Restructuring

5.30 AM

Rise and shine! Time for a short walk to get some sunlight, followed by a cup of tea and some light reading. This morning I’m reading the ‘Power of Moments’ by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, a fantastic insight into what creates a standout and memorable moment.

Afterwards, it’s a shower and breakfast and then I’m out the door.

7.00 AM

Time to catch the bus and then a train to work. While jamming to my playlist, which includes anything from David Bowie to Drake, I often use this time to respond to messages from family and friends and do a light skim of emails to see if there is anything important.

8.00 AM

Usually, I get in at 8.30 am, but today I’ve got a coffee catch up with a friend from Uni, so we’re heading to our favourite place, Lowdown, in Cloister’s Square, to catch up and reconnect. The best part about working in the city is that there is never a shortage of great coffee shops to go to!

8.30 AM

Time to start the day. As a morning ritual, I take 15-30 minutes at my desk to plan out the day by having a brain dump of everything that needs to be done and seeing how it fits in my schedule. Afterwards, it’s time for some light reading of the Australian Financial Review and a quick flick through the ASX announcements to ensure I’m up-to-date with the financial news.

FTI Consulting Graduate - Young male professional sitting on his desk.

9.00 AM

The first thing on the agenda is to sort and read through all the new emails in my inbox. Afterwards, I noticed I’ve got a meeting at 10.00 am and 11.00 am, so I will prepare some notes and determine the key discussion points to be raised.

10.00 AM

Time for the morning meeting with the Corporate Finance & Restructuring team in Perth where we discuss our workflow for the week, client updates and any new jobs that are coming in or we are actively targeting. The meeting also provides a safe space for anyone in the team to raise any concerns or ideas they may have.

11.00 AM

Time for our weekly debtor call. This is where the other consultants and I discuss with senior leaders our compiled research on companies that may be in a situation that could require our support. Senior leaders of the business will use this information to actively reach out to existing and potential clients. It’s fantastic to see the work we’ve done being translated into new projects for the firm.

12.00 PM

Usually it’s either leftovers or lunch from somewhere nearby. However, there’s a ‘lunch and learn’ on today, which means it’s time to brush up on some new skills over lunch. Today we had a colleague from our Melbourne office provide an introduction to United States bankruptcy law from her experience on a three year secondment to our New York office. She was a fantastic presenter, plus all her photos of New York made me even more motivated to visit!

1.00 PM

Time for some client work. We’re preparing a financial model for an ASX listed mining client which means a lot of time on Excel. Today I’m translating some new client files we’ve received into the model and ensuring the outputs are calculated correctly. It’s a big jump from University experience with Excel, however, I’m fortunate to receive support from my director, who is the project lead, to answer any questions I may have.

2.30 PM

Quick tea break. (No coffee past 12.00 pm is my rule)

2.45 PM

Back to the client work. Michael, another graduate in the office, is helping with the work so we’re checking in to make sure we’re on the same page and delivering the right outcomes for the client.

FTI Consulting Graduate - Young male professional conversing with his colleague.

3.00 PM

After a quick check in, it’s more financial modelling. There’s been some changes in how some of the expenditures are calculated. My job will be to sort through these changes and ensure they are reflected correctly in the updated model.

5.30 PM

Time to head out of the office. Today is running day! I’m part of the Perth Urban Runners, a free running group that meet at 6.00 pm each Tuesday and Thursday for a 7km-10km run. Today we’re running 7kms at Claisebrook which will see us run from East Perth to Burswood park and back. Great conditions and almost a personal best on timing today, just under 37 minutes.

FTI Consulting Graduate - Sunset at the bay

6.45 PM

After the run it’s time to head on home for a quick shower and some dinner. It’s pan-fried salmon and asparagus today, something quick and healthy!

8.15 PM

Time for some downtime by logging into Netflix. I love Brooklyn 99 and the new season just came on Netflix, although, I am worrying about what happens when I run out of new episodes.

9.30 PM

Time for bed to recharge the batteries for another day!

FTI Consulting is an independent global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organisations manage change, mitigate risk and resolve disputes: financial, legal, operational, political & regulatory, reputational and transactional. FTI Consulting professionals, located in all major business centres throughout the world, work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges and opportunities. For more information, visit www.fticonsulting.com and connect with us on Twitter (@FTIConsulting), Facebook and LinkedIn. FTI Consulting, Inc., including its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a consulting firm and is not a certified public accounting firm or a law firm.

The views expressed in this document are those of the author and not necessarily the views of FTI Consulting, its subsidiaries, its management, its affiliates or its other professionals. This document contains only general information. FTI Consulting is not, by means of this document, providing accounting, business, communications, financial, investigations, investment, legal, tax, technology, or other professional services or advice. This document is not a substitute for professional services or advice, nor should it be used as a basis for any decision that may affect your business. Before making any decision that may affect your business, you should consult an advisor. FTI Consulting shall not be responsible for any loss whatsoever sustained through reliance on this document. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.

Griffith University acknowledges the people who are the traditional custodians of the land, pays respect to the Elders, past and present, and extends that respect to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.