Today’s Office: Accenture’s Max Morielli on beach walks, Barolo and biking in the Alps
Max Morielli was appointed Accenture Interactive’s president for Europe in March, so has only ever led his team remotely. Here, he tells us how he is staying inspired through beach walks, Barolo and motorbiking in the Italian Alps.
Max Morielli, president for Europe at Accenture Interactive, and Zuri
I’m mainly working from my home office in Turin right now, although I travel to Milan from time to time. I started this role in March, right when the Covid-19 lockdown spread across Europe and put a halt to travelling. I think I’m the only European president that has ever built his team completely remotely!
I’m lucky as I can dedicate a floor of my home to my office – incidentally, though, it’s also on the same level as our garden and we have an outdoor pool that I see all day through my glass doors, which is both good and bad, as you can imagine.
I love to start the day having a serious breakfast. It’s an opportunity to have some quality family time, and we usually exchange our plans for the day. I also usually find some time to read the news online.
Being a former athlete, I need to exercise to keep in decent shape and I have more time to do that now than I used to. I like to run or walk with my dog Zuri (which means beautiful in Swahili), either nearby my house or at the beach, and when I have time I love to ride my Ducati (a treasured gift from my wife, who loves it too!) up and down the hills between Liguria and Piedmont. We’ll seek out a nice spot for good food and wine (truffles and Barolo are simply the best). I’m also a ski instructor and all the family are skiing fans, so I really hope to be able to go back to the mountains this winter.
Working from home with two teenagers is not without its challenges. There never seem to be enough rooms (or enough bandwidth), and sometimes I have to give up the floor for teenage parties at the pool.
I’ve been married to my wife for 21 years and the old Monday-to-Friday routine probably kept us in a long-running honeymoon! I’m spending much more time with my family, which is obviously great, but I’m definitely missing walking the corridors of my clients’ offices. In the past, I used to spend most of my time with them, but this is no longer possible.
Humans can adapt easily (that’s the secret of humankind), but personally I’m good at building great relationships, either with colleagues or clients. The physical touch is what I miss most – shaking someone’s hand or getting a pat on the back. It’s hard to replace that kind of interaction.
It’s clear to me that we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create new experiences aimed at improving people’s lives and work. I’m lucky to work for a company that shares my personal ambitions in making the world a better place, and this is what I talk to my team and clients about daily. This is what is keeping me inspired. My family is also supporting and inspiring me every day, and their trust is the best engine for my motivation.