A DAY IN THE LIFE OF… FRANCESCO VERCESI

Who are you, when did you start working at UC, and what do you do?

I started working at UniCredit in 1997 as a teller in a small regional branch in Italy. My very first months were fundamental to me and I still remember the colleagues who taught me the job and the customers vividly. I feel the same warmth when I go into our branches today. After a year I moved to Milan and later began to work across the Group between Retail and Private banking in Western Europe and CEE. I returned Italy in 2015. I joined the Western Europe team last year to facilitate E2E Rooms and Customer Experience.     

Can you describe your ideal workday?

It would be a very fast-paced but organized day. I’d start with a 30min virtual “stand-up” with the team to check in on priorities for the day. After that, I would spend around one third of my time in meetings with senior management and those we work for, one third problem-solving with the team, and one third catching up with email, documents, and other things I need to sort out by myself.

What do you eat at lunchtime normally?

I’m conscious, for some, it’s difficult to take a break, and they prefer to use their lunch break to catch up with work. But, in my case, I always ensure I take breaks during the day and eat proper food, even before the pandemic I would have a complete meal. I prefer vegetarian, Italian or Indian cuisine but I can’t go too long without a good pizza so to compensate I eat lots of vegetables and fruit every day.   

Can you share an insider-anecdote on a funny moment you’ve experienced at work? 

I have many from the past, I once nearly took the wrong plane because I was busy in a call but thankfully a steward spotted my mistake before we took off. More recently during a team dinner we were asked to describe each another as though we were an animal, letting the others guess. This little game told a lot of how we come across to each other and gave us a good laugh.

Are you a morning or evening person?

Lately, I am a morning person and, since the arrival of our first child, I’ve started to enjoy early hours, while the family is still sleeping.

What is your morning ritual before going to work?

I wake up early enough to have two hours free for myself. My routine includes a good breakfast, a quick read of news and a book, a review of the meetings of the day, and then out to train if possible! As our family has grown, I have had to adapt my rituals a bit. My reading time has got shorter and training is often left until the end of the day, but I plan to return to my favourite morning training routine asap.

Favourite time of the day?

Early morning

Do you have a hobby? (if yes, please elaborate)

I love sport and have always trained seriously. A few years ago, I started training for triathlons, and I have loved it since day one. It requires technique, resilience and motivation but I also feel healthy and satsified every day. My favourite thing is that you can run, bike or swim when and where it suits you best, and you can do it alone or with others.