Exude stability.
Keep them calm.
The rustling of suits and rolling of chairs dies out, and I turn from the window and the view of the London Eye I was pretending to enjoy while staring at my phone.
Eleven pairs of eyes stare at me from around the glossy, deep green boardroom table.
I update them on financial performance first, knowing that’s what they care about the most. It’s the first board meeting I’ve been able to show a stable last quarter, and I receive the relieved nods I expected. Next, I share the morequalitative (and not so positive) updates around post-Damian cultural impact and talent retention.
“Even with our new art director, staff surveys show high levels of uncertainty and lower engagement in his department. I’m positive this will improve as he settles in. We’re still searching for the right creative director to own the design vision, so I’m keeping that under my remit.” And I’m keeping it as it is. This is not the time to make big changes.
“What are you doing to turn this around?” Graham Freed, Chair of the Board and my business mentor of fourteen years, asks, rubbing his grey-bearded chin. “Your star developer went over to a competitor recently, I gather.”
“We have more than one star developer, but yes, one of our most highly recognised talents has taken the leap.” Joining the over twenty others since Damian’s downfall and exit.
There’s scattered throat-clearing and muffled muttering, but I cut them short, jumping to the next section of the agenda. “Our fifteennewtalents have started and completed their induction week.”
“Did you get the person who developed Kitty Cat Bit? My wife loves that silly game,” the German business advisor adds, sharing a rare smile.
“Tolu Adesina, yes. They’ve moved from New York. We also got Kaia Saar from Estonia. She won the Global Game Code Jam two years ago when she was only twenty.”
There’s a ripple of excitement across the group, and I suppress a smile. I’m excited as well. We need fresh minds, the most brilliant of them, to stay relevant in this industry.
The buzzing of my phone on the table pulls me straight back to Saturday’s events. To Alice, and her sparkling eyes.
Her laugh.
The way the dimples grew deeper when she smiled as wide as her face would allow when she did that hilarious dance.
“Mark, did you hear that?” Graham’s booming voice cuts through the noise. “Are you okay?”
Did I miss something?
“Apologies, Graham, can you repeat that?”
Fuck, I did. I hate seeing that apprehension in Graham’s eyes. It reminds me too much of how he looked at Damian when he was spiralling in the end.
“Hana was saying something you ought to hear.” He gestures to the tweed-clad woman next to him; Choi Hana. One of our fiercest and most trusted advisors.
Hana clears her throat. “We’ve all read the blogs and the news articles, and we’re tired of seeing Damian’s name. Let’s outshine the shadow he cast on Infinio with your successes. We’re so grateful for your stable and consistent leadership. I believe I speak for all of us when I say: thank you, Mark.”
Everyone applauds, and an unwelcome trickle of sweat rolls down my back.
“Thank you, Hana. I appreciate that.” Although I can hear the not-so-subtle hint she baked into that compliment. And as much as I’d love to stop seeing Damian’s face in the news, I don’t want to see mine.
But this is the life I’ve chosen. And it’smycompany.
Sacrifices will be required. My personal comfort-zone will have to be one of them for now.
Hana clears her throat again, and it’s obvious she has more to share.
“Fellow board members,” she says, looking around. “I need to add this item to the agenda, as our independent report has come back early. I trust you’ve all received it?”
Independent? I knew HR was snooping around, but what is she on about?
“I haven’t,” I say. “Should I?” She damned well knows I should have.
“My apologies, Mark. The report arrived this morning,and I thought it best to raise it now instead of waiting until next quarter’s board meeting.”
