On 14 January 2026, the Early Career London Committee hosted “January Strategy Session – Set Your Goals for 2026”, a purposeful evening designed to help members reflect on their aspirations for the year ahead and build clarity around both personal and professional goals. The session brought together early career professionals from across the finance community for thoughtful dialogue, practical frameworks, and collective inspiration.
This event offered an opportunity to step back from busy schedules and consider what truly matters in the year ahead. Traditional goal-setting was reframed to move beyond objectives on a to-do list, but about aligning ambition with sustainable practices that support long-term success and wellbeing.
The session featured insights from two exceptional speakers, Deirdre Hynes and Bella Harrison, who guided attendees through conversations on setting goals that align ambition with impact, while emphasizing the importance of integrating personal wellbeing into professional planning.
Attendees were encouraged to think expansively about their 2026 goals, considering not only what they want to achieve, but how they want to show up in their work and in their lives. Highlights of the evening included interactive discussions around:
- Crafting goals that balance ambition with wellbeing
- Identifying strategies to align actions with impact and visibility
- Building intentional habits that support sustained progress
Throughout the session, members engaged with curiosity and openness, sharing reflections, asking thoughtful questions, and supporting one another’s perspective-building.
The evening concluded with a networking reception.
The Early Career London Committee extends sincere thanks to Deirdre Hynes and Bella Harrison for their thoughtful and practical contributions, and to our generous co-sponsors CIBC and HedgeFacts for their continued support.
This January Strategy Session marked a powerful moment of intentional start-of-year focus, setting the tone for a year of growth, balance, and purposeful achievement. Here’s to working together to make 2026 a year of meaningful progress.