Glen Fryer, or Glenys as she now called herself in gaining elevation within the corporation, transferred to the new External Branding Department being formed from scratch. Andy Ash, executive director of external branding, arranged for Glenys to be sign on as operations manager with her pay rate to be no less than her existing salary and for her to advance a year in seniority in grading on the staffing list.
Andy left it to HR to allocate Glenys' job benefits, noting that she would be involved in overseas travel and he was delighted to find her salary lifted considerably when placed in line with other operations managers within the corporation's US structure.
The audit department had been completely relocated, floor 33 had been renovated and two receptionists appointed. Glenys had appointed PAs for herself and Andy and the quality furniture and fittings were elegantly high-class in keeping with the image Andy want for the department that would deal with VIPs.
Andy and Glenys had worked long hours with internal support completing a strategic plan and an operations plan, both of which had been approved by the CEO.
To brand itself, the department's mission was simply, 'Our Department's goal is to make American Silver Foods Corporation better known internationally.'
CEO Carlos Rizzo had joked Andy should erect a sign promoting its mission. A few days later Carlos was astonished to find that brief mission statement had been carved into the white speckled marble floor of the lobby of floor 33 and the sunken lettering painted in black.
"What do you think?" Glenys asked, coming out to greet Carlos and finding him reading the inscription.
"Initially I thought it was a bit over the top but now I say, "Very cool."
He asked Glenys how was she getting along with her new boss.
"It's very challenging."
Carlos laughed and taking her arm suggested Glenys should never take Andy on head-on.
"Oh we have never fought. He challenges me by pushing me farther than I ever expected and I'm being surprised myself at my performance. He supports me 110% and now has me telling everyone that everything we do needs to be perfect or at least near perfect. We have a staff of eight with eight more due to start throughout next month and that should be about it."
"Oh excellent. And you two are off next week to Rome?"
"Yes with our chairman to find ways to assist him to win election to the executive of the organization he has target and see advances to this corporation to gaining that exposure. His delivery of the investigating committee's report could achieve an election advantage for him."
"Yes Glenys. Look, may I ask is there anything going between you and Andy?"
"No but this is for your ears only. We have a pact, not on homeland soil."
"Well that's great. When in Rome... is what that say. Well good luck and lots of success. Now this is for your ears only. I was bawling Andy out for taking you with him to Rome when he pulled out the operations plan and showed me where that intention was recorded, or should I say almost hidden, and of course I knew I'd signed off that document. Then he looked me in the eye and said where he goes, you go, that the entire thrust of the department's planning was framed on that tandem perspective. He then had the damn cheek to ask did I want to abort the operation and fire him."
"Omigod."
"It's fine. Neither of us raised our voices. For a young guy he's a cool and mature operator."
They went into Andy's office that was almost as large as Carlos's, with emphasis on almost.
"Hi boss."
Carlos frowned.
"Who will run the show while you two away?"
"Our hostess in training is a former office manager for a large firm and is perfectly capable of running the department while we are engaged in branding work in other countries. Don't you recall my report to you discussing the necessity to appoint a person with such skills so that the office runs effectively in our absence?"
"Ah yes, now that you've refreshed my memory," Carlos said smoothly. "Yes and I did agree that flag-bearing, as you put it, is essentially what branding is all about."
* * *
The day before Andy and Glenys left for Italy to support the corporation's chairman, they were invited to Joseph Shield's club for lunch to meet his wife who would travel with them and to discuss travel procedures.
The chairman and his wife would travel first-class and the other two in business class on the 9½ hour flight direct with Delta Airlines.
It turned out that although Inés had been born in France, she immigrated to America when she was twenty-two and married Joseph three years later. She revealed she was an American citizen and regarded herself American and had retained a bit of a French accent to assist her family to understand her when they conversed in English. Inés was elegant and charming and said she could also make herself understood in German and Italian. Andy told her she would be an asset to the team and that pleased her.
Inés said, "You two, um this is delicate..."
"No not yet," Glenys said and the two women chuckled while the men looked at the ceiling.
Joseph said he was quite good with French, was quite fluent in Italian and could also make himself understood in German.
"What about you two?
Glenys said French and some Italian and Andy surprised Glenys by saying he was quite fluent in Spanish.
"Well that has us rather well covered on the international circuit," Joseph said. Looking at Andy he said, "I suppose you picked up Mexican Spanish from friends at school and farmhands on your parents' ranch?"
"Yes and particularly from one of our ranch hands who spoke a more formal version of Spanish."
"Good because you will find the people we rub shoulders with speak Spanish more formerly."
Joseph and Inés were in their mid-fifties and Glenys had said to Andy it would be like travelling with one's parents. Therefore he was pleased during their first meeting to see the two women already bonding rather well, so perhaps Inés thought for them it would be like travelling with one's children. He didn't reveal that conclusion to anyone, thinking it would be diplomatic to ignore age gaps and most other gaps. He intended to work with a business development focus even in social situations.
On the way back to the office in the Mercedes, Glenys asked, "Well what do you think?"
"I've had a little bit to do with Joseph so knew he was okay. I found Inés surprisingly good and appeared keen to be friendly. I feel she certainly won't be an impediment to us. I guess I was expecting a haughty Frenchwoman who would turn off people we were targeting if she was with us. Our first job is to help our chairman to make significant impact."
Glenys said, "I noticed you made no mention of what we have planned or have ready to tie up?"
"Correct because I believe the best strategy is to let him have a half day on Italian soil before we wind him up. The one exception will be when he comes through to talk to us on the aircraft. I'll then tell him about dinner plans and our analysis of the organization's executive members. He should have a chance of winning selection to that committee because he has good drive and ideas and partly because he's observed that executive will be aware there has been little American involvement in its activities for years although there are several Americans on the executive's advisory team."
