Reading: Young dealmaker proves remote working can be winning formula

Conscientious Gateley plc lawyer Sarah Souter was a debutante with a dashing double-first at the Thames Valley Deals Awards.

She gained her first ever personal career accolade in winning the prestigious 2019 Young Dealmaker award for professional advisers under 35.

And she became the TVDA’s first-ever recipient to receive news of her award screened remotely via FaceTime.

Conscientious? The reason Souter was not at the TVDA evening event was because she was literally working on a top-level deal in Gateley’s boardroom on the top-floor of Reading’s tallest building. The major deal had to be completed by an end of financial year deadline.

And dashing? After successfully closing the deal before midnight, that was Souter’s rapid journey across Reading to the TVDA stage at the Royal Berkshire Conference Centre to belatedly receive her award personally – and celebrate it (and that closed deal) with Gateley colleagues and Thames Valley dealmaking associates.

Another double? Souter’s Gateley plc colleague Mark Metcalfe won the same Young Dealmaker accolade at last year’s Thames Valley Deals Awards.