A week in the life of… Francesco Pavoni

Sunday

I spend the first part of the morning planning my work-schedule and preparing for the week ahead, before getting ready to take a trip to have lunch with a client. During the afternoon, I meet some people from my network in order to develop strong relationships. While this usually happens in Dubai, I regularly use Sundays to fly out to see clients in other parts of the Gulf Cooperation Council – most often Saudi Arabia. In the evening I go out on my bicycle for some exercise around the Dubai Marina.

Monday

I continue the good start I made to the week by going over my clients’ paperwork to ensure we can progress efficiently. After a social lunch with friends, I use the afternoon to meet with my various teams. Together we make sure our work schedule is on track and that any potential issues are being taken care of. Keeping on top of our work is of utmost importance to me, so I make this a priority. In the evening I arrange a tennis match with colleagues and clients. It is a good way to get some exercise in while having fun with the people I work with.

Tuesday

After making sure everything is on track for the day I spend a substantial amount of time dealing with paperwork. A lot of what we do involves a high level of bureaucracy, so it is not uncommon to find me buried in paperwork by the middle of the week. At lunch I head to a nearby restaurant to meet with clients and then catch up with our external teams, before heading out to an event. Dubai is one of the best places for dining out and I love trying all the cuisines available. I am a member of the Italian Cuisine Global Committee and I especially enjoy experimenting with innovative types of food other than the traditional Italian one.

Wednesday

Today is more relaxing. I arrive to work early to tie up some loose ends from the past few days and manage to squeeze in all my meetings before the afternoon. This is the day of the week that I use to detach for two to three hours and ‘disappear’ for a while. I make time to enjoy my hobbies, especially kite surfing. It might sound strange, but to me there is nothing more relaxing than kite surfing along the beach, so I do this as often as my work allows.

Thursday

This busy day is dedicated to making sure my team and I are as efficient as possible and that our schedule is on track before the end of the week. I go through several documents as soon as I arrive in the office and meet with my team to discuss our progress. I take a few hours in the afternoon to touch base with clients and colleagues that I was not able to meet with early in the week, just to make sure that everything is going well. At the end of the day I go out and socialise with friends. We head to the movies to enjoy something cultural. It is the perfect way to end a busy working week.

Friday

After a long lie-in I meet up with friends and family for brunch before kiting and swimming at the beach. In the afternoon, I head to Dubai Mall because I love to shop even if I am on my own. Being Italian, I have a deep interest in fashion and I take the time to shop and look at the new market trends. The evening is inevitably filled with socialising. It is the Italian in me – I really enjoy having fun with the people I am closest to.

Saturday

Even though it is the weekend, I cannot resist taking a quick look at my emails and making sure that all is going well at the office. Once that is out of the way, I dedicate my day to travel. I am adventurous and I really enjoy exploring the region as everything is close by and there are so many opportunities to see and learn something new. Countries such as Turkey and Oman are a quick flight or drive away, so I love taking the time to go visit some of their most beloved attractions. I make sure that I am home early enough to get a good night’s sleep, ready to start again with full energy in the morning.