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Lessons Learned from Taking a Sabbatical

After working in the European capital markets for over 25 years, I had grown weary of the toll it was taking on me personally. I felt that I had more to offer the world than the professional work I was doing, but at the time I didn’t know how to achieve that reality. By taking … Continued
Clement Perrette

Clement Perrette

5 Min Read

After working in the European capital markets for over 25 years, I had grown weary of the toll it was taking on me personally. I felt that I had more to offer the world than the professional work I was doing, but at the time I didn’t know how to achieve that reality. By taking a sabbatical I was able to reignite my passions for ocean conservation, and create a life for myself that was ultimately more balanced and whole.

I HAD FALLEN INTO A RUT

Since I was a young boy, I worked very hard to get where I thought I wanted in life. I spent three years at the lycée St-Louis in Paris taking preparatory classes so that I would have a chance to enroll in one of the esteemed grandes écoles in France. I earned a degree in civil engineering specialized in applied mathematics and computer science, and a masters degree in finance, setting me up to work in the capital markets for some of Europe’s most prestigious financial institutions.

By 2011, I had successfully spent the past two decades building a thriving career on the capital floor of the European markets. But I was working night and day, I hardly got to see my family, and I was constantly stressed. My phone became my lifeline — I was never without it, constantly checking emails even when I wasn’t at the office. The capital floor provided the rush of adrenaline each day, but upon looking inward, I realized that wasn’t true happiness, and therefore was never going to bring me true fulfillment.

MY SATISFACTION WITH LIFE WAS SUFFERING

Within me, I knew that although my life was wonderful in so many ways, I had the power to make it even better. I began working with my bosses to transition off the capital floor, as I was aware that this was consuming an exorbitant amount of my time and energy. Luckily, because of my dedicated tenure at the company, they were open to discussing options. I was living in London at the time where my company’s main offices were located, but I was homesick for Paris, and so we came to a deal in which I was able to take a new position off the capital floor and move home.

In addition to my move, our agreement enabled me to take a four-month sabbatical. I had always enjoyed sailing, and from childhood had a love for the ocean, so I used the opportunity to rent a 47ft sailboat, thinking it would provide me with the true relaxation needed to reset. The boat was named Cruising Bird, and I sailed her to the Basque Country, Portugal, the Madeira Islands, Cabo Verde, and the West Indies.

IT ALLOWED ME TO RE-EVALUATE MY GOALS

In those four months sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, I expected to gain relaxation and return to work with a reinvigorated sense of purpose. What I didn’t realize was during my time out at sea, I would fall deeply in love with the ocean and the biodiverse group of creatures that lived within it. I saw beautiful whales, colorful coral, and a myriad of other strange and wonderful sights unique to the blue depths. But I also saw trash and plastic floating even far out in the middle of the sea, and it angered me to know that we were destroying such a vital part of our ecosystem.

Upon returning to work I did feel a rejuvenated sense of purpose, and was able to spend more time with my family than had been possible before. I was back home in Paris where I had wanted to be, but my time away had given me a chance to re-evaluate my goals for life. My sabbatical inspired me to put my passion for the oceans to practical use. Using that drive as my ultimate goal I began planning, and within two years I was able to retire fully from the banking industry and make the move to Geneva, Switzerland where a more balanced lifestyle is encouraged.

PERSONAL FULFILLMENT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS PROFESSIONAL FULFILLMENT

Since moving to Geneva, I have accepted a position as a senior portfolio manager, where I co-manage their global bond total return fund. With our clients being mainly institutional investors looking for a safe, liquid, and diversified fixed income fund, I am able to give them the time necessary to fulfill their needs while also leaving myself room for attention to ocean conservation. 

I am currently involved in two ocean conservation projects, one being a photo book with interviews from over 50 people, made up of both professionals and amateurs committed to protecting ocean life. I am also an executive producer for an upcoming film revolving around the lives of dolphins and whales, intended to be an inspiring dive into their emotions and intelligence to deter the whaling industry. In taking a sabbatical, I was able to create a life for myself that fulfills me personally as well as professionally.

Follow Clement Perrette on Medium and Twitter.

Author(s)

  • Clement Perrette

    Call of the Blue

    World renowned ocean conservationist Clément Perrette has participated in various meaningful philanthropic efforts, and continues to leverage his extensive professional experience to raise funds for his passionate cause. Driven by the desire to raise awareness of the vast atrocities being committed on a global scale, which amount to dwindling marine life populations, increased ocean pollution, and the poaching of various crucial species, Perrette devotes extensive efforts to gain surmountable change.   As a co-producer on 2018’s release of “Call Of The Blue”, Perrette worked collaboratively with over fifty scientists, and biologists, developing informational content for the moving book. Combined with the beauty of over three hundred photographs, showcasing the life beyond the darkest depths of the ocean, “Call Of The Blue” aimed to educate the general public, and inspire actionable changes that will positively impact the ocean conservation movement. Working alongside ocean photographer and philanthropist Philip Hamilton, Perrette’s endeavor has been well received, and there is now consideration for a second edition.   Notably, Perrette has also collaborated with Philip Hamilton, and a team of devoted individuals, to work as an Executive Producer on the film “Ocean Souls”. Aimed at exploring the intellectual capacities of whales and dolphins, the film delves into the ways in which the fascinating creatures interact in a complex manner, and develop social attributes similar to humankind. By drawing this parallel in an aesthetically beautiful manner, the team behind “Ocean Souls” aims to increase educational efforts, develop a sense of empathy for these “mysterious” creatures, and propel action to stop the poaching of whales, and dolphins alike.   Working with Uproar Global Media, a digital media company aimed at creating engaging media content to propel actionable effects via online sharing, Perrette is now involved in becoming a non-executive Board Member for the company. Uproar Global Media, which partners with their non-profit sister company, The Uproar Fund, works to bridge the gap between modern digital media, and conservation success.   Throughout his philanthropic efforts, Perrette calls upon his vast network of professional resources, and parlays previously perfected skills, gained over twenty five plus years of leadership within the finance sector. Armed with a Master of Finance degree from the prestigious HEC Paris, Perrette’s early work included the notably successful implementation of STRIPs throughout Europe. With extensive leadership experience within multiple global companies, including Worms & Cie, Deutsche Bank Paris, and Barclays Paris, Perrette has amassed vast experience within the financial sector.   As of February 2016, Perrette has changed the course of his professional endeavors, entering the field of asset management, via Geneva’s RAM Active Investments. As the company’s Senior Fund Manager, Perrette has successfully grown the company’s fixed fund assets, and has continued to succeed within the sector.