Spend a workday with… Whyte and Mackay’s Clarisse Daniels

By Faye Bartle | Tuesday, 25 March 2025 16:16

Clarisse Daniels

Whyte and Mackay’s Regional Director Travel Retail for Europe, Middle East, India and Americas, shares an insight into her working day.

AM

Like most of us reading this with kids at home, if I want to get any free time, it has to be before 7am. I religiously fit in 40 minutes of fitness every morning, whether at home or in a hotel room.

By 7am, I start my first and favourite job, being a mum (even though it can also be the most frustrating one as all parents will know). When at home, breakfast is a family affair. My husband and I are a great team and we divide the tasks – even though I’m sometimes in a lovely hotel somewhere sunny, or I had to wake up at a silly hour to catch an early flight. Then he has to do it all on his own.

He gets breakfast ready for 7:15am and, after a few dramas from my daughter who can’t get her hair right, we sit together with BBC Radio 2 in the background. A bit of music and an update on the news gives everybody what they need.

I’m in charge of clearing it all up and by 8am, once the storm of getting everybody out of the house on time with their packed lunch, PE kits and phones (one of these items frequently gets forgotten) has passed, then my second job starts, which I would describe as being a service provider to my travel retail customers and my team.

Morning

I will have checked my programme for the day the night before, so I get cracking with the big items like writing a presentation or crunching large amounts of data. I can’t say I have a daily routine when it comes to work and that’s the joy of it all. Every day is different, I talk to people from all over the world, whether colleagues or customers, from different functions and various levels of seniority. I have learned throughout the years to listen, read between the lines and understand whether the person wanted to be heard or is seeking some help.

My motto is to make sure my team comes to work energised and leave with a smile on their face. I aim to give my direct reports the autonomy they want by listening, challenging and empowering them. It is important these steps happen in the right order and at the right time. I often use the analogy of being a football manager. We work together ahead of a match, but when the match is live, I won’t get on the field to kick the ball. Working this way has been rewarding as I love to see the energy they put into getting the job done as they are empowered to take more initiative and make decisions which give them a strong sense of pride.

Box Hill, Surrey. Photo: Shutterstock/JW.photography31

Lunch

That’s the break we should all fight for. I aim to get out for a walk in the beautiful countryside in Surrey for at least 30 minutes. Unfortunately, on some days, I am unable to do it and this really impacts my work. Getting that walk in makes me take a step back from what I’m working on.

Whilst I walk, solutions to challenges come up when I could not think of anything earlier when in front of my laptop. And if I have no challenge on that day, then I’ll use that walk to tune in to a podcast. I encourage everyone to develop a habit of listening to podcasts. It has helped me structure my thoughts, approach a problem differently, etc… the list goes on.

PM

I might not have a daily routine, but I do have an annual planning which requires me to collaborate with a team of brilliant colleagues at Whyte & Mackay. We are a small team faced with plenty of exciting opportunities alongside the usual challenges anyone can face, and it never seize to amaze me on how passionate and dedicated my Whyte & Mackay teammates are. They are always here to work with each other and help when someone needs it. Yes, we have debates like in every other company, and debates are what make us better, but the conversations remain respectful and we encourage sharing constant feedback for all to improve in case something was said or perceived the wrong way. Thanks to this great mindset and constant focus on team members’ wellbeing, we all felt very proud when Whyte & Mackay was certified Great Place to Work this year.

Clarisse Daniels, Regional Director Travel Retail for Europe, Middle East, India and Americas, Whyte and Mackay.

Wrapping up the day

Before switching off, I check the schedule for the next few days and make a list of priorities for the next morning. This means I’m motivated with the day ahead as I’m clear on what’s expected of me and I can get the ball rolling quickly with my fresh brain at 8am in the morning the next day.

After hours

When at home, I have a habit of stopping work to have dinner with the kids. Despite being French, cooking isn’t my pastime, but fresh food will be served every day, just simple fresh food. It is important to acknowledge that we can’t do it all. What mattered to me was having the right balance between giving my kids, myself and my job what they needed. My kids are happy despite the fact that I don’t bake cakes because I have found that balance.

After dinner, I then start my third job of the day, which is to become a taxi driver for the kids to get to their clubs. I do catch up on emails whilst the kids are doing their clubs which is very handy as I like to stay focused throughout the day rather than getting distracted by a constant influx of communication.

Once the daily family routine is done, it’s back to ‘me time’. I like to unwind in front of a Netflix TV series (I’m watching The Recruit at the moment) and to make sure my brain is fully switched off from work, I read a novel before falling asleep. I’ve learned never to check work messages/emails in the evening as I’m guaranteed to struggle to fall asleep if I do.

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