Jack Smith – Kreab Worldwide – Brussels, Spring 2020

My name is Jack Smith and I am a junior economics major at Furman University. This semester, I had the opportunity to work with Kreab Worldwide, “a global strategic communications consultancy.” Kreab has over 500 consultants at over 20 locations around the world including Tokyo, Singapore, Stockholm, London, Moscow, and Brussels. Kreab Brussels offers many services including sustainability, trade, and competition but specializes in European Union affairs and Financial Services. Specifically, Kreab Brussels focuses on monitoring European Union activities as they are relevant to their clients which mainly consist of financial firms.

In 1970, Kreab was created with the simple initiative to make complicated matters simple by condensing large amounts of information into a concise and pertinent document to present to their clients. For example, the coronavirus is rampaging through the world at the moment and causing most economies to slow down and experience a time of angst. There are countless articles, studies, and other forms of information on the internet that make finding the important information time consuming and difficult. Kreab’s consultants monitor countless news sources and public documents in order to inform their clients on how the coronavirus is impacting the economy; and how that impact will affect the client. Kreab offers many services within this realm. Some of Kreab’s accomplishments include advising UPM and Myllokosky’s merger in 2011, advising Spanish Bankia’s initial public offering in 2011, and Kreab opened 16 new offices on 3 continents from 2016 to 2019.

I had the opportunity to work in the financial services department at Kreab and a “trainee.” My daily tasks consisted of completing a newsletter for the team, monitoring the European Council Midday Press Briefing, and monitoring the advancements of Covid-19 as it pertains to the financial services department. I would complete the newsletter and post it so that the entire financial services team could view important articles and I would take notes and comprise briefings to present to the directors concerning the midday press and the coronavirus. Throughout my time at Kreab, I also had many other tasks including research for briefings concerning exchange traded funds, fintech, central digital currencies, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

I truly enjoyed my time at Kreab Brussels. My research skills improved on the daily basis, my writing skills improved as I wrote and revised various briefings, and my professional communication skills improved as I presented my work to the other associates and directors. Although I wish I could have continued to develop my professional abilities in such a lovely work environment, I am appreciative of the time that I spent at Kreab Brussels. I will never forget my time there and the many lessons learned.

- Jack Smith