From Operations to the Front Office: A Conversation with Will Doyle

I joined AEM in an operations role, which turned out to be a really valuable place to start. It gave me a good grounding in how the business works and an understanding of what happens behind the trades, rather than only seeing things from the front office. You’re working closely with different desks and different people across the business, so you naturally start picking things up. For me, it was a good opportunity to learn, ask questions and understand the market before taking that next step.

It was definitely something I was interested in. Working in operations meant I was around the desks and could see first-hand what the brokers were doing every day, which made me want to learn more about that side of the business. As I gained experience, moving into broking became the natural direction I wanted to take my career. When the opportunity came up to make that move, I was keen to take it.

Very. There are fundamentals you learn in operations that stay with you. You develop an understanding of the products, the trade lifecycle and how different parts of the business fit together. When I moved into the front office, I wasn’t starting completely from scratch. I already had that foundation and could concentrate on developing the commercial and market-facing side of the role.

Probably the pace and the level of responsibility. You’re much closer to the market and to clients, so you have to process information quickly, communicate clearly and become comfortable making decisions. There’s also a lot to learn that you only really pick up through experience. You can understand a product technically, but understanding how a market behaves and developing relationships takes time. That’s where being surrounded by experienced people has been particularly useful.

A huge amount. There’s knowledge on the desks that comes from years of being in the market, and being able to sit alongside people with that experience is difficult to replicate. It’s not necessarily about someone formally teaching you all the time either. You learn by listening to conversations, seeing how people approach different situations and asking questions. Over time, you start to build your own understanding and your own way of working.

It’s collaborative. People want the desks and the wider business to do well, and there’s a willingness to help each other. For someone developing their career, that makes a difference because you feel comfortable asking questions and learning from the people around you. At the same time, you’re given responsibility and expected to step up when opportunities come your way.

Quite significantly. Moving from operations into a front-office role naturally brought a different level of responsibility, but that progression has continued as I’ve gained experience. You’re trusted to take more ownership as you develop, which is important. There’s support there when you need it, but you’re also encouraged to challenge yourself and keep moving forward rather than staying within what you already know.

No two days are exactly the same. The markets are constantly moving, so you’re always learning and reacting to something new. There’s a competitive side to broking that I enjoy as well. You’re building relationships, developing your market knowledge and trying to get better at what you do. There’s always another level to reach.

You need to be willing to learn and put the work in. Nobody comes into the industry knowing everything, and particularly early in your career, being prepared to listen and absorb as much as possible is important. You also have to be proactive. There are opportunities here, but you have to show that you want them. For me, taking on new challenges and being willing to move outside my comfort zone has been a big part of progressing.

If you’re ambitious and genuinely interested in the markets, there’s a lot you can learn here. My own experience shows that where you start doesn’t necessarily define where you can go. I came into the business through operations and have since had the opportunity to move into the front office, work alongside some of the most experienced people in the market and continue developing as a broker. There’s still plenty for me to learn, but that’s part of what makes it exciting. You’re surrounded by people who know the market incredibly well, and if you’re willing to learn and take opportunities when they come, there’s real scope to progress.