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Blackouts and a fear of getting fired: Confessions of a top woman in finance with a drinking problem

'One thing that really bugs me is that employers still insist on alcohol being a major part of any work event'

Financial services needs to step up to stop bullying around drinking, this insider says
Financial services needs to step up to stop bullying around drinking, this insider says Photo: Getty Images

Serena Cordell* held senior positions at some of the world’s biggest investment banks, asset managers, legal and accountancy firms. The pressures of her job, combined with personal struggles, led her to problems with alcohol. This is her story.

Alcohol has featured in my life since A levels. At 27, I qualified as an accountant and went through a bad breakup while working in investment banking.

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