The Accidental Network Ambassador
Stories from the TGS network, gathered and written by John-Paul Flintoff.
Seen a mistake? Please let me know.
—
Most TGS conferences are populated by managing partners and senior leaders. But what happens when you send someone younger?
Katie Harvard Taylor's journey from uninvited observer to network facilitator suggests firms might be missing a strategic opportunity.
How it started
Katie wasn't supposed to be at that first TGS conference in Madrid.
Two members from Vermetten, the Dutch TGS firm, were in London on a road trip visiting other member firms. One of the Hillier Hopkins partners casually asked if anyone in the office wanted to join the visitors for drinks.
Over those drinks, Vermetten’s Nils and Rob asked Katie: “Are you coming to the conference in Madrid in a couple of months?”
She hadn't been invited.
“Obviously HH has to pay, and was already sending two partners. I assumed they wouldn't pay for me,” Katie recalls.
But she asked to attend anyway. The response: “Sure, why not.”
So: yes, there are obvious cost concerns. Yes, firms already stretch budgets sending senior partners.
But Katie's story suggests the ROI calculation might be more complex than it appears.
The unexpected returns
That first conference changed everything for Katie - and for her firm, too.
“It was really useful to meet different people from the member firms, and understand what the network is and how it works, and how the referrals work.”
Before Madrid, Katie knew almost nothing about TGS, the network her firm was a part of. Now, colleagues throughout Hillier Hopkins come to her for international contacts.
The business impact was immediate:
A client with a Netherlands warehouse needed a stocktake. Katie called “the guys there” instead of sending HH staff
Vermetten referred a UK subsidiary audit that needed local expertise
Multiple referrals flowing both directions
“It's good to know you have someone you can trust to refer work to, rather than someone you have googled,” Katie explains. “I've met them and talked face to face. There's more of a bond.”
From attendee to facilitator
The progression accelerated quickly.
Andrew Menzies asked Katie to co-facilitate a session at the Marrakech conference – alongside managing partners and senior leaders.
“I was flattered to be asked, but also a bit scared because I hadn't done anything like that before. Most people at the conference are managing partners and know what they're talking about.”
Yet Katie's perspective as a younger professional brought fresh insights that resonated with network leaders.
The strategic advantage
What Katie's experience reveals is that younger professionals at TGS conferences aren't just attending – they're building the relationships that generate tomorrow's referrals.
While senior partners focus on strategic discussions and high-level networking, professionals like Katie are creating the operational connections that convert referrals into revenue.
“Sometimes I get emails from colleagues asking if we have a contact in India, for example. People know I've attended the conferences so they ask me.”
Katie has become Hillier Hopkins' informal international relationship manager – a role that didn't exist before she started attending conferences.
The development factor
Beyond the business impact, conference attendance accelerated Katie's career development.
Katie became a Principal at Hillier Hopkins in April 2025. Confidence gained from international presentations, relationship-building with senior professionals across the network, and becoming the firm's go-to person for international matters clearly contributed.
“I didn't know much about TGS until I went to conferences. A lot of people at the firm don't know much about it.”
The lessons
For Strategic Development:
Junior professionals build different relationships than senior partners
Trust-based referrals outperform Google searches
Conference investment creates unexpected internal expertise
Younger attendees often become network ambassadors within their firms
The Katie Method:
Seize unexpected opportunities (“Sure, why not”)
Build personal relationships that translate to business connections
Embrace challenges that stretch capabilities (facilitating sessions)
Become the internal network expert others rely on
For Firm Leaders:
Consider the multiplier effect: one junior investment, multiple relationship returns
Recognize that relationship-building differs by generation and role
Account for career development alongside immediate ROI
Think about who becomes your internal network champion
Closing
Today, that casual drinks invitation in London looks like one of the best “accidental” investments Hillier Hopkins made. Katie would be the first to say it wasn't planned, but it was transformational: for her career and for the firm's international capabilities.
Of course, this isn’t just about Katie. Are your rising stars getting the same opportunities to become your next network ambassadors?