Richard Titherington JPMorgan Asset Management managing director - head of global emerging markets
AS A FREQUENT traveller, I have a well-loved leather briefcase that has become so battered over the years that it looks a bit like Paddington Bear's tattered old suitcase. It was given to me by my wife, so it has huge sentimental value and is a warm reminder of home while I am away.
My briefcase is home to my valuable documents such as my passport, but equally important are the photos of my family that I always carry with me. The photographs are a visual reminder of the most important things in my life.
I spend about six months in a year travelling, so my briefcase is essentially a mobile office. The contents vary slightly, depending on the destination I am travelling to or the meetings I have scheduled. For example, if I am visiting the United States, I carry reading material about the US financial markets.
Over the years, I have learnt to cut back on the number of things I carry in my briefcase, but somehow I always seem to pack a lot more things than necessary.
Spending so much time on aircraft or waiting in airport lounges allows me to read, plan ahead and catch up on work-related issues. For this reason, my briefcase has become a smorgasbord of reading material.