My favourite demo, but don't tell anybody, Tim Hughes

Every career has its favorite demo

This demo was for a client that, officially speaking, doesn't exist

I can’t give you the name; I’m pretty sure I signed a document in disappearing ink that forbids it

But let’s just say if 007 had a Chief Financial Officer, this was their team

Infiltration and Red Tape

In this world, last names are considered a security vulnerability

Knowing the "company" operated on a first-name-only basis, I attempted a pre-emptive strike by visiting reception the day before

The Intel: I warned the front desk that my guests wouldn't provide surnames or a corporate entity
The Response: Reception gave me a "we've seen it all" nod
The Ambush: On the day of the mission, the nod was forgotten. They blocked the entrance, citing fire codes and security protocols as if my guests were enemy agents

I had to perform some high-level diplomacy in the lobby to get them through the "border," eventually escorting them to the safe room (Meeting Room B) for some tactical tea and biscuits

The "Prague" Protocol

Once the laptop was open and the coffee poured, the Q&A session went from standard accounting to The Bourne Identity real fast

Forget "What’s the ROI?"—they had more pressing logistical concerns

Field Agent (Finance): "Hypothetically, if we hand off a suitcase of Euros in a dark alley in Prague, can we hold that as cash in the ledger?"
Me: "Depends. Did you get a receipt from the contact?"

The entire room broke cover and laughed

It’s not every day you get to discuss whether a "suitcase of US Dollars in Paraguay" can be accurately allocated against a black-ops budget

For one afternoon, accountancy wasn't just about double-entry bookkeeping; it felt like a high-stakes game of international shadow-finance