Inside Ultra-Luxury Removals: A Conversation with Edwina Kwakye of Cadogan Tate

Edwina Kwakye

Deputy Head of Sales & Client Services, Private Client Services, Cadogan Tate London

When it comes to high-value home relocation, it’s important to engage a moving company that has both the experience to handle valuable and delicate possessions, and the dedication to ensuring that those items arrive safe and sound, no matter what obstacles present themselves along the way. Cadogan Tate’s Private Client Services department specialises in such ultra-luxury removals–and as Edwina Kwakye, Deputy Head of Sales and Client Services at the company’s Park Royal office in northwest London, explains, every client deserves the ultra-luxury treatment.

Hey, Edwina. What’s your role at Cadogan Tate?

I am the Deputy Head of Sales and Client Services at our Park Royal headquarters.

And what does that role involve?

So I’m with our Private Client Services department, which deals with looking after our private clients. We have other branches that deal with interior designers and galleries and museums, but here we predominantly deal with A-to-B moves, both local and international, for individual clients.

OK, great.

So what we do here is quote the client for the service, and then ensure that their service goes well. We send out a surveyor to assess the job–when the client wants to move, what services they require, and so on. We’ll use the surveyor’s assessment to formulate a quote, and if that quote is accepted, the job is assigned to a move manager.

And a move manager is essentially like a project manager for that job?

Yes. They communicate with the client, ensure all the information etc is passed over to the crew that will be on site, and just generally make sure that there’s clear communication throughout.

Cool. So how long have you been with the company?

Eight years now.

And what’s your background? How did you end up here?

I actually studied PR, and worked predominantly in fashion and consumer PR. When I got to the point I didn’t want to do that any more, I thought, “Let’s just see what’s out there,” I took this as a job for the meantime, and that meantime job has ended up being a job that I’ve been in for eight years. [laughs]

What do you enjoy about the job?

I would say my ability to grow. I’ve been here for eight years, but I haven’t been in the same position for eight years, so it doesn’t feel as long as it sounds. I have covered various roles, taken on different responsibilities, dealt with some of our high-profile clients… I think there’s also a sense of purpose, being able to handle everything from start to finish.

Is it demanding dealing with high-wealth clients?

Well, to be fair, when it comes to high-profile clients and celebrities… it’s not necessarily that it doesn’t matter, I just think that every client is in need of the same kind of level of service. Not all clients are celebrities, but they all require care.

Absolutely.

Honestly, some of the most rewarding situations have been the jobs that I’ve been involved in, where I would just put my all into them. One time we had a client who really, really needed a box that we were storing for him. Like, he said, “Well, if I don’t have this box, I’m going to have to be in a hotel.”

Yikes.

Yeah. And I said, “Well, there’s just no way it’s going to come to that. I’m going to make this happen for you.” I remember going out to the warehouse with some crew and getting in the box, going to my car, getting a cab and all that kind of stuff… just to make sure that the client got what he needed. So, it wasn’t necessarily the biggest project I’ve worked on, but there are some projects that just stick out, and they’re the ones where I feel like I really went out of my way to make sure it went well. For me it highlights being dedicated to the work and just wanting to do the best for people.