2 July

Meet the Team Taking on the Abseil Challenge!

Our corporate partners Payden & Rygel are taking their support for The Lord Mayor's Appeal to new heights this year, with an incredible team of 15 colleagues, clients and business partners preparing to descend the iconic Lloyd's of London building as part of the Lloyd's of London and The Lady Mayoress's Abseil Challenge 2026.

Ahead of the challenge, we spoke to Eric Delomier, CFA, Director at Payden & Rygel, about why the team signed up, what they're looking forward to and why supporting The Lord Mayor's Appeal continues to matter.

There are 15 of you taking on this challenge together. What's been the reaction across the team, and how are you motivating each other as the abseil gets closer?

Payden spends a lot of time in and around the Lloyd's building with our clients, so we thought it would be a fantastic opportunity to abseil this iconic building. Because Lloyd's is such a friendly and collegial community, it felt like a great experience to share with clients and friends of Payden in the Lloyd's market.

We invited a number of them to join us for the challenge, with Payden donating to The Lord Mayor's Appeal on their behalf. The reactions varied quite a bit – some people responded enthusiastically within seconds of receiving the email, while others needed a little more time to consider the proposition!

At the end of the day, we've brought together a fantastic group of 15 people. It's not just about the number, though. We have an incredibly diverse team, with equal numbers of women and men, representatives from eight different companies and five different nationalities.

Abseiling down one of London's most iconic buildings is a big step outside most people's comfort zones. What are you most excited about – and what are you most nervous about?

I did some rock climbing in my youth, so I felt pretty confident when I first signed up. But then I walked past the Lloyd's building afterwards and thought to myself, 'That's pretty high!’

I'm sure there will be moments of hesitation and sweaty hands, but that's exactly why you want to do something like this as a team. It's a brilliant experience to share with colleagues and business partners, and I'm really excited about it.

You're taking on this challenge in support of The Lord Mayor's Appeal. Why was it important to get involved?

Payden has supported The Lord Mayor's Appeal for nearly 15 years and sponsoring the Abseil Challenge is another opportunity for us to give back to communities.

We're all incredibly privileged to work in the City of London, and we shouldn't lose sight of that. Making sure we support less advantaged communities is simply the right thing to do. Payden has a long tradition of supporting charities on both sides of the Atlantic, and we're proud to continue that through The Lord Mayor's Appeal.

A huge thank you to Eric and everyone at Payden & Rygel for embracing this unforgettable challenge and for their continued support of The Lord Mayor's Appeal.

Sign up to The Lloyd's of London and The Lady Mayoress's Abseil Challenge here