Which law would you most like to change?
In my work, I am very closely associated with the threat and effects of cybercrime and often see the devastation this can bring to businesses and people. I suppose it isn’t a law, but I would love to see a situation where everyone must train to protect themselves from cyber-attacks. Most breaches occur when cyber-criminals trick users, and there are some simple techniques that everyone should know to make it harder for criminals to win.
Who was your hero when you were growing up?
Am I allowed two? I am a comic-book superhero fan, but my favourite will always be Batman. He had no super-human powers, but he always found a way of helping people. It always made him more special to me. He didn’t fly or have super strength – he had to use his wits and the skills he developed. Like the rest of us do, I guess!
My real-life hero is my dad. He was a farmer, and he never took a holiday. He worked hard day and night, looking after the land and the animals, and he instilled in me a fantastic work ethic that has served me well throughout my education, career, and life.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
A former manager whom I had much time for said don’t stress over the things you can’t control. When he put me in a senior position, he said, “I know you can do the job, but I am worried about the stress it could cause you. Work out what you can control, and don’t stress about what you can’t.”
It is so true. You can lose a sale, or even a long-term account, for all sorts of reasons that are out of your control. Of course, you still must make targets, but there is no sense in expending energy on something unachievable, whatever you do. Hard work will always pay off in the long-term, if you work with a strong team who can support you.
Making mistakes is part of life. Once something is done – it’s done. You can’t change it; you can only learn from it and move on.
If you had to work in a different industry, which would you choose?
I would go into the film industry as a writer or director. I love the idea of being in control of telling a great story.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Of course, when I was very young, I wanted to be a farmer like my dad. But as I grew older, I developed a passion for film-making and wanted to be a writer/director. I even wrote an entire script
What was your big career break?
Another thing I learned from my father was that to get on, there is no such thing as luck. You get what you want through hard work and practice. Even in college, when I was working three jobs simultaneously, I was always looking for opportunities to learn and take on more responsibilities.
A massive break for me was working as a sales development trainer for Epson. I would visit retailers like PC World and Currys to train staff on how to sell the products. One of the account management team salespeople went on maternity leave, and I offered to step in and cover her role, without extra pay, just for the experience. It worked! When she returned from maternity leave, I was offered a full-time position in the account management team, and this was the start of my exciting and fulfilling journey in corporate sales.
If you could dine with any famous person, past or present, who would you choose?
Quentin Tarantino! I love his films so much. What he has produced is not just about what you see in front of you on the screen. I would love to talk to him about how he gets his ideas and brings them to life on the big screen. His imagination is incredible, and I would love to know more about where this comes from and how he can tell his stories in such a vivid and entertaining way.
I suggest showing him a script developed by a young me to see what he thinks!
If there is an extra place at the table, I would love to invite the inimitable Brian Clough. I grew up in Derby, and Brian Clough is part of the DNA of anyone growing up there in the 1970s. I even met him on the bus! He was an interesting character who loved people but had no time for fools. I would enjoy asking for tips on management from the master.
What’s the greatest technological advancement in your lifetime?
The way communication has improved in my life is incredible. But the one moment of technological advancement heralding this is the first text sent from one network to another. It has driven how we all work and play today and allows us to do much more as a society.
