What was your first job (and how much did it pay)?
My first job was in 1998 working for a pioneering streaming media startup in the Ouseburn called Kclass, headed up by a very charismatic CEO who was previously a competition winning bodybuilder. This was pre-YouTube and back then, the challenge was to try and stream video to non-smart phones with woeful bandwidth. The response we got from most people was that video on a phone would never catch on - who would have thought! It was a great experience, but a classic example of when the idea was too far ahead of the technology and unfortunately, the business struggled. I probably started on around £18k straight from uni, however it was the tech, the team, the cool office and the latest laptop I got as part of the role that was far more exciting than the salary.
What is the best advice or support you’ve been given in business?
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I think when running a business, it’s critical to have clear goals and milestones to achieve them. It’s very easy to get bogged down in day-to-day tasks, one of our non-execs once coined the phrase ‘busy fools’. Just because you are busy, doesn’t mean you are on track for success. Now, I always try to evaluate a task and constantly ask myself: “Is this going to get me closer to my goal, or not?” If not, it can wait while I prioritise the things that matter more.
What are the main changes you’ve seen in your business/sector, and what are the challenges you’re facing?
Covid has drastically changed the business landscape, we have a generation who have never worked in an office and have no desire to. Trying to build and maintain a good team culture and moral is hard when you’ve only met each other on a screen. One of the big challenges many companies currently face is attracting good talent and getting them back into the office more regularly.
What would your dream job be?
My dream job would be a tech / angel investor where I could hopefully advise new startups on what not to do! As I’ve learned most things the hard way, by failing at them the first time round!
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What advice would you give to someone starting out a career in your sector?
In my experience, the best way to advance your career and get promoted is to start doing the job you want by taking on extra responsibility and using your own initiative. Before you know it, you will have achieved what you want. Don’t expect things to happen if you don’t take action.
What makes the North East a good place to do business?
The North East is full of incredible talent and ideas and there is a great tech scene here. I’ve worked across many sectors in my career and from all of them, Newcastle stands out across the country as a leader. It feels like we have to be better than everyone else to be heard in the North East, leading to some stand out companies across architecture, engineering and computing. There is also a willingness to collaborate and work together which you don’t get in other regions.
How important is it for business to play a role in society?
Business plays a huge role in shaping society and as we move into what is being coined the fourth industrial revolution, this has never been more important. Advances in technology such as AI are going to radically reshape the employment landscape and how we live. It’s important that big tech companies think carefully about how people’s lives will be affected through data and privacy laws, security and the huge amount of fake news that will inevitably be created. What we are seeing though is a gold rush as companies profit from the latest tech and unfortunately government regulation is far behind.
Outside of work, what are you really good at?
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I’ve always been a huge gamer and still play regularly. Although more with my children now, I’m still really good at Call of Duty.
Who would play you in a film about your life?
Wow, this is a hard question! I recently watched a fantastic mind-bending sci-fi thriller called DARK which is a German TV series. The main character is an excellent German actor called Louis Hofmann and I think he would be great.
Which three people would you invite to a dinner party, and why?
I would invite Jordan Peterson, Jeremy Clarkson and Oliver Reed. Jordan Peterson is a huge inspiration and I’ve been a big fan of his podcasts and books. He must be one of the smartest people on the planet. His perception and wisdom are unparalleled, and I would love to hear his advice first hand. Next, would have to be Jeremy Clarkson just so I could tell my children I met him. They are huge fans, and my son often comes out with a great piece of general knowledge to which when I ask: “Did you learn that at school?” His response is nearly always “No,Top Gear”. Finally, I would love to meet Oliver Reed. In a past life, I ran an incredible real ale pub in the Borders called the Barrels Ale House. We used to have an annual ‘Oliver Reed Day’ accompanied by T-shirts and badges! It would be amazing to have a drink with the legend himself!