1 : WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE SUBJECT AT SCHOOL ?
A :
PE . I wasn ’ t exactly academically ambitious during my school days .
2 : WHO WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD HERO , AND WHY ?
A :
Tony Mowbray – ex-footballer now manager . He was captain of Middlesbrough when I first started watching them .
3 : HOW DID YOU GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW ?
A :
Hard work and determination . With some skill and luck along the way .
4 : WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE ORGANISATION ON AYCLIFFE BUSINESS PARK AND WHY ( EXCLUDING YOUR OWN )?
A :
I have an affinity towards 3M as my mother worked there for many years . But Gestamp , as the business park ’ s largest employer , lead by example when it comes to community engagement and being an employer of choice .
5 : WHICH AYCLIFFE BUSINESS OR INDIVIDUAL DO YOU TIP FOR FUTURE SUCCESS ?
A :
The Fish Tank – already enjoying great success but I ’ m looking forward to seeing how their expansion plans map out .
6 : WHAT ’ S THE BEST BUSINESS DECISION YOU EVER MADE ?
A :
Going into business with a partner , with my other business Resolution Media and Publishing – two heads always better than one !
7 : |
WHAT ’ S THE WORST DECISION YOU ’ VE
EVER MADE ?
|
A : |
Trying to do it all myself ! |
8 : |
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT
YOUR ORGANISATION , WHAT WOULD IT BE ?
|
A : |
It would have more staff . |
9 : ARE YOU AN EARLY RISER OR A NIGHT OWL ?
A :
Sometimes both – but generally an early riser . I ’ m usually in the gym for 6am most mornings , which means I ’ m usually very tried by 10pm .
10 : WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS MANTRA ?
A :
It ’ s only a mistake if you do it again . If you learn something from a decision that doesn ’ t work out , then it ’ s a valuable lesson .
11 : WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A SMALL STARTUP ?
A :
Take as much advice on board as you possibly can . People in business are always more than willing to share their experiences and offer great advice .
12 : WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR YOU ?
A :
I ’ m hoping we can implement a small team to run the Aycliffe Business magazine as we have exciting plans to grow our Resolution team with new events and publications .
13 : WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR YOUR ORGANISATION ?
A :
Hopefully more people in our team and expanding our business model to other areas .
14 : |
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE PRIME
MINISTER IF YOU SAW HIM ON AYCLIFFE
BUSINESS PARK ?
|
A : |
You should visit more companies here , |
as the North-East ’ s biggest business park . |
15 : WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE LOCAL CHARITY ?
A :
CEO Sleepout is a fantastic charity doing some great work . I ’ ve done the CEO Sleepout a couple of times , it ’ s a humbling experience and gives you a tiny insight into the world of homelessness .
16 : WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE LOCAL RESTAURANT ?
A :
In Aycliffe , The County is always a top choice . Over Teesside , Chadwicks Inn Maltby is my favourite .
17 : WHAT WOULD BE YOUR IDEAL EVENING MEAL ?
A :
A home-cooked meal with a few glasses of wine and a top film .
18 : WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME ?
A :
Socialising with friends and family and going to watch Middlesbrough FC . I fell out of love football a few years ago but took out a season ticket again a couple of years ago and I ’ m loving it again .
19 : WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM , AND WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE ACTOR ?
A :
I don ’ t have a number one film , but having to pick one I ’ d say Valkyrie . It ’ s based on a true story about an attempted assassination of Adolf Hitler by a German army officer , played by Tom Cruise . Although my favourite actor is Tom Hanks , I love all of his films .
20 : WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE OF ?
A :
I ’ d like to see more investment in the North-East . We ’ re seeing lots of investment on Teesside as part of the devolved Tees Valley Combined Authority . Hopefully the new North East Combined Authority will deliver similar results for County Durham .
The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 13