PROFILE
When I was at school , I wanted to be … All sorts . But unconsciously , every one of them was creative . Whether it was a chef , writer , architect , Axl Rose , I knew that I wanted to make things happen , to make something exist out of nothing . As soon as “ rock star ” very quickly failed , I gravitated towards graphic design , web design and photography .
The best career decision I ever made was … It ’ s tempting to say that it was the day I volunteered for redundancy and grasped the opportunity to start up in business . But in reality , that ’ s far surpassed by the decision to take on my ( then girlfriend ) wife , Senga , as my business partner . It ’ s fair to say that what she ’ s brought to the table has harnessed , organised and focused what was , to be honest , a rather hodge-podge operation . We ’ ve gone from strength to strength since and it wouldn ’ t have been possible without her . She ’ s the Watson to my Sherlock .
The biggest change in my 20 years in Sunderland ... I suppose the best way to put it is the mood . Rewind 20 years and I guess you ’ re smack in the middle of the hangover of the Vaux closure . And while Sunderland has had some good news since then with the opening of the Winter Gardens , the Aquatic Centre and the Beacon of Light , there was also the loss of the much loved and historic Jopling ’ s store , the leisure centre and much of the high street ! The mood was bleak , hopeless , negative and the city was boring . The expansion of the Metro system meant an escape from , rather than a destination to , Sunderland to many .
Perhaps it was the opening of the Northern Spire Bridge that signalled the start of a resurgence and symbolised a change in mood – a bold exclamation point marking the beginning of a new Sunderland .
In a few years , we ’ re going to be in a completely different city . Though still somewhat under the radar , things are looking up for Sunderland in a way they haven ’ t in living memory , but there have always been plans . The mood , though , has never been more positive . People are excited , enthusiastic , impassioned – and it ’ s infectious .
" Choose courage over comfort and what ’ s right over what ’ s fun , fast or easy ."
Sunderland can bounce back from the impact of Covid-19 by … The city centre has bounced back . But for Sunderland , bouncing back to a position of relative weakness can ’ t be the end of the road . Thankfully it isn ’ t , with phenomenal work happening across the city . The evolution into a Smart City , Cultural Quarter , Riverside Sunderland , the renaissance of Mackie ’ s corner and the flourishing independent business scene are all breathing new life into the city centre and beyond . The benefits will affect everyone and it ’ s a really exciting time for Sunderland .
The best part of my job is … It ’ s genuinely seeing the evolution and outcomes of each of the varied projects we deliver . We have clients who ’ ve been with us since inception that now turn over millions of pounds . We feel like part of their team and those brands feel like our babies . I ’ m very proud of them .
The biggest downside of my working life is … As mentioned , I work with my wife .
If I could change one thing about my organisation ... I ’ m passionate about cultivating a culture that offers an industry-leading work-life balance that meets the health and wellbeing needs of our employees . We ’ ve adopted a hybrid working model and are implementing a four-day week , but there ’ s still more we can do .
Four words to describe me are … Imaginative , creative , caring , tenacious .
My business mantra is … Choose courage over comfort and what ’ s right over what ’ s fun , fast or easy .
My greatest achievement is … My hand in raising one helluva 14-year-old , Alfie .
The biggest frustration I encounter in the Wear region is … I think there ’ s a challenge in educating the start-up and micro businesses in the Wear region that adopting a solid marketing plan is an investment , not a cost , particularly when they enter into a long-term , reciprocal , respectful relationship with the right marketing partner .
My favourite local charity is … Grace House . Twenty years ago , when the late Kathy Secker was in the early stages of starting the charity , I was her IT support technician . Kathy had many talents , but none of those were using a PC and I ’ d like to think I had a small hand in helping her get things done back then . I ’ ve kept in touch with the team ever since , supporting when I can . To see how they ’ ve evolved and to witness the priceless work they do is amazing .
When I ’ m not working , I like to spend my time … On the fells of the Lake District . There are 214 Wainwrights ( peaks named by Alfred Wainwright ) and I ’ ve summited 167 of them at the time of writing , and hopefully a dozen more or so at the time of reading !
My guilty pleasures are … I don ’ t feel guilty about any of my pleasures . But if pushed … Rod Stewart .
The best holiday I ever had was … Cornwall , campervan , seven consecutive days riding the waves with Senga and Alfie .
Not many people know this about me , but … I ’ m a pretty nifty little chef and I cook from scratch every day .
In retirement , I ’ ll spend my time … Hopefully living in the Lake District , wandering the fells and taking photographs .
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