What do you currently do?
Business Director for The Right Fuelcard Company which employs 46 people and distributes euroShell cards to of SMEs the length and breadth of the UK.
What is your inspiration in the business?
I have two – the first is watching my team improve, achieve and set new standards for themselves. The second is breaking records and showing that we can be the best.
Who do you admire?
Martin Johnson, former England rugby captain. A true leader of men, single minded and successful.
Looking back are there things you would have done differently?
Nope. I’ve learnt from lots (and lots) of mistakes. Good and bad, those experiences have made me who, and what, I am today.
What defines your way of doing business?
Firm but friendly. Treat people how you’d like to be treated.
For my team, I like to set a vision and be influential in the plan for delivering it. After that, give them their boundaries of responsibility and let them get on with it.
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
Learn about your gut feeling on things and ask yourself if you make good gut calls generally or bad ones? Are there areas where your gut calls are always right and others where you tend to be wrong?
The answers to those will help you realise who, and what you need to help you be successful.
After that I’d recommend creating a short list of the people whose opinion matter to you. Don’t listen to the rest.
Finally I’d say that you should accept you will make some mistakes and plan for them because you will make some. Try to minimise the impact these mistakes will have on your business – no one thing should be able to make or break you.
