What was your first job and what did your responsibilities include?

I had many part-time jobs from the age of 14, including paper round, butcher’s boy, market stall worker, but my first real full-time job was as a commis chef.

How much was in your first pay packet and what did you spend it on?

I can’t remember exactly, but I remember it being a small brown envelope with the deductions on the front leaving a balance of something like £7, ten shillings and sixpence.

Describe how your career developed to the present day.

I qualified as a chef but was unhappy with the hours. I was then mentored by a family friend who got me into selling. I started as a milkman, then got a job selling foods from a lorry to chefs in hotels and hospitals. I got promoted to sales rep and was given a company car, so I decided I wanted to sell seriously so I joined Yellow Pages ending up as a regional sales manager.

From there my passion for films led me into that business, rising to sales director and taking a part-time degree in PR and marketing. I worked for MGM and then Sony where I set up its European distribution. I then became vice-president of marketing for Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios releasing films such as Indiana Jones, Crocodile Dundee, and Back to the Future.

I set up Accolade Games in Europe in 1992, before moving to Philips as director of its media division, and then I set up my own consultancy in 1997.

I was asked to evaluate a technology for Oxford University for commercial potential, so I validated this and then set up information technology specialist Celoxica. I raised $100m dollars and set up operations in Japan and Silicon Valley within three years. I came out of that in 1991 and set up Conduit Partners, a business consultancy.

What are the key responsibilities in your position?

Promoting the company and business development. I also do workshop facilitation. A key part of my role is ensuring business relationships with our customers are maintained and enhanced.

Describe a typical day.

A 6am start, light exercise, breakfast and meditation. E-mail is an essential start to the day and my primary form of contact and communication. I normally have up to four meetings a day in London, or across the country. We have key clients in Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The end of the day usually ends up with follow up e-mails to the meetings and touching base with members of the team.

Who/what have been the biggest influences on your career?

My personal passion and drive have helped me get to where I am. I was inspired by the family friend when I was younger to be the best that I could be, and that there was no limit on what I could be, save myself!

What has been your best decision?

To be my own boss and have the courage to follow my instincts and convictions.

And your worst?

I don’t see them as bad decisions — they were just choices I made at the time. I trusted people early on and I could have been more cautious. That led to personal bankruptcy which proved the most valuable lesson I ever learnt from.

What is the best advice you can give to someone starting out in your business?

Take advice from the best around you, trust your own intuition, make your own decisions and accept you will make mistakes.

What is the secret of good management?

Delegation — trust in people, give them authority to support their responsibilities and accept they will make mistakes.

Do you have a good work/life balance?

I am starting to. But until the end of 2008 I was a complete workaholic. That has been costly to my own well-being.

What hobbies/interests do you enjoy in your spare time?

I play golf every week, enjoy reading and am also doing a masters degree in psychology.

Is there anything in business that really irritates you?

Dishonesty and lack of civility.

How do you see your company developing over the next five years?

I believe that public/private partnerships are a very good potential way forward, not just for my business, but for the economy generally.

What has been your most satisfying moment?

Personal: Being the father of two lovely daughters and then falling in love with my grandson.

Business: Acknowledging I have nothing to prove to myself anymore.

Do you believe there is enough help and support from government and agencies for growing businesses?

In the past I think too much emphasis has been on ‘quantity’ rather than ‘quality’ and I believe the key is having a system that audits and prioritises the support given, dependent on the commercial potential. New approaches and actions need to be put in place over the coming years if we are to thrive as a 21st century economy.

What is your attitude to the environment and do you have any green policies in place?

Conduit Partners is a Carbon Trust Partner and provides services funded by the Carbon Trust to companies in the sector. We have a strong environmental ethos and are actively looking to work with businesses in the area of reducing carbon emissions.

What is the secret of a happy workforce?

Explaining where the company is in bad times, sharing the pain at senior level and rewarding everyone for good effort in the good times.

Is there any other job you would like to have done and why?

I would love to have been a writer and let my imagination go.

What would you like to do when you retire?

I am retiring from full-time business in a few years to develop my own psychotherapy practice to support chief executives and early stage business managers.