“Share the load when you’re struggling, but never give up”

Describe yourself in three words:

Open, unrelenting and (sometimes) mischievous.

What’s your biggest professional achievement?

Keeping the business going during the recession was a real achievement, sad but true. I really don’t miss those days.

How did you get to where you are today?

A career in marketing and an early mid-life crisis resulted in riding a motorbike around the world for two years, which was followed by a beer with friends and that led to the creation of One.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Up between 3:15am and 6:15am (kids), then the daily juggle of meetings, innovation, business development and moving the business ever onwards. I’m away by 7pm to try to see the kids before they crash out.

What have been the highlights of your company’s history, in your opinion?

The brand is called One because I wanted to change one person’s life, one day at a time, by giving away the profits we made. In our first year we gave away £78,000; it changed thousands of people’s lives.

The next year it was £250,000 and so on, all the way up to raising a total of £14 million this year, changing over three million lives.

The highlights for me come during moments of quiet reflection, often in Africa. Being listed and de-listed, having NPD successes and failures is just part of the job. It’s the lives we change that are always the highlight for the team and I.

What is your pet hate?

People who say it can’t be done, or something is impossible. It’s all about how you frame the challenge.

Give us a positive prediction for the food industry over the next 12 months.

I think we’ll see more innovation, more focus on health (and hydration). I think there is a new movement rolling in – the question is how big will it be?

What do you consider to be the most important attributes for a leader?

A single minded vision mixed with patience and tenacity.

Who do you most admire?

Every business owner I’ve ever met who has shared the ‘behind the scenes’ reality of how tough it can be.

But aside from that, the 15-year-old son of my oldest friend. From being in a coma at Christmas he’s had to learn to walk and talk again and he’s an inspiring young man.

Which people/organisations or companies are the ones to watch right now?

I like looking at Crowdcube and Kickstarter; it feels like an inspiring place to be.

I also spend a lot of time surfing the drinks chillers in Wholefoods as that’s where innovation seems to start. I’m intrigued to see how the birch water market evolves. It’s tipped (or should that be ‘tapped’) to become a $2 billion category.

Which words do you most overuse?

I’m probably on the verge of overusing ‘why?’ at work after a business coach told me that if you ask ‘why?’ to every situation, by the seventh ‘why’ you’ll actually get to the root of the issue/opportunity. It’s fascinating how true that is.

If you weren’t in your current position, what else might you be doing?

Starting another business, using everything I’ve learnt over the last 10 years – donating profits is good, donating 100 per cent of profits is a bit of a challenge!

Tell us something about yourself that few people know.

My Dad and I walked the GR20 mountain route in Corsica when I was 20. He struggled so much one day that I ended carrying his backpack as well as mine, but he never stopped walking. I was in that weird place of being so proud of him, trying to encourage him and trying not to show that the extra weight was killing me too. It was a good lesson for life; share the load when you’re struggling, but never give up.

Any vices?

My kids. I can’t get enough of them.

What single thing would most improve the quality of your life?

Getting rid of iPhones, iPads and generally anything ‘i’ related at home. We have become victims of great technology and don’t know how to live without it.

How do you relax?

Being outdoors walking the dogs with our kids. It’s the greatest antidote to a busy life.

How would you like to be remembered?

As someone who had a go and, on balance, did ok.

Related content

Leave a reply

Food and Drink Technology