Richard Browning of Nextbase answers The Final Corner

1 What was your first job?

I cut my teeth as a warehouse assistant. I ditched university to get stuck in to working life and I’ve not looked back.

Although at the time, lugging huge TVs around day in, day out, I wondered what I’d got myself in to. Looking back, it was a great grounding so that I could understand the heart of a business – vitally important to be a successful director, in my opinion.

2 What was your first company car, and what do you drive now?

I thought I’d made it when I got the keys to my 1.4-litre Renault Megane. Packed with tech such as electric windows (!), I had arrived and in my eyes I was the envy of all my friends. Today, I’m driving a Mercedes CLS, which I love.

3 What did you listen to on your last car journey?

I’m a keen sportsman so the only thing I listen to is Talksport. Listening to other teams’ misfortunes is welcome – makes a change from hearing about my football team, Portsmouth.

4 What one thing do you wish you could do better?

Timekeeping. As part of a rapidly growing business I’m extremely time-poor, and timing slips on occasion.

5 What’s your biggest achievement?

I know it sounds corny but the best thing that’s ever happened to me is having a family. Work and entrepreneurial ambitions are great but the family holds everything together and puts perspective on all aspects of life.

6 What are your three favourite films?

All old classics as I’ve no idea what’s on at the cinema these days. In no particular order, I’d say Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather and Top Gun.

7 What’s the stupidest thing you’ve done?

I bought a jet ski once. It was a good year and I thought it’d be really useful to get across the harbour, living on the south coast. The wet look didn’t really work for new business prospects.

8 What was the most hotly debated topic at your last meeting

Development – channel direction.

9 What would be your specialist subject on Mastermind?

England rugby comebacks.

10 What’s the worst thing about your job?

Being stuck in traffic is the most frustrating thing for me. I’m always looking to avoid them and some of the GPS tech out there can do a really good job, but there’s no silver bullet. Another thing I see a lot of is bad drivers. However, I thought I’d seen it all until we started receiving thousands of crazy dashcam clips! Our roads can certainly be a dangerous place.

11 What one law would you make or change?

All cars must have a dashcam. Of course I would say that, but it’s not just about my team’s sales targets. Dashcams do two things: firstly, they identify dangerous drivers who are sometimes prosecuted, but they also make owners themselves drive better. Capturing claims on video in the fight against fraud and being able to identify who the guilty party is after a road accident are also major benefits.

12 What did you want to be when you grew up?

I love football and rugby but being six-feet five-inches tall, I was better playing rugby, so being a professional rugby player was always the goal. There’s still time.

13 Who is your ideal celebrity date?

I don’t get time to have a ‘date night’ with my wife, let alone with a celebrity! I’d rather grab a bite to eat with her and my two kids.