BusinessCar’s Paul Barker puts 13 testing questions to another victim

1. What was your first job? My first real job was as an articles accountant for a firm based in Evesham, Worcestershire. Much more exciting at that stage of my life, though, was the summer job as a deck chair attendant at Woolacombe, Devon, helping me to fund my way through university.

2. What was your first company car? A Ford Escort 1.1 Popular. Sky blue, it was! Now I drive a Volvo XC90 – it’s hard to think of anything that’s so at the opposite end of the scale.

3. What did you listen to on your last car journey? Radio 4’s Today programme.

4. What one thing do you wish you could do better? Cycle faster uphill!

5. What’s your biggest achievement? In work, its steering the fleet operation within Volvo through the past three years and growing our volumes year-on-year through economically straightened times. Outside of work, raising a family of which I’m immensely proud.

6. Who are your role models? People who prosper through hard work. I count my father as among the most senior.

7. What’s the stupidest thing you’ve done? Not marry a millionaire’s daughter!

8. What was the most hotly debated topic at your last meeting? Allocation of our 2012 sales plan among the team members.

9. What’s in your garage? My Countax tractor mower – 54 inches of pure joy.

10. What’s the worst thing about your job? ‘Worst’ implies a negative. My job isn’t, so rather flippantly there is no ‘worse’ in my job.

11. What one law would you make or change? I’d significantly increase the penalty to households that don’t recycle. It’s now one of the easiest things a family can do to positively impact our environment – those that can’t be bothered really should face up to it!

12. What keeps you awake at night? Usually work-based problems that have no apparent solution. Amazingly (and thankfully) they’re never as bad the next day.

13. Who is your ideal celebrity date? Shirley Robertson and Paul Goodison – Olympic gold medallist sailors. Going back to success through hard work and determination, I’ve known them both for many years and always get motivated by spending time with them and learning a little more of their approach to success.