Describe your job:
In addition to the formal aspects of chairing the board I also have a day-to-day involvement, mainly focused on product and our international strategy. As well as sponsoring several product developments I sit on the product strategy team with Chris Cuddy (chief executive) and Mo Bulbrook (head of international), which helps set our roadmap priorities.

Who reports to you?
Chris Cuddy. This week I will also have an intern from the London Business School so I will really have my hands full! It’s in everyone’s interests that I don’t have too many reports; management is not my forte…

What's the best thing about the job?
There are a number of things that make me excited to have my job. Firstly, I'm delighted to step up to the plate and take ultimate responsibility for ensuring the ongoing success of a company I believe passionately in. We have a lot to do, despite the enormous leaps and bounds we have made over the last nine years - it still feels like we are at the start of what is possible and I find that hugely energising.

Secondly, I love working with the terrific team we have. It is enormously spoiling to be working with such a depth and diversity of talent at Cheapflights. I can tell you that I sincerely appreciate that, given the small and overwhelmed team of three that we started out as. I'm getting huge pleasure in challenging ourselves to think about the consumer, where we want to be in three to five years’ time and how we can x10 the size of the company.

And the worst?
Maybe I'm in a honeymoon period of the new role but I can’t immediately think of one! Crumbs that is lame. I guess the worst thing, or perhaps the hardest thing to grapple with, is that we cannot do everything we want to do - we have to ruthlessly prioritise the things that are important; that is harder than it sounds.

What's the most important thing you've learned about the travel business?
Loyalty is hard to earn but it is not impossible. Sometimes it takes a fresh approach to delight the consumer and build a bond of trust. This is as true for airlines as it is for travel search engines.

How would your staff describe you?
A complete nuisance probably ;-) 
I really don't know and rather dread to think - you would have to ask them.

What's the one thing you've changed/influenced at your company that you are particularly proud of?
Launching in the USA flew in the face of the advice and support of many members of the board. I'm therefore proud that we became one of the few British success stories on the other side of the pond and made it happen. Luckily there were a small handful of believers in the company including David Soskin and Mo Bulbrook, so I share that achievement with them and the whole of the team who put their faith and energy into our efforts.   

I'll tell you about the other things I'm proud of in a few years time when I have earnt that right. Oh, there is one thing I'm quite chuffed with - I recently bought a heap of fancy dress things, including an inflatable crocodile & shark for our Australian launch celebration party at the Walkabout Bar…I think I may have started a worryingly fun and frivolous tradition given that we expect a lot more countries over the next few years.

What's next on the 'to do' list?
We have a lot of things on our ‘doing’ list including building on our already strong international footprint to become a truly global force in travel media. However, we have a policy of not talking about our future plans - sorry to be a bore.

Are there too many flight-search sites out there, and how does Cheapflights differentiate itself?
I don't think it is possible to have too many flight-search sites, after all it inspires innovation and should help the consumer and they don’t have to use them! The key is which ones are delivering what consumers want.

Cheapflights has always been clear on its differentiation: we believe that to find the best deal you have to shop around a broad range of suppliers, which is why we believe we offer flight deals from the greatest breadth and depth of companies that sell them. By just focusing on flights, as our name suggests, we believe we have an advantage in being a focused consumer champion.

How easy is it for a web company to build loyalty among customers?
It is the hardest challenge that any web company has and is not to be underestimated.

How often do you get to travel?
Rather a lot it seems. However, not as much as when i was scooting back and forth to Boston when we started the business there. I had difficulty recalling which time zone I was on or which currency I should be using.

Outside of work, how do you spend your time?
What time outside work? ;-)
Actually, I do manage to gasp an occasional breath of air outside the office, unlike the early days when we might as well have set up office in a high security prison. I love playing tennis, both lawn tennis and a rather eccentric version called Real Tennis. I have also dared to have a few other hobbies including keeping bees, sporadic (and slightly appalling) painting, reading and lots of walking.

On a long-haul flight, who (apart from family and friends) would you like to sit next to, and why?
An artist would be nice, not too fussy what they do or create. If I had to pick then probably Andy Goldsworthy the intriguing outdoor sculptor.

Is travel still a good sector to get into, or are the best days behind us?
I'm delighted to be in the travel search industry. There has been an amazing transformation of the industry over the last decade but i firmly believe that there are still amazing opportunities ahead – so many in fact that we struggle to choose between them. Yes, still a super industry to get into and lots of problems to solve in innovative and helpful ways.

Which, as yet, unvisited destination would you like to go to?
A friend got back from Iran a few months back. That would be terrific but there are certainly a lot of other places too.

Who in the travel industry do you most admire, and why?
I keep bumping into people who have amazing stories to tell. However, it is hard not to mention Herb Kelleher, the founder of Southwest - the grandfather and founder of the low cost airline movement which has democratised travel and created the environment that has helped Cheapflights to prosper. 

And now for the quickfire round:
American or British food?
British. Blimey that was easy. I open and close my case with Exhibit A: Surf and Turf

Brown or Cameron?          
I don't want to jump on the bandwagon (necessarily) but Cameron. I admire many aspects of Brown but I'm still incredulous/grumpy that he said it was the end of Boom and Bust. My jaw dropped when he said it and it was unforgivable.

Virgin or BA?
Easy: whichever is cheaper ;-) 
BA has more routes, so I have more happy flight miles on them. But I'm agnostic and love the Virgin brand/purple lighting thing.

Federer or Murray?
I'm a huge fan of Scotland, so Murray all the way (apologies to certain friends who I know will now be out to top me).

Mac or PC?
Mac and now (unwittingly stumbled into being) an addicted iPhone geek to boot.

LHR or JFK?
The beastly LHR all the way ;-) 
It has its foibles but I know I'm home when I land at LHR. IMHO New York is great but London is Greater.

Michael Jackon or Stevie Wonder?
MJ all the way. Ignoring everything but the music, moonwalking and cocked hat/hip wiggle routine, he was an authentic legend.