Describe your job:
Chief executive of Gold Medal, which includes the Netflights.com and Pure Luxury Travel brands, based in Preston. We have recently been acquired 50% by Thomas Cook, so I’m spending time between Peterborough and Preston, as well as London. I get out and about and see suppliers, airlines, and hotels, as well as managing the other directors.

Who reports to you?
Six direct reports and 500 Gold Medal staff at Preston.

Brief career path:
Set up Travelworld in 1982, aged 19, and grew it to 130 shops. Sold to Airtours in 1998 and became MD of Going Places, then MD of UKLG retail from 2000-2001.
Left the industry in 2001 and spent four years in Spain and one in California. Joined Gold Medal in 2006.

What’s the best thing about the job?
Just the buzz of working in travel industry. The opportunity to travel over the years has been fantastic.

And the worst?
Being away from home so much.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about the travel business?
It’s ever-changing, nothing is ever the same from one month to the next. We are constantly challenged by world events such as SARS, the tsunami or swine flu and we constantly have to react to very major events outside of our control.

How would your staff describe you?
Determined, passionate, fast moving. I think on my feet, move quickly and get things done. I’m a very proactive boss. I’m an entrepreneur and as a result I run a very fast-moving very forward-thinking business.

When you arrived at Gold Medal, what did you change?
I changed most of the management team and changed the way we negotiated with hotels and airlines. We now work with far fewer suppliers and get better rates. There are fewer people in the business and it is just run better. It’s more efficient, better organised and it’s profitable, which it wasn’t when I joined.

Was it a difficult decision to come back?
No. I was living in California and having a great time but I really missed the industry. It’s a very difficult industry to leave.

How has/will the Thomas Cook deal change Gold Medal?
It creates huge opportunities for Gold Medal as a business. We are now selling Thomas Cook destinations, which we were not selling before, and we are able to sell all of our stock through Thomas Cook shops, which we didn’t do before. There are some really exciting opportunities and I’m looking forward to growing the business. It’s all good.

How often do you get to travel?
Once a month. I’m lucky because most of our key destinations are very exciting, such as Thailand and Dubai.

Outside of work, how do you spend your time?
Supporting Leeds United FC, which Gold Medal sponsors. I like to ski and spend time with family.

On holiday, do you manage to switch off from work?
Never. The BlackBerry is on the whole time. I might be skiing down a run but as soon as I’m at the bottom I’ll check the BlackBerry. If you ask my wife, she’ll say it’s never off. She’s pretty understanding. But if it was the other way around, it would annoy me.

What keeps you awake at night?
My BlackBerry, because we get a snap shot of sales every two hours and the last one comes through at midnight. My chairman Ken Townsley has got homes all over the world, so he can ring at all times of the night.

On a long-haul flight, who (apart from family and friends) would you like to sit next to, and why?
No-one! I really enjoy flying on my own. It’s the only time my phone doesn’t work and there are no kids or no directors hassling me – just eight hours to myself. I always try to fly with an empty seat next to me. All my directors will tell you if we go away for a board trip, I always try to travel on a different flight. I’m not antisocial, I just love the space to have some quiet time to myself and read a paper, which I never get the chance to do.

Is it still possible to be an entrepreneur in the travel industry, or are those days over?
I absolutely believe that you can be. The last three years at Gold Medal have been very entrepreneurial and very successful.

What’s your favourite place to fly in to?
Leeds Bradford Airport because it means I’m going home.

Which, as yet, unvisited destination would you like to go to?
My wife tells me that’s Mauritius, and I do as I’m told.

What’s it like to be recognised in the travel industry Hall of Fame?
To be recognised by my peers is the pinnacle of my career. It’s fantastic to have that recognition. It doesn’t get any better. I’m delighted.

Who in the travel industry do you most admire, and why?
Thomas Cook for pioneering travel.

You recently lost three stone, what’s your secret?
My wife runs marathons and she has got me into running. Also, I’ve been spending a lot of time over the past three months in meetings with Ian Derbyshire (Thomas Cook chief executive of independent travel) He doesn’t eat, drink or sleep and is incredibly fit, so some of that has rubbed off.

And now for the quick-fire round:
California or Costa del Sol? California
Preston or Peterborough? No comment
Burger or salad? These days, a salad
Bed or gym? Bed
X-Factor or The Apprentice? The Apprentice, but I watch both
Massimo Dutti or M&S? William Hunt Savile Row
Monarch or easyJet? Monarch
Brown or Cameron? Cameron