The last word: Dave Bowen

Dave Bowen, managing director, BT Fleet

What is your biggest achievement in your current role?

Keeping it for two years! Having more people employed in more locations than we started with means we’ve done the right thing on a few fronts.
    
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
My dad. He didn’t really guide me in a detailed way, but he definitely made me see what is possible.

How would you describe your leadership style?
Goal orientated and approachable.

What is your dream holiday?
Australia with my family, but with a two-hour flight. Is that possible?

Who was the last person you received a text message from?
My wife Sarah.

What is your favourite sitcom?
I don’t really watch sitcoms. Does Stella count? I watched that the other evening and everything about it reminded me of where my mum grew up (Mumbles, Swansea).

What is your favourite film?
Star Wars. I watched it an age when nothing like it had ever been seen before. My children love it now so there must be something in it.

When was the last time you used any form of public transport?
I use public transport a lot because I live in London, so trains, tubes and buses are part of everyday life.

What is the first thing you would do if you were made Prime Minister for the day?
Go and look at all the top secret documents, and then after that invest some money into bringing sport back into schools.

If you won the Lottery, what would be the first thing you would buy?
My house – it would be great not to have a mortgage.

Who was your childhood hero?
Ian Botham or Gareth Edwards – two great sportsmen I wanted to be.

What was your biggest mistake in business and what did you learn from it?
There probably isn’t a single biggest mistake but my biggest learning has been how important it is to have engaged people in every part of an organisation no matter what their role. It makes a huge difference and isn’t easy to achieve.

What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?
Do a degree that is going to help you in employment or towards a professional qualification. I did geography…

What is your favourite book?
Bounce by Matthew Syed.

When did you last feel guilty about the environment?
This Christmas our recycling bin was full so we put some recyclable waste in the refuse bin.

What is your favourite dish at a restaurant?
Lamb jalfrezi. I like spicy food.

What is your best childhood memory?
Long summer holidays.

You are going to a desert island – what three things do you take with you?
A rugby ball, a football and my family.

What has been the pivotal moment in your life?
The move from primary to secondary school. I didn’t get the school I wanted and my parents went through a tortuous appeal process and managed to get me into a great school – Enfield Grammar.

Which historical character do you most identify with?
This is the most difficult one because I never paid attention to history… perhaps Captain Scott.

What is the one object you couldn’t live without?
My iPhone.

If you could work in another profession what would it be?
In sport. I guess I had better be realistic and say not as a player but in some other capacity.

What’s the best gift you’ve ever been given?
My children.

What’s your least favourite food?
Sushi.

Which superhero from comics would you most like to be?
I used to have Roy of the Rovers delivered when I was a kid. I don’t think the comic ever touched the doormat.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Red wine.

What is your dream car?
At the current moment any 4x4 as I’m writing this during the January snow and I live on a hill in a cul-de-sac and haven’t been able to drive for four days.