At least once a week I cycle into work, which is a 36-mile round trip, and it
only takes me half an hour longer than if I drive. I also cycle to the
station if I’m going to London. In fact, Nokia is full of avid cyclists and
some people turn up to meetings in all the gear. But they tend to be the
marketing types who can get away with wearing whatever they want. I usually
need to wear a suit if I’m going to a meeting.
How do you get around in the UK?
I use a combination of the car, train and, of course, the bike. My car is an Audi
R8, but I do offset my driving with the cycling, so I’m not harming the
environment too much.
You have to be flexible because driving into London is horrendous, it’s just
not a pleasurable experience any more. Trains may appear expensive, but when
you add up the cost of driving into London, particularly with the congestion
charge and parking, it is high.
Commuter trains aren’t much fun, you just have to put up with them, but on
longer journeys, such as to Manchester, it can be great because you can sit
there and do some work.
Do you stay overnight in the UK?
I do and I’ll tend to go for a Hilton
or a Radisson Edwardian
because their service is pretty good. But it’s more about the location. I’ll
work out where I want to go and find out which hotel suits me nearby. I’m a
big fan of the Mr and Mrs Smith hotels,
but that tends to be when I’m on holiday.
What do you look for in a hotel?
I like to have a gym, wireless internet connection and a big bed to spread out
on. I try to go running wherever I am, because it’s a great way of
exploring. When you’re travelling on business, you often don’t see a place
because you go from the hotel to a meeting, back to the hotel and then home.
But when you run, you see things – you also stay fit.
Which airlines do you fly short haul?
I fly BA most of the time, because I’m at Farnborough, which is near to
Heathrow, and despite the challenges of that airport, it is often the
quickest and most convenient for me to use. I haven’t had my bags lost yet!
We have a flagship store in Terminal 5 and when they had the opening
problems, at least people could come into our store and shop. But I
shouldn’t say the delays were good for us, because that would make me very
unpopular with some people.
Economy or business?
