BUSINESS PROFILE

NAME: PHIL FLAXON
AGE: 54
COMPANY: WORKWISE UK
CURRENT POSITION: CHIEF EXECUTIVE
BACKGROUND: PHIL FLAXTON WORKS WITH THE CBI, TUC, BT, BRITISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, TRANSPORT FOR LONDON AND THE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES COMMISSION PROMOTING THE ADOPTION OF SMARTER WORKING PRACTICES. HE STUDIED JOURNALISM AND BECAME A PUBLISHER ON FLEET STREET AND THEN WITH IPC MAGAZINES. IN 1980 HE LAUNCHED TRADE MEDIA AND CONTINUED WORKING AS A PUBLISHER UNTIL 1992.

WHAT DO YOU DO TO RELAX?

I’m a keen cyclist. I don’t go mountain biking – I’m too old! – but I’ve cycled all over France. I’m also a fl y fisherman, mainly trout. I must admit I’m a bit of a softy so I don’t kill the fish – I much prefer the gentler sport of catch and release.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST INDULGENCE?

I am a bit of a gadget freak, but I’m not a techie! I just appreciate the aesthetics and functionality of new technology. I’ve just bought a new Aliph Jawbone headset, which is a hands-free headset for mobile phones using technology originally developed for American military personnel. My next purchase is definitely going to be an iPhone.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY?

I’m a great fan of Skype. I think it’s a fantastic invention that’s massively underused, or rather, undervalued. I use it within the organisation, but particularly when travelling abroad – making calls on Skype means the cost savings are immense.

WHERE DO YOU GO FOR INSPIRATION?

I know it sounds boring, but if I’ve got a knotty problem I go for a walk or ride my bike to somewhere conducive to clearing the mind. We live in a 24/7 economy now and there’s such a range of technology available that we are nearly always accessible. I’ll leave my mobile behind and find a place of quiet solitude. It’s very relaxing and things will just pop into my head.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?

I didn’t go to university so I went into employment when I was 17. I trained as a journalist and worked on London’s Fleet Street on titles such as The London Evening News and The Daily Mail.

DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST BOSS?

I do! Basil Cooper at Associated Newspapers. I remember one chap turned up for work in a pink button-down collar shirt, but Basil disapproved and sent him home to change! We all thought it was very stylish but for Basil it was a white shirt or nothing. Basil taught us self-discipline and to believe in our own ability. The other thing I remember him saying was always trust your instincts. He was a wonderful man, very strict but very fair.

WHO DO YOU MOST ADMIRE?

I admire Sir David Attenborough immensely. He’s had a very distinguished and varied life and he’s done an awful lot for his profession. As a kid I’d watch him going to fantastic, exotic places like Madagascar or the Galapagos Islands. He’s been saying that he’s got a few more projects left in him, which is great to hear. Attenborough is an irreplaceable national treasure. He’s iconic.

WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?

If you think it’s too good to be true then it probably is, and if your gut instinct tells you it’s right then trust in that and stick to it. Things might not turn out how you thought they would, but if you want others to believe in you, then you have to believe in yourself. I think that if you don’t take chances in this life it can lead to regret. So believe in a decision and stick to it. Basil Cooper strikes again!

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?

The diversity. No two days are ever the same. I am very fortunate in that I deal with a very wide range of organisations and people. The subject matter we are dealing with, namely how do we create a smarter working Britain, is increasingly of interest to such a wide community. It’s a fascinating topic.

WHAT DO YOU FIND DIFFICULT?

People who are negative. I have a very ‘can-do’ attitude. In the 1980s and early ’90s I spent a lot of time in America and, love ’em or hate ’em, they have a very positive attitude that I find infectious. When people come to me and tell me why we can’t do something, they’ve got to have a cast-iron reason.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FINEST MOMENT?

I’m still waiting for it to arrive! I guess it was in 1996 when launching our InterForum initiative on electronic trading. We managed to attract a stellar line-up of guest speakers. People such as Larry Ellison, founder and head of Oracle Corporation (one of the world’s biggest database providers), Sir Peter Bonfield, chief executive of BT at the time, and Peter Martin, then deputy editor of the Financial Times. Being a not-forprofit organisation, we didn’t even pay them.

WHAT HAVEN’T YOU DONE THAT YOU’D LIKE TO DO?

I’d like to go on a round-the-world trip to some of the less obvious tourist spots. Yes, it would be interesting to see the pyramids, but it’s not something I hanker after. I’d prefer something more rugged, like the Russian Steppes or Greenland. They’re where I want to visit before I shuffl e off this mortal coil.

Work Wise Week runs from 15-21 May www.workwiseuk.org

WORDS BY LAUREN HO