On The Spot With Tom Ilube

What was your first job?

At 17 I started a fashion company. We made trousers, bow-ties and maths text books.

If not in your present job, what would you like to do?

I would be starting up a technology driven venture somewhere. Hold on, that is what I’m doing.

What was your worst mistake?

Asking my wife to marry me and assuming she would say yes. She said no. I wasn’t so confident a year later when I tried again.

What would be your ideal day away from the office?

Wake up late. Tai Chi in the park. Cooked breakfast in a local cafe. Wandering around museums with an unread book under my arm.

Name the one person you would most like to have dinner with?

The physicist Richard Feynman

What was your best subject at school?

Physics

What are your hobbies?

Tai Chi, educational charity work and watching rugby

What would you do if you won the lotto?

Run my educational charity full time

What is your top time-saving tip?

Do one thing each day that moves the dial. All the rest is noise.

What is your favourite time of the day?

1am. Time and space to think. That’s when I create new companies.

What is the best thing about being in Yorkshire?

The sense of confidence.

What would your epitaph be?

“We did it ourselves” Lao Tzu