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Tim Bowden of Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions answers Barker's Dozen
Date: 28 September 2009
BusinessCar's Paul Barker puts 13 testing questions to another victim
1. What was your first job?
Working in a newsagent and confectioners during school holidays and weekends. It honed my mental arithmetic as the shop didn't have tills that automatically added up (oh dear, that shows my age!)
2. What was your first company car?
A 1983 Vauxhall Cavalier 1.6GL in Wedgwood Blue.
3. What did you listen to on your last car journey?
Terry Wogan's Radio 2 breakfast programme, on my journey to work.
4. What one thing do you wish you could do better?
Multi-task, because there's never enough hours in the day.
5. What's your biggest achievement?
My children.
6. Who is your role model?
My late father - as I've got older, I've realised the importance and significance of the values he instilled. Also, Margaret Thatcher for her tenacity and commitment to achieving her goals.
7. What's the stupidest thing you've done?
Believing that I was capable of re-plastering a small bedroom to an acceptable standard. I ended up ankle high in dust from sanding the walls smooth with an electric sander.
8. What was the most hotly debated topic at your last meeting?
How we could improve efficiency in some of our key processes.
9. What's in your garage?
Apart from the usual DIY tools, there are half-used tins of paint, a gas BBQ, a pressure washer and bottles of wine that I haven't got a space for in the kitchen wine rack.
10. What's the worst thing about your job?
Too many e-mails, and occasionally coming across people who have their own personal agenda and who fail to see the benefits of adopting a co-operative, win-win approach.
11. What one law would you make or change?
Abolish all the 'politically correct' legislation and the associated costs, then use the money saved to improve funding for preventative medicine in treating early onset Alzheimer's.
12. What keeps you awake at night?
Not much, apart from my wife kicking me for snoring.
13. Who is your ideal celebrity date?
Debbie Harry (as she looked 30 years ago!)
