1. What have you found most challenging as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise?

For me business is all about excellent people. It has taken a long time to filter those who tell you they are excellent, from those who truly are, as the latter are generally too humble to say so. I am still working on this skill!

2. How did you become a CEO or executive of a large enterprise? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I founded a specialist finance brokerage 15 years ago. This business taught me to be truly excellent in what you do. When I started generating decent profits I decided that rather than try and learn new skills in order to offer a broader proposition, that I would reinvest the profits I was generating into the best people I had worked with in complementary business areas and build partnership companies with them as MD. This has evolved into my position as Chairman of ARMCo.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

To be honest, it doesn't seem to matter how I structure my day, my day ends up structuring me. In a way I do like the variation that this provides, but the untouched inbox can get me down. What is so important is to allow time to think, without interruption.

4. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?

Work with great people with skills that complement yours. Trust in their abilities and enable them to do what they are good at with little interference. If you have picked the right person you will soon see them blossom into something incredible. In my opinion, too many bosses suppress talent.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

It was a book that was more generic and not really leadership focussed. The principles within 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' by Robert Kiyosaki remain with me to this day.

6. How do you build leadership capacity in a large enterprise?

I endeavour to create complementary business with up to a maximum of 30 staff within each company. That was you can move in line with market changes incredibly quickly. Each company is also easy for the partner MD to manage. If I were to employ 500 staff, I would prefer this to be across 25 collaborative companies with a strong leader at the help of each. That way, I also am effectively only working with 25 people.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise so far?

Everyone says they are trustworthy, ethical and with a strong moral fibre. Actually demonstrating this over a long period of time, without exception, sets you apart from the vast majority of your peers. Thereafter, if you are good at what you do, you are on the road to success with absolute longevity.