What’s your style? Dave Jones, Reward Finance Group
Lifestyle correspondent Lisa Darwin gets up-close and personal with David Jones, join managing director (with Tom Flannery) of Reward Finance Group.
What was the last picture you took on your phone?
My daughter’s netball team in tears from last weekend who after many many attempts won for the first time. It was 10-9 going into the last minute – it stayed that way until the end but I never knew that a minute could feel like an hour. Proper Robert the Bruce moment.
Best compliment you’ve received?
Trust me I am happy with any compliment
Greatest strength and weakness?
Strength – being nice, and being memorable. Weakness – being memorable
Who would be your perfect dinner date past or present?
Ozzy and Fidel Castro – with both of their interpreters!
If you could have personally witnessed anything what would you have seen?
Chariot race at the Colosseum – that’s my culture vulture bit coming out. I have plenty of friends who would have expected a different answer
Favourite band/artist?
I always say one of the few benefits about being over 50 is that I was lucky enough to see all my favourite bands with their original line ups. AC/DC, Van Halen, Black Sabbath, Queen, the Waterboys. etc etc To name but one favourite is impossible
Favourite food and drink combination?
Pint of Timmy Taylors landlord and a bag of Seabrooks cheese and onion. I’m a simple lad.
Favourite Place in the world?
Havannah
If you could do anything, knowing what you know now, what would you do?
Change my lottery numbers
What have you always wanted and did you get it?
El Classico – and I am doing it in 8 weeks time in Barcelona
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
The only thing I was any good at at school was Maths so being a bank manager was my dream job. Being brought up ona council estate in Oldham I was often mocked for this – in the main by future jail birds .
What makes you happy?
Everything. It takes a heck of a lot for me not to be happy
WORK
Where did you start your career?
Yorkshire Bank in 1977- their strap line then was “Friendliness. We built a bank on it” No wonder it used to be the most successful bank in the Western World
What do you believe makes a great leader?
Not enough space here and what would I know anyway
What has been your biggest challenge in your current position?
The day one challenge. Resigning at the age of 50 from a very well paid job to take a risk on going self employed in a start up.
Where do you see the company in five years-time?
Still helping businesses maximise the opportunities that they wouldn’t be able to fulfil if they waited for their Bank to make a decision. Hopefully just with more staff and more cash deployed.
What advice would you give to an aspiring business leader?
Live long and prosper
Who is your most successful/famous contact in your phone?
Most successful is Christo Wiese (Reward’s backer) ; Most famous, definitely Dynamo and Jive Bunny
Who is your role model in life/business?
Ozzy and Fidel, hence why I would like dinner with them. Branson can rock up as well if he likes.
Which city in the world, (other than Leeds of course) would you like to work?
Anywhere where playing hard and working hard are synonymous. I visited Melbourne for the first time in December which had an amazing buzz about it and working there would take some beating. Being born in Oz may help me settle easy as well.
