Lawrence Jones MBE

Founder & CEO, UKFast

Tell us something most people won't know about you

I was a professional musician for 10 years, playing piano, composing classical music and producing records.

What has been your highlight of 2018 so far?

Almost getting Wi-Fi on a Virgin train!

Who would play you in the film of your life?

Bill Murray.

Which tech firm (other than your own!) do you most admire?

iDEA because it has broken down digital education into bitesize chunks that give you continuous feedback to show your progress. It's an initiative by the Duke of York and Kerensa Jennings, and is a phenomenal inspiration.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Chess - I've played 16,225 games in four years.

What is the most irritating tech buzzphrase of 2018?

‘Stack'.

What would be your first act if you were made Prime Minister?

I'd retrospectively tax AWS, Amazon, Facebook, Google and all of the US corporations that have blatantly disregarded the needs of the citizens of the UK. They're a drain on our economy and sadly our government has never understood the damage they continue to cause. Then I'd resign!

What's the biggest untapped opportunity facing the channel?

More ferries.

What is your most treasured possession?

The gift of music.

What do your family think you do all day?

My wife Gail is co-founder and managing director at UKFast and we work together to continually build and develop the business. Our children are already a big part of the business and understand what we do.

Who has been your mentor in business?

I've never actually had a dedicated mentor but I have been lucky enough to take quality advice from Tony Robbins, Richard Branson, Noel McKee, James Timpson and a host of others.