Penny speed meets... Phil Bayles, intermediaries and partnerships director, Aviva

What was your first ever job — and were you any good at it?
I was a grocery delivery boy around the Back Bay of Boston in the US in the summer of 1987, driving a big van and hustling in and out of smart apartments all day long. No real talent required, but great fun

If an MP3 player could only hold three tunes, what would you select for the ultimate soundtrack to your life?
The impossible question: Down in the Tube Station at Midnight by The Jam; The Whole of the Moon by The Waterboys; and The Blower’s Daughter by Damien Rice

Who was your top teenage pin‑up?
Clare Grogan – I loved her accent

My colleagues won’t know this about me but...
I once ended up (under duress) doing improvised comedy on a live TV show with Bruce Forsyth – never, ever again

Favourite book of all time?
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Do as you would be done by

What would be your chosen superpower?
Time travel

If you could be Prime Minister for the day, what change would you instigate and why?
I’d do something radical to reduce income tax at all levels – working needs to be very clearly rewarded over not working

How would a typical school report about you read?
Phil is a bit cheeky and needs to show the same enthusiasm for his work as he does for his sport

My top tip for climbing the insurance career ladder is...
Focus on doing each role that you have really well and your career will look after itself. I’m a bit suspicious of people who spend more time plotting their careers and networking than excelling in their current roles

What’s the most annoying thing people do in your office?
Choose a nicer lunch than me – it’s not good having food envy at meetings

My last supper would comprise...
Lobster and langoustine to start, washed down by a white Burgundy followed by a rib of beef and châteauneuf du pape shared with my wife Susan, my kids and my mum, dad and brothers

Who has been the most influential person in your life?
My dad – he has a very well thought‑through philosophy on how to live a good and happy life that has rubbed off on me and my siblings, and he’s working on the grandchildren now

When I’m not working I like to...
Do family stuff like cycling or getting out on our boat with the kids. I’m slowly brainwashing the kids to support the mighty Saints, so I’m hoping to combine football and ‘family time’ going forward

Last film you saw?
In Bruges on DVD. Stuart Reid [Bluefin] recommended it to me a long while ago and it more than lived up to its billing – tense and very funny

If I wasn’t working in insurance I would probably be...
Who knows? I’m just glad that after 14 years in other sectors I stumbled into such a vibrant and interesting industry

Would you like to be probed by Penny on one of her speed meets? Get in touch via Stephanie Denton

This article was published in the 21 November edition of Post