Anne Preston

Oct 16 2007 by Helen Logan, Evening Gazette

Chairman, Prestons of Potto.

What did you want to be when you were young?

I always dreamed of being the PA to the Prime Minister but as an only child in the 1950s my parents did not want me to leave home - I’m glad I didn’t now.

How much was your first pay packet and what did you spend it on?

My first pay packet was £3 a week. It went a long way then - I bought a new dress and lots of make up.

What’s your dream job, other than your current one?

It would be hard to imagine a more interesting and challenging job than I have now. That is why I still keep on working long after I intended to.

What’s the best piece of business advice you have received?

My father always said ‘If you make a pound, never spend £1.10 of it’. That’s why I spend so much time watching our costs.

And the worst?

I sold some property that I had been left by my relatives when I did not need to.

What is your philosophy when it comes to business?

Never look back - always think of the future.

What are your hobbies?

I was never very sporty as a child but I do love going to the races. The racing results are the first thing I look at when I read the newspaper, followed by the price of fuel.

What’s your top business or financial tip?

It is vital to network. That’s why I’m always on the move and sometimes get accused of accepting too many invitations - you never know who you will meet. As a lady in a man’s world they never forget your name.

Does anything scare you and if so what?

Apart from the ever-rising price of fuel, I do feel frightened at the way Governments waste money on ever-increasing bureaucracy and advisors and yet tax our hard-earned money when we are alive and when we die.

What would you choose as your epitaph?

Anne worked hard, played hard and met a wonderful man (my husband Richard).