The revolution will be televised in 3D, it will deliver the arts to the people and it will be led by a Northumbrian. Andrew Mernin meets BSkyB’s chief executive Jeremy Darroch to find out more.
The Questionnaire
What car do you drive?
BMW Diesel estate.
What’s your favourite restaurant?
River Café in Hammersmith.
Who or what makes you laugh?
Modern Families on Sky1.
What’s your favourite book?
To Kill a Mockingbird.
What’s your favourite film?
A River Runs Through It.
What was the last album you bought?
Jay-Z, The Blueprint 3.
What’s your ideal job, other than your current one?
MD, Sky Sports.
If you had a talking parrot, what’s the first thing you’d teach it to say?
"It’s called St James Park".
What’s your greatest fear?
That we don’t act now on climate change.
What’s the best piece of business advice you have ever received?
Success breeds confidence, failure breeds learning – as a leader embrace both.
And the worst?
That people won’t and can’t change.
What’s your poison?
A glass of Laphroaig whisky.
What newspaper do you read, other than The Journal?
Times, Sun, FT, Telegraph.
How much was your first pay packet and what was it for?
About £50 for working in an off-licence.
How do you keep fit?
Run, go to the gym.
What’s your most irritating habit?
My wife says it is a complete inability to sit down and relax.
What’s your biggest extravagance?
Family holidays.
Which historical or fictional character do you most identify with/admire?
Aragorn (Lord of the Rings).
And which four famous people would you most like to dine with?
Alistair Cooke, Warren Buffett, Nelson Mandela, Seve Ballesteros.
How would you like to be remembered?
As someone who tried to build and grow things and in doing so did well, and did well by others.
The CV
1975 – 1980: The Duchess High School, Alnwick
1980 – 1983: Hull University Business School
1983 – 1988: Deloitte Haskins & Sells
1988 – 2000: Procter & Gamble - variety of roles in UK and Europe, including European finance director for healthcare business
2000 - 2004: DSG International plc (formerly Dixons Group plc)
2004 – 2007: BSkyB, chief financial officer
2007 – Present: BSkyB, chief executive