Dr Stan Higgins, Chief Executive and Director, NEPIC

Jun 28 2010 by Peter McCusker, The Journal

Dr Stan Higgins has become the voice of the chemical industry in the North East. The chief executive of industry body Nepic tells Peter McCusker of his rise to the top.

THE QUESTIONNAIRE

What car do you drive?
Peugot 407 2.2L diesel – economy and performance.

What’s your favourite restaurant?
Strathearn at Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland.

Who or what makes you laugh?
Oor Willie and The Broons cartoons.

What’s your favourite book?
Night Falls on Ardnamurchan, by Alasdair Maclean.

What’s your favourite film?
Ben Hur – saw it 10 times as a child. What was the last album you bought? The Beatles at the BBC.

What’s your ideal job, other than your current one?
Football Association chief executive.

If you had a talking parrot, what’s the first thing you’d teach it to say?
He likes whisky for presents.

What’s your greatest fear?
Workington Reds get promoted back into the football league and go bust.

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

Worst business advice?
Cut promotional and marketing costs.

What’s your poison?
Malt whisky – young ones. I don’t like the mellower old varieties.

What newspaper do you read, other than The Journal?
The Times.

How much was your first pay packet and what was it for?
£30 per month (£365pa) – lab trainee.

How do you keep fit?
Golf.

What’s your most irritating habit?
Telling terrible jokes.

What’s your biggest extravagance?
Newcastle United season tickets.

Which historical or fictional character do you most identify with/admire?
Michael Faraday, picture top.

And which four famous people would you most like to dine with?
My wife says I have to say Cheryl Cole, Victoria Beckham, Leona Lewis and Madonna, but my own choice would be William Wilberforce, Michael Faraday, Albert Einstein and Pele, above.

How would you like to be remembered?
As a man who was great fun to work with and a champion of the process sector.

CV

DATE OF BIRTH: 30. 6. 53.

EDUCATION
1998 Eastman Chemical Company - Business Management Curriculum (MBA equivalent.)
1979 University of York - PhD Process Understanding & Development 1977 University of York - BA Chemistry, Economics & Technology (2:1).

EMPLOYMENT
2003 - to date NEPIC chief executive and director
2002 - 2003 Yule Catto - James Robinson, divisional director
1998 - 2001 Laporte, divisional director
1997 - 1998 Eastman, divisional director
1988 - 1997 PEBOC, managing director
1985 - 1988 Akzo, manufacturing manager
1981 - 1985 Glaxo, assistant production manager
1979 - 1981 Rekitt & Colman, chemist
1970 - 1975 BNFL, trainee chemist

INTERESTS Golf, soccer, reading, gardening.