It was in 1982 when a Personnel Director (we hadn't invented HR in those days) told me I was being promoted within the Department of Trade and Industry. In order to work with Ministers, they wanted me to spend a year in a press office. I remember he told me: I don't know what they do. I think they are all failed journalists but do it for a year and then we'll move you on. Not exactly the boost you might expect at the start of a new job.

The thing was, I loved it. After a year, when I was meant to "move on", I knew I wanted to stay in this business, whatever it was.

Six years later, having handled the media over issues such as the BT privatisation, British Steel privatisation, British Leyland and Rover privatisations and a little thing called Westland, I moved to the NatWest Group where I became Head of Public Relations. We bought banks, sold banks, had a bomb at the bottom of the NatWest Tower and had to cope with the Chairman and CEO resigning after the Blue Arrow affair.

Time to try consultancy I thought, and Brunswick beckoned. It was 1993 and what a good place to be it was. Long lasting friendships were established, a great deal was learned and some fabulous transactions were handled, the demerger of National Grid plc from the 12 RECs and the demutualisation and float of Norwich Union, now Aviva.

I thought I had a couple of big in-house jobs I wanted to do and Director of Corporate Affairs at first WH Smith Group plc and then Rolls-Royce plc got that itch out of my system. Then I met Paul Weigh. Choosing a business partner is a tricky thing. I know I chose well and I hope he thinks that he did too. I do know that we share the ambition to make Blythe Weigh into something special. I'm enjoying the journey.