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Behind the Suit... Richard Tams
Thursday, March 19, 2009 Richard Tams Job title: Head of UK & Ireland sales at British Airways  Age: 41 What inspires you? I am always inspired by humility in others. Who's had the most influence in your life? My parents. I was lucky enough to have had a relatively privileged upbringing but I was always brought up to never take this for granted and appreciate the things that really matter, like your happiness and your health. If you could invite four people, dead or alive, to a dinner party, who would they be and why? Nelson Mandela, because I would like to understand how someone wrongly imprisoned for so long has never appeared bitter in any way. A truly remarkable man. Mother Theresa because she embodied everything that I admire. She was humble and selfless. Every dinner party should have a Saint. Julie Walters because she makes me laugh even more than Victoria Wood. Otto von Bismarck because I loved history at school and I was fascinated by the story of the unification of Germany. He was an impressive leader to a 14-year-old. What did you think you'd be when you were growing up? A journalist, a politician or a lawyer. I never thought I wanted to work for an airline. Have you ever had any nicknames? People have always called me Tamsey. Can you describe a turning point in your life? The day I met my partner Adrian. I never looked back. What is Willie Walsh really like? What you see is what you get with Willie. He is a very focused leader and very much in touch with what's going on in the airline. Would you work for Virgin Atlantic if they doubled your wages? Good question. I have never worked for anyone else other than BA (19 years in total) and it's personal and in the blood now. I believe in the airline and have always been proud to work for BA. So I would say probably not. What one change would you make to this country? I would get everyone to take more personal responsibility. It always seem to be someone else's fault. We are always looking for someone to blame things on. What's your ultimate goal in life? My ultimate goal one day is to run my own little business doing something fun in a warm climate that is very lucrative! What is your favourite holiday destination? Either the Minervois area of Southern France or Cape Town, depending on the time of the year. Where have you not been that you'd like to visit? I'd love to travel around Namibia. I'd also like to see more of Brazil.
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