P&J Q&A - James Watt

What follows was a Q&A interview with the Press & Journal, with our very own Managing Director James Watt (pictured on the right of the photograph above).

What car do you drive?
It’s red and quite fast, where the law permits of course.

What gadget would you never leave home without?
Are sandwiches gadgets?

What's your favourite restaurant?
Café 52 Aberdeen.

Have you ever broken the law?
I am the law. Two for zero in my legal career so far.

What or who makes you laugh?
Ricky Gervais. Or Martin playing badminton in what could only be described as pretentious 1950’s pyjamas.

What's your favourite book?
Anything which gets me thinking, strictly no novels though.

What's your favourite film?
Good Will Hunting and Anchorman.

What's you favourite singer/band?
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

What's your ideal job, other than this one?
Circus Boy.

What's the best piece of business advice you have ever received?
Always believe 100% in yourself and your ideas – if you don’t, no one else will! You need a level of almost unrealistic confidence in yourself and your own ability.

Worst business advice?
a) Have a mission statement. Mission statements are for companies who don’t know what they are doing! Because if you really know what you are doing and everyone is on board what on earth do you need a mission statement for?
b) Or to use an excessively manufactured acronym for a business name.

What do you drink?
I prefer a flan. 60% of the time, everytime. Hop Rocker is apparently pretty good too.

How much was your first pay packet and what was it for?
Skelator(from ‘He-man and the Masters of the Universe’). I spent a week on my dad’s fishing boat when I was 7 for this most extravagant of remunerations. I could have happily retired that very day.

How do you keep fit?
By smoking and eating as many cheeseburgers as I can. I try to go to the gym 3 times a week but unfortunately I have missed the last 317 times.

What's your biggest extravagance?
It’s all about moderation. Everything in moderation, including moderation itself. What logically follows is that you must, from time to time have excess.

With which historical or fictional character do you most identify?
Darth Vader, who I still think will be the next Managing Director of Tesco.

How would you like to be remembered?
As the Prime Minister who rid the country of the red tape plague and beurocratic epidemic and restored the vaguest hint of reason and morality to the justice system. I could solve the world’s problems if I cared.

Year born: 1982

Education: Honours degree in Law and Economics from Edinburgh University 2004, Fishing Vessel Captains Qualification 2005.