CHRISTIAN ROWE Managing Director of Executive Compass and is based in Newcastle at Hoults Yard.
Christian oversees the preparation of bids and selection questionnaires for its clients which range from owner-managed SME businesses to multi-national companies. Here he tells us about his weekends. Do you ever have to work weekends? I don’t have to, but I often choose to. Thankfully I enjoy my job, so time spent crunching numbers, looking at draft tender responses, or getting ahead for the following week is always a pleasure. Responding to occasional weekend calls from a potential new customer is always appreciated by them. The Executive Compass client base includes many SMEs whose owners often work weekends themselves and look for urgent help when writing tenders. We’ve built some great long-term relationships through being highly responsive at times when people don’t always expect an answer! Are most weekends the same? For me during the pandemic they probably were! I became obsessed with walking and most Saturday mornings involved a trek with my wife to a coffee shop and back; then I’d watch my son play football, before dashing off to either play cricket or watch more football. Sundays are a bit quieter; I always start with Andrew Marr and a nice breakfast then more family time with a walk before lunch. Sunday afternoon is often spent working, interspersed with some televised sport before a relaxing evening with a bottle of wine. I enjoy the odd theatre trip, cinema visit, football away trip, or live music somewhere and we like to go walking in Northumberland or the Lake District around Penrith – where my wife grew up. Do you find it hard to switch off? Sometimes when I have some pressing decisions on my mind it is hard to switch off but often, I don’t really try to switch off – as I said earlier, I enjoy my job! Some of my best ideas come to me when walking the dog or playing cricket! What do you do at a weekend which you can’t fit in through the week? Studying mainly – I’m just finishing off a two-year part-time MBA with Durham University. The course has been excellent, and I’ve learnt a lot, but the extensive reading and assignments take up a lot of time. Morning exercise or a recovery lie in? A bit of both! I’m not a fan of gyms or jogging and so my mornings tend to include a short lie in and then some light exercise to wake me up. Bobby, our dog is 11 years old now and a half hour stroll is sufficient for him, which suits me. Do you prefer a big night out or a night in the house? Definitely a night in the house – with some decent red wine or craft beer watching some rubbish on Netflix, or losing at scrabble to my children. Not sure I can remember what a big night out is! Do you watch or play sport at a weekend? Cricket is my main sporting activity – I play for Kirkley in the Northumberland League and the game takes up most of the afternoon and evening. We do play some midweek cricket, but the longer weekend game is more enjoyable and less frantic – including the dash to the ground for 6pm midweek starts. I wish I had time for golf as well as I really enjoy that but just can’t find the time. Where do you like to eat out at a weekend? Great question, there’s so many good local restaurants in and around Newcastle! My favourites include Francesca’s in Jesmond, the Blackbird in Ponteland and San Lorenzo on Gosforth High Street, with a special mention to the Valley Junction also in Jesmond which serves the tastiest and freshest curries! How important is the weekend to you? It is very important – Friday night takeaways with the wife and children, looking back at the week and catching up together is an important time – then me being a taxi driver for their activities is equally important to them! What’s the best thing about weekends? Time with the family, nice meals, pleasant walks, and thinking time alone on the cricket pitch for me! Of a weekend, you’ll usually find me most happy…? Opening the batting (hopefully still at the crease!) looking out toward the Cheviots at Kirkley Cricket Club with the ground looking resplendent and not a cloud in the sky!