John Hemingway

Name: John Hemingway.

Employer and official job title: Sheffield Hallam University - Chief Information Officer.

What do most people call you? Surprisingly enough, John.

Who do you report to? The Vice Chancellor.

Nature of organisation and total headcount: A University with 28,000 students and 3,500 staff.

IT headcount: 120.

IT budget: revenue £4.5m and capital £2m.

Biggest career success? Delivering electricity privatisation in Scotland when I was at PwC.

Greatest flop (that you can tell us about)? Thinking I was cut out for a career in sales just after I graduated.

Greatest influence on career: Meeting Adrian Gilpin, the Chairman of the Institute of Human Development.

Greatest strength: An ability to create an environment where others can grow, develop, prosper and succeed.

Area where you most want to improve yourself: Continue to develop my skills as a leader.

What single thing would make your job easier? The murgatron. A piece of technology that could be applied to solve any business problem instantly.

If you could only pass on one piece of advice to your successor, what would it be? "If you believe you can or you believe you can't you will be right." (It is a quote from Henry Ford.)

Which business issue/technology excites you the most? Cultural transformation.

What keeps you awake at night? My neighbour's cat, sometimes.

Home life: Live in Sheffield on the edge of the Peak District and am married with one daughter.

Hobbies: Trying to keep fit, cooking (which doesn't help with the keep fit), playing cricket.

Last book read: Synchronicity, The Inner Path of Leadership by Joseph Jaworski.

Last CD bought/downloaded: X & Y by Coldplay.

Favourite holiday destination: Fuerteventura.

What would your personal motto be? To be the best me that I can be.

Greatest fear: To be doing something that I don't enjoy and learn from every day.

My idea of perfect happiness is... Being on a beach in Fuerteventura with my wife and daughter with the sun shining and the waves rolling in.