DUNCAN BANNATYNE
ENTREPRENEUR & TV ‘DRAGON’
An end to war and conflict throughout the world so that we can all focus on ending child poverty and starvation worldwide.
JENNIFER IRVINE
FOUNDER, PURE PACKAGE FOOD DELIVERY
A holiday! It’s so important to recharge one’s batteries and it’s essential for me to spend quality time with my husband and young daughters. This year I’m dropping hints about the Banyan Tree Hotel in the Maldives! It’s known for its delicious, local food from sustainable sources and these ethical principles are really important to me.
JONATHAN SIEFF
CO-CHAIRMAN, GLOBAL BRANDS GROUP
All my kids and family together for a huge Christmas dinner, a case of fine Bordeaux and a happy and peaceful New Year with England dominating and winning next year's FIFA World Cup in South Africa!
OLGA POLIZZI
DESIGNER & HOTELIER
New pots and pans, as my resolution is to start cooking, and new rose bushes for my garden. Material things aside, we may grumble in the West but we’re pretty lucky to have clean water, roofs over our heads and an equitable climate. Perhaps we should all be a bit more generous to people less fortunate than us, knowing that 50 per cent of the world doesn’t have these things.
BELLE ROBINSON
CO-OWNER, JIGSAW, KEW & THE SHOP AT BLUEBIRD
Something from Anya Hindmarch’s Bespoke shop, and one of the Covelli Tennant Union Jack cushions from the amazing Shop at Bluebird!
BILL AMBERG
LEATHER DESIGNER
My new Mobius belt, a pair of Fin’s Shoes, a Charge bike, a vintage watch, perhaps the Rolex Daytona, and a huge donation to Molly’s Fund, a charity that helps children with brain tumours.
SIMON WOODROFFE OBE
FOUNDER OF YO!
A day of peace, preferably on 21 September (theplastiki.com); an electric car and a place to charge it; a large pair of scissors to give to the Chancellor to cut red tape for small businesses; a spade to get the new Battersea Power Station development started so I can build my YO! Zone spa.
JUSTIN KING
CEO, SAINSBURY’S
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Cava, TU black leather gloves, Belgian chocolates, Blue Stilton in a heritage truckle, Jamie in America cook book and the control and eradication of malaria.
SIR KEITH MILLS
ENTREPRENEUR & SAILOR
To sign up a commercial partner or two for my America’s Cup team, Team Origin. We’ve been working really hard to build a great team and have formed an exciting new environmental partnership with the Carbon Trust. Now all we need are commercial partners to join us in winning the world’s oldest sporting trophy and making a genuine impact on climate change.
JASMINE WHITBREAD
CEO, SAVE THE CHILDREN
$45bn dollars. It would stop six million children dying needlessly every year and is less than half what consumers spend globally on bottled water each year. Three disasters have hit Southeast Asia, and hundreds of thousands of children are now in desperate need (savethechildren.org.uk/appeal/southeastasia). I also wish that I could move Oxford closer to London so I could shrink my commute and spend more time with my children.
ANDREW CROKER
CHAIRMAN, DIGITAL SPORTS SPECIALISTS, PERFORM
A Giant TCR Advanced SL road bike. On 12 February, I fly to Rome so that I can cycle from there to Murrayfield, via all the Six Nations stadia — 2,888km in 24 days. I am riding with Lawrence Dallaglio and we aim to raise over £1m for Sport Relief and his Foundation (dallagliocycleslam.com).
JOHN TIMPSON CBE
CEO, TIMPSON
The services of a personal box ticker — someone to fill in the mindless forms and red tape that have become part of everyday business life. However, fearing such a role may contravene some EU regulation, I will simply settle for a year’s supply of ‘Get out of box-ticking free’ cards. These cards would entitle the holder to bin any red tape that has no clear benefit. I wish to ignore government guidelines, process and best practice. I prefer to take a chance on flair, experience and common sense.
CRAIG SAMS
FOUNDER, GREEN & BLACKS AND CHAIRMAN CARBON GOLD
For the Copenhagen climate talks to come to an agreement that is universal and equitable to all. Then small-scale, efficient domestic energy producers would win out over the big coal and nuclear lobbies, biochar would win out easily over biofuels and solar and wind would proliferate.
I’d love to see a level playing field with no special exemptions for the powerful legacy industries that got us into this mess. Just a one-size-fits-all system based on genuine and transparent valuations of the greenhouse gas effect of all activities.
On a more material level, Santa, I’d like one of those hardened bronze Tuza mattocks from Implementations. With this garden tool, gravity does the digging and I avoid the back-breaking lifting of soil with a spade.
TIM SMIT
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, THE EDEN PROJECT
A small earthquake in Parliament Square, which brings the House of Commons into a pile of rubble. And lo, there was a sign which was interpreted amidst much vexation to mean that this temple of democracy should be rebuilt in a town of great poverty, so that each day when members walked to their place of work they could reflect on the meaning of service and the shame that we all share for having built a country committed to eradicating poverty and which has failed so spectacularly in the attempt. At this moment they would all, regardless of faith or political conviction, rededicate themselves to the unstinting effort to remove the stain and build our country anew. Other than that, a bottle of fine Malt.
KULJIT BHAMRA MBE
BRITISH ASIAN MUSICIAN
A briefcase with legs — a robotic android with four short, humanoid legs that would enable it to follow me around as I travelled. It would have sufficient capacity to contain my laptop, and at my recognisable verbal command, open itself and hand it to me. It would also pass me the appropriate job folder at my request. Completely burglar-proof, it would respond only to my voice, and if manhandled by a third party, would emit an alarm and tracking signal.
My ‘briefbot’ would have its own power storage unit that would allow the laptop to work at a full charge for at least six hours, but would reserve sufficient power to enable it to walk a sufficient distance until it identified a power point to connect itself to for a recharge. After long days at my desk and as I lay face down in my hotel bed, my ‘briefbot’ would walk up and down my back with a massaging action to ease away the aches and pains of many years of carrying an old vintage model! During airline travel, it would retract its limbs so as to fit neatly into the overhead locker compartment.
TOM AIKENS
CHEF & RESTAURATEUR, TOM AIKENS AND TOM’S KITCHEN
A new law for everyone to be allowed more time off work. The extra holiday would help to give us a better balance to appreciate the finer things in life, more time to enjoy our friends and family and also to unwind and let off steam. We work pretty much 11 months of the year — which is madness. If we had a minimum of two months’ holiday we could recharge our lives. It would make everyone more appreciative of their work and job. As a result of the increased level of rest, we would work harder and be more effective as individuals and working as a team.
BILL JORDAN
CHAIRMAN, JORDANS
A 360º excavator to help us clear ditches at my Pensthorpe nature reserve. Or new beehives. Our Big Buzz campaign was very successful this year, so we would like to continue adding to the good work our nature-friendly farmers do on their land all year round. And some female cranes to keep our male ones company!
JOCE CAPPER
MANAGING DIRECTOR, RUSHES
I’m a gadget queen! My gadgets have to be slick and beautiful, highly functional, easy to use and easy to get started with. I have high expectations! I generally carry at least five in my handbag. What I’d love — when it’s invented — is a magical magnetic device that could instantly find the item I spend way too much time fumbling for, somewhere in the bottom of my handbag.
For now, I’d like to find the new Apple Magic Mouse in my Christmas stocking. It’s a fab idea with a real wow factor. This multi-touch, wireless device looks slick and beautiful and is, currently, unique technology. It’s fun and I’d use it every working day. In fact, I’d better write my letter to Santa now.
ELIZABETH HAMMOND
FOUNDER, HAMMOND PARTNERS
For our politicians to realise that running the UK is no different to being the chief executive of any company. If, as an outside consultant, I took a look at ‘company UK’ I’d wonder how we had managed to allow such wealth destruction and to employ many more thousands of people than we can actually afford. Oh, and a black Birkin bag! Why, oh why, do they have to have such long waiting lists?
ALASTAIR SAWDAY
FOUNDER, ALASTAIR SAWDAY PUBLISHING
To be able to give a little hope to our children. How? By being able to tell them that the Copenhagen summit has been a stonking — and miraculous — success. It will have produced a binding and urgent commitment on the part of all participating nations to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million by 2050. That way we may still have the Maldives, polar bears, an Arctic ice-cap, thousands of precious species, millions of people who would otherwise have died — and some hope to pass on. We might even be able to hope for a little snow at Christmas — one day.
CAROLINE ROWLAND
FOUNDER AND CEO, NEW MOON
Having just finished making We Are the People We’ve Been Waiting For, a landmark film about education, my wish is that ‘the-powers-that-be’ would see that we need to nurture the next generation and give young people the tools that make sense of this crazy world we live in. If that could somehow be achieved, we’d all be in a much, much better place. We’re neglecting it at the moment. Young people are seen as an inconvenience. We ought to be treasuring and nurturing them and giving them the opportunity to become amazing adults.
ROD SHEARD
SENIOR PRINCIPAL, POPULOUS
A device that provides huge broadband capacity everywhere (without cables). This would allow real-time live HD sports coverage anywhere, anytime. It would mean that every one of the 500 or so sports around the world could find their audience, and therefore potentially benefit from the sort of revenues that only a few prominent Western sports currently enjoy. I would also like Santa to bring threepenny pieces for the Christmas puddings: I always enjoy finding them!
MARK NEWTON-JONES
CEO, SHOP DIRECT GROUP
Health and happiness for all our 10,500 employees, along with my friends and family in 2010. And an end to the mindless violence on our streets in the UK and the breakdown of any moral values in many areas. And if I had to say one material item, a new boat would be nice!
ROBERT HISCOX
CHAIRMAN, HISCOX PLC
That the FSA and the media stop referring to the life assurance companies as ‘the insurance industry’. We general insurance companies are insurers. The life companies are involved in the savings and investment industry. The correct description might save me from the intense irritation at being invited to functions, at which I am lectured by a regulator on my disgraceful selling of poor savings products (when I have no involvement whatsoever), and from my breakfast being ruined by reading in my morning paper of another scandal in the ‘insurance industry’ when it has nothing to do with my thoroughly responsible business. And, more importantly, the correct description might keep the regulators focused on the total difference between the two industries and protect us from sanctions they may impose on that other lot.
SIMON BERRY
CHAIRMAN, BERRY BROS & RUDD
A wonderful vintage in Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Northern Rhône and Northern Italy (which is looking probable), together with realistic prices from the producers (in my dreams!). Also a government and press with the intelligence to acknowledge that wine drinking is, almost without exception, a civilised pursuit practised by grown-up people.
BRENT HOBERMAN
FOUNDER, LASTMINUTE.COM
A Moooi table — I’ve developed a love for iconic furniture with a twist. Establishing mydeco.com as the UK’s leading interior design and homewares website has taught me a lot about design over the last 18 months. Leading designers like Sir Terence Conran, Philippe Starck and Kelly Hoppen sit on our design board and we enjoy promoting exciting young British designers on our site.
MIRELLE GUILIANO
AUTHOR, WOMEN, WORK & THE ART OF SAVOIR FAIRE
A kinder, gentler world for Christmas — and not just one with less poverty, violence and wars, but one where we receive and celebrate more good news. For the business person (since giving is often more rewarding than receiving in business and life), I’d like to give two presents.
One is some sort of physical or mental device that would dampen the noise pollution all around us — from traffic and travel noise to cell phone chatter that unnecessarily adds to our stress and reduces our efficiency and productivity. The second is a strategy that works for me to combat stress and regain a healthy balance in life: I wish them a regular dose of laughter.
WILFRED EMMANUEL-JONES
FOUNDER, THE BLACK FARMER
A level playing field for our local shops and town centres, which are being decimated by the might of the supermarkets. If I had my wish, I would ensure that the same charges for parking apply in supermarket car parks as in town centres; that supermarkets are banned from selling alcohol and selling petrol to give the independents a hope of survival. I’d like to open The Black Farmer farm shop, which would become the hub for and supportive of small, local producers.
GILES ELLIOTT
CEO, ODL SECURITIES
A non-English President of Europe (a famous Belgian would be good); an elected British Prime Minister (someone who doesn’t live in Scotland would be good); a local council that provides an official Travellers’ site and stops wasting millions of pounds in court, fighting futile planning battles (closing down the 80 or so illegal sites in Sussex would be good). A dry sunny day for my daughter’s pre-Christmas wedding would be good, too!
ANDREW DUNN
FOUNDER AND MD, SCOTT DUNN
An Airboard Classic inflatable sled — a great alternative to serious skiing! My family can’t wait to try it out on our next ski holiday and I’ll be joining them. On a more serious note, something I always yearn for is staggered school holidays throughout the UK. This would take some of the pressure off high season dates and allow tour operators to offer holidays at the most consistent prices possible, instead of needing to pass on increased costs during peak times.
WILL KING
CEO, KING OF SHAVES
People of the world to have been inspired for the forthcoming year by reading my book How to Build a Great Business in Tough Times: the King of Shaves Story, rather than just falling asleep on Christmas Day afternoon during the Queen’s Speech, obviously.
NICK WHEELER
FOUNDER, CHARLES TYRWHITT SHIRTS
Things that are home-made and non-fattening. A jar of plum jam or a bottle of home-pressed apple juice would be perfect. I am fed up with “things” and clutter, so am much happier if I can eat it and not get any fatter in the process.
STEVE MARTIN
AUTHOR, YES!: 50 SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN WAYS TO BE PERSUASIVE
Government and public sector organisations to start applying thinking from persuasion research and behavioural economics to address some of the societal challenges we face rather than just simply creating more legislation, fines and penalties which tend not only to be more costly but will often increase the incidence of such problems. Oh and I’d love an Amazon Kindle electronic book reader.
RICHARD FARLEIGH
ENTREPRENEUR
More bike lanes in London, as I’m too scared to ride, more smiles on our faces, a lot less pigeons, and finally, more lovely snow like we had last February.
JULIE MEYER
FOUNDING PARTNER, ENTREPRENEUR COUNTRY & CEO, ARIADNE CAPITAL
The majority of society to understand that the entrepreneur is the engine of growth in society, and that the economic growth will be entrepreneur-led. The entrepreneur creates intellectual and financial wealth through which the entire society benefits and progresses, and so entrepreneurs and their teams should be richly rewarded for taking the risks that they do (and which the rest of society chooses not to but from which it still benefits). Whereas any sustainable wealth creation requires an ecosystem of people who care, the entrepreneur should be front and centre in that network as he or she has the market insight, is the creator of value, is the hero.
And finally, I’m not one to bash bankers particularly, but I am amazed at how frequently your average Joe citizen will lump entrepreneurs and SME business owners with bankers as some sort of capitalist plot to defraud the rest of society. Bankers and entrepreneurs are very different people, and have played very different roles in this past financial crisis; business owners and founders have taken risks with their capital, and bankers are there to manage risks.
TIM STEINER
CEO, OCADO
An ABS Avalanche air bag, some carbon-fibre off-piste skis and some snow on Boxing Day. Once we have got all the Christmas deliveries to all our customers I can head off with the family skiing for a holiday. The week leading up to Christmas is our busiest and most intense week of the year, as we work hard not to compromise the level of service we provide. If an order is not 100 per cent perfect it matters at Christmas more than at any other time of year as customers have heightened stress levels as they are often under pressure to try to create a perfect Christmas for their families.
To combat this, in areas where we have high numbers of customers we do things like have extra vans on hand filled with turkeys, brandy butter, Christmas puddings and Brussels sprouts to come to the rescue if a customer has ordered the wrong size turkey for their oven, forgotten a Christmas essential or to stand in if one of our vans has broken down or got stuck in the snow!
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